# A rat. A giant F'ing rat. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417 "2007-12-18T02:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/1 "2007-12-18T02:00:33Z")
While searching a remote part of Indonesia, scientists have found a species of giant rats. It is about 5 times larger than a common rat. Kitty may have to think twice about messing with [this dude](http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/17/giant.rat.ap/index.html). Of course, right now it has no fear of humans - given time, it will learn. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/2 "2007-12-18T02:04:31Z")
It’s the Giant Rat of Sumatra. Well, O.K., it’s actually from the other side of Indonesia, but I intend to keep on calling it that. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/3 "2007-12-18T02:12:45Z")
Rodents of unusual size? I don’t believe they exist. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/4 "2007-12-18T02:24:56Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Rodents of unusual size? I don’t believe they exist. [/QUOTE] Indonesia has fire-swamps!?! ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/5 "2007-12-18T02:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] Rodents of unusual size? I don’t believe they exist. [/QUOTE] [Oh yeah?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7rRqI05aDs) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/6 "2007-12-18T02:33:24Z")
That looks like the one on a PBS show last night about a team searching for a bird of paradise. I don’t remember the show title because I wasn’t really watching, but they did have one and talked about it. And that sucker was huge too. Is the rare BOP found in Indonesia? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/7 "2007-12-18T02:35:48Z")
We have some pretty big rats in Bangkok. Some of them even run for office. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/8 "2007-12-18T02:40:17Z")
Nice to hear about a newly discovered species. If we could hang on to the ones we already know about–that would be nice, too. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/9 "2007-12-18T02:40:35Z")
Is it bad, if your first reaction is to want to eat one? A rat is good eats… a large rat is good eats for a family. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/10 "2007-12-18T02:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] We have some pretty big rats in Bangkok. Some of them even run for office. [/QUOTE] You wanna get _caned_, fer crissakes? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/11 "2007-12-18T02:41:29Z")
Awwwwwwwwwww!!! I want one! Man, now I miss Skippy the Wonder Dog. Pet rat brought down in his prime by a spider bite… ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/12 "2007-12-18T03:24:49Z")
Please, God…Don’t let anyone bring those here to study the species. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/13 "2007-12-18T03:43:53Z")
[QUOTE=Spit] Please, God…Don’t let anyone bring those here to study the species. [/QUOTE] lol. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/14 "2007-12-18T04:33:54Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] You wanna get _caned_, fer crissakes? [/QUOTE] Actually, they don’t do caning in Thailand. 😛 Politicians are fair game, too, but say something bad about the occupant of the throne, and you’re looking at 15 years in the Big House. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/15 "2007-12-18T04:39:22Z")
[QUOTE=Spit] Please, God…Don’t let anyone bring those here to study the species. [/QUOTE] If I may, a more realistic statement; Please, God…Don’t let me know someone brought those here to study the species. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/16 "2007-12-18T04:55:40Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Actually, they don’t do caning in Thailand. 😛 Politicians are fair game, too, but say something bad about the occupant of the throne, and you’re looking at 15 years in the Big House. ☹ [/QUOTE] Oh. I mis-remember where that was, about the kid who spit. Son of, as you know, the knights who say “neh”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/17 "2007-12-18T05:04:41Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Is the rare BOP found in Indonesia? [/QUOTE] Yes, it is. It’ rare because the tribes of Indonesia killed it for its feathers. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/18 "2007-12-18T05:16:53Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Yes, it is. It’ rare because the tribes of Indonesia killed it for its feathers. [/QUOTE] So that must be the same rat. The [bird of paradise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lesser_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg) is very pretty. There was a huge demand for the feathers outside Indonesia, to be fair. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/19 "2007-12-18T05:36:04Z")
Oh, pshaw. We already have rats that are almost as big in San Diego and Tijuana. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417/20 "2007-12-18T05:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] Oh, pshaw. We already have rats that are almost as big in San Diego and Tijuana. [/QUOTE] No, no. Those are chihuahuas. I have a friend whose cousins, brother-in-laws, sisters boyfriend brought one home from Mexico after a vacation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-rat-a-giant-fing-rat/430417.md?page=2)