{"id":253330,"date":"2025-05-23T07:15:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T07:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/aerospace\/see-the-first-photos-and-videos-of-the-rare-subalpine-woolly-rat-a-massive-but-elusive-rodent-in-new-guineas-mountains\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T07:15:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T07:15:27","slug":"see-the-first-photos-and-videos-of-the-rare-subalpine-woolly-rat-a-massive-but-elusive-rodent-in-new-guineas-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=253330","title":{"rendered":"See the First Photos and Videos of the Rare Subalpine Woolly Rat, a Massive but Elusive Rodent in New Guinea’s Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Working with local Indigenous people, biologist Franti\u0161ek Vejm\u011blka spent six months surveying the creatures that live on Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea<\/h2>\n
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Sarah Kuta<\/a><\/p>\n

– Daily Correspondent<\/span><\/p>\n

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Trail cameras recorded nocturnal subalpine woolly rats roaming around in search of plants to eat.
\n Czech Academy of Sciences<\/span>
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The subalpine woolly rat lives high in the mountains of New Guinea, where it spends its nights searching for plants to eat and its days hiding in underground burrows or tree canopies. This furry rodent is massive, measuring more than 2.5 feet from nose to tail and tipping the scales at more than four pounds.<\/p>\n

But despite its large size, the subalpine woolly rat (Mallomys istapantap<\/em>) is incredibly elusive. First described in 1989, the species was only known to scientists because of a few museum specimens, and it had never been photographed in the wild\u2014until now.<\/p>\n

Franti\u0161ek Vejm\u011blka<\/a>, a biologist at the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia, spent six months exploring the highlands of Papua New Guinea. With help from local Indigenous people, he surveyed and genetically identified 61 species of rodents and marsupials found on Mount Wilhelm, a 14,793-foot peak and the country\u2019s highest mountain. But perhaps his most significant work centered around the subalpine woolly rat.<\/p>\n

Vejm\u011blka captured the first photos and videos of the mysterious creature in the wild. He also caught a few individuals, which allowed him to take the first biometric measurements of males and gather data about the rats\u2019 behavior, diet and parasites. He shared his findings in a paper published April 18 in the journal Mammalia<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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By capturing several subalpine woolly rats, Franti\u0161ek Vejm\u011blka was able to take the first biometric measurements of males of the species.<\/p>\n

Czech Academy of Sciences<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied. How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?\u201d Vejm\u011blka says in a statement<\/a> shared last week.<\/p>\n

The subalpine woolly rat is the biggest rodent in Australia and Oceania, and it\u2019s one of the largest in the world. It\u2019s a \u201cstriking and formidable creature,\u201d with three-inch-long paws, sharp teeth and dense, shaggy fur covering most of its body, according to the statement.<\/p>\n

But these rodents are only active at night, and they live between 10,500 and 12,140 feet above sea level. Their rugged, remote habitats, coupled with their nocturnal habits, have made them difficult for researchers to study.<\/p>\n

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Subalpine Woolly Rat Filmed For The First Time<\/p>\n

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