Giant, nine-pound Gambian rats invading Florida Keys

Hows this for news of the weird?

A breed of giant, Gambian rats have been rapidly reproducing in the Florida Keys despite a decade-long effort to wipe them out. KeysNet reports the invasive, African native species first began showing up between 1999-2001 after a local exotic animal breeder released eight of the rats into the wild.

"We thought we had them whipped as of 2009," said Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "We think they have not moved far but they clearly reproduced," he said.

The rodents, officially known as the Gambian pouched rat, are the largest known breed of rats in the world. They can grow up to three feet in length and weigh as much as nine pounds. Wildlife officials fear that if the large-sized rodents make it to the Florida mainland, they could devastate local crops if they reach the Florida mainland.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working with Florida officials to wipe out the rodents, and there are only an estimate few dozen at large, but they can reproduce quickly and do so only five months after being born. After producing a litter, the Gambian rat only has to wait another nine months before having another litter, bearing up to six babies at a time.
Officials thought they had successfully gotten rid of all of the Gambian rats back in 2008, but several of the burrowing creatures recently began showing up in the yards of local residents. "We were skeptical but went back and talked to people and [saw] there were rats that we missed," Hardin told KeysNet.


Using cantaloupe and peanut butter as bait, officials say are planning another to distribute another 200 traps in an effort to clear the keys of the Gambian rats, some of which are larger than the average house cat.

"We're going to try to trap at least that often until we see signs that we have knocked them back," Hardin said.
Source

Sounds like they need some bigger cats...

Once here, invasive species are almost impossible to wipe out. Look at Nutria rats, the constrictor snakes in the Gulf South, fire ants, armadillos, starlings, white people......well you get the idea.

Whatever happened with that invasive breed of fish that they were trying to keep out of the Great Lakes there a few years ago? They were putting in electronic barriers to try to stop them and all.

White people! Lol!!!

Yeah, add to that...kudzu. I wish we could find a good use for this. ITs everywhere on our land. I have seen where people in parts of asia have found a way to boil it down and eat it like turnip greens or collards. Turns black when cooked.

Miles1 wrote:Whatever happened with that invasive breed of fish that they were trying to keep out of the Great Lakes there a few years ago? They were putting in electronic barriers to try to stop them and all.

Lampreys

They are found in all of the Great Lakes now. We use special nets to keep them from spreading into streams that feed into the lakes. A special poison called Lampricide (no kidding) is actually used to kill them or sterilize them. So far all we can do is keep them in check, but it has been and still is very expensive.

Focus is also shifting to an Asian Bowfin they they call Snakeheads. That is the big baddy now.

I saw an episode of 'River Monsters' (with Jeremy Wade) and they featured the snakeheads. Pretty wicked fish. Top level predators, highly invasive and can breath air and live on land for up to 4 days.

After being in the Navy, I have now adopted a policy of "if I cant see the bottom, I dont go into the water". Which pretty much limits me to swiming pools. But I saw so many nasty things that would bite ya that I just dont take chances anymore.

Dennis324 wrote:
After being in the Navy, I have now adopted a policy of "if I cant see the bottom, I dont go into the water". Which pretty much limits me to swiming pools. But I saw so many nasty things that would bite ya that I just dont take chances anymore.

You mean like this?

Bryant wrote:

Dennis324 wrote:
After being in the Navy, I have now adopted a policy of "if I cant see the bottom, I dont go into the water". Which pretty much limits me to swiming pools. But I saw so many nasty things that would bite ya that I just dont take chances anymore.

You mean like this?

Is that friggin real???

Looks like a white shark, but I thought white sharks preferred darker water (like the coasts of California) in order to maximize their natural camouflage.

Second look....it is prolly a basking shark out in the Bahamas

Bryant wrote:

Dennis324 wrote:
After being in the Navy, I have now adopted a policy of "if I cant see the bottom, I dont go into the water". Which pretty much limits me to swiming pools. But I saw so many nasty things that would bite ya that I just dont take chances anymore.

You mean like this?

Exactly! I've seen shark swarms just a few yards from swimmers and surfers. One of my biggest fears is to be eaten by some creature. (Well, that and burning to death or freefalling from an exploding plane).