This article is from the WSSF 2016 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.
Did You Know? A new species of rat was found on the island of Manus in the Melanesian archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Scientists named this rat Rattus detentus in reference to the isolation of the island and that Manus is used to detain people seeking political and/or economic asylum in Australia. This large rat weighs nearly half a kilogram and has short, very coarse fur and a short tail.
Reported in Journal of Mammalogy, A new species of Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) from Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.
Story in The Guardian New species of Manus Island rat named after detainees in ‘solidarity’ gesture.