Posted Dec 18, 2007 at 06:18AM by David T. Listed in: Animals and Wildlife Tags: Indonesia, CI
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 A giant rat and a tiny possum found in the Foja Mountains of Indonesia - Image 1 A giant rat and a tiny possum found in the Foja Mountains of Indonesia - Image 2 

Michael Crichton's "Lost World" was more about dinosaurs. Indonesia's "Lost World" - the wilderness of New Guinea's Foja Mountains - is about a tiny possum, a giant rat and other surprises discovered by scientists from Conservation International (CI) and the Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI).


CI and LIPI scientists happened upon the Cercartetus pygmy possum and the Mallomys giant rat during their travels. The pygmy possum, according to CI, is one of the world's smallest marsupial mammals. The giant rat, on the other hand, was estimated to be about "five times the size of the typical city rodent." It appeared to have no fear of human explorers, either, having dauntlessly dropped by the scientists' camp several times during their journey.

The two mammals were discovered last June 2007 and are currently being studied. Both Conservation International and the Indonesia Institute of Science are planning another expedition to the region sometime later this year or next year.


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