Giant African Rat's Poisonous Mohawk Can be Lethal

[WillParkinson]

Giant African Rat Kills with Poisonous Mohawk

Researchers have found that a giant African rat can incapacitate and even kill large predators by utilizing the same plants that African tribesmen use to poison their arrows.

The African crested rat has been known to kill local dogs, but researchers have just figured out how. After chewing the "poison-arrow plant," the oversized rodent stores its poison-laced spit in special hollow hairs in its mohawk. Then, when a predator grabs the rat, the animal gets stung with the poison and spit-tipped hairs that can sicken and kill.

"This is the first mammal that is borrowing a deadly poison from a plant and slathering it on itself without dying," said study researcher Jonathan Kingdon, of Oxford University in England. "This is an extraordinary thing to have evolved."

Kingdon grew up in Africa and was frequently exposed to these rats, even keeping one as a pet. While he had always heard that the rodent was poisonous, it took 30 years for him to figure out how.

Essentially, whenever a predator, such as a dog, comes upon the rat and tries to ingest it, the animal gets a mouthful of potentially lethal poison.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/191671/20110803/african-crested-rat-poison-rodent-jonathan-kingdon.htm?fb_ref=art_recom

[rrneck]

1. Yeah, but they're only found in the Fire Swamp.

I don't think they exis. ....... *

[Lasher]

2. That wouldn't be one of my top choices for a pet.

Giant slobbery poisony rat. Eww.

[meow mix]

4. its kinda cute actually, as rats go lol

looks more like a giant chipmunk

[xchrom]

3. i would simply drop over dead at the sight of a Giant African Rat. nt

[Phoonzang]

5. Looks more like something related to a skunk or weasel than a rodent... nt

[demguy72340]

6. whoa