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Rattus macleari
Maclear's Rat (Rattus macleari) was a large rat which lived on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. It was abundant, with numbers running in all directions at night. It made querulous squeaks and there were frequent fights. The rats entered tents and shelters, ran over sleepers and upset everything when they searched for food. They may have kept red land crabs in check. Introduced Black Rats infected the Maclear's Rats with a disease, so they often crawled about during the day. The last record was in 1903, although it is possible that Maclear's Rats formed hybrids with Black Rats.
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10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details