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Since we are into rats this week.

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Denburybob

Denburybob Report 24 Feb 2015 19:27

Did you know..? that the black rat is so rare that if people didn't hate/fear them so much they would be a "protected" species.

Sue In Yorkshire.

Sue In Yorkshire. Report 24 Feb 2015 13:04

Looks like a fairly good programme on Sky/Virgin tv tonigh at 9pm

Rat Busters NYC..

Would be interesting to the size of the rats over there.

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 24 Feb 2015 12:17

Budgie, I wonder how many of these 'brazen' cat sized rats are the result of people releasing pet rats, especially if, by 'brazen' they mean the rats don't run away from humans.

My daughters' 'fancy' rats were HUGE.

Researching:
Henry Floyd (g x 4 grandad) Allegedly the heaviest man in England in 1842

Sharron

Sharron Report 24 Feb 2015 10:56

Thanks for that link Maggie.

I had not come across that site before but can see a lot of things I need to read on there.

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 24 Feb 2015 10:50

I read that too.
Also read this:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bubonic-plague-was-serial-visitor-european-middle-ages

Seems feasible.

I wonder how they'd prove it, though?

Researching:
Henry Floyd (g x 4 grandad) Allegedly the heaviest man in England in 1842

Sharron

Sharron Report 24 Feb 2015 10:28

I have just read an interesting article on the BBC News site.

Recent research is disputing the long held belief that bubonic plague, particularly the Black Death was spread by black rats.

It would seem that it may have come from giant gerbils that carried the disease and enlarged their territories somewhat when weather conditions were favourable thus spreading their fleas to populations of rats and humans that they would not normally have had contact with.