Polynesian rats
This is a medium-sized rat weighing 36-80 grams. It is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and Oceania. In Taiwan, it is an alien species. Its dorsal pelage is yellowish-brown and its ventral pelage is white. Its body is shorter than that of other members of the genus Rattus in Taiwan, but its eyes are significantly larger. Polynesian rats from Southeast Asia were first discovered in the Jian area of Hualien County in 1998. It is thought that they were brought to Hualien with imported wood materials. This rat species currently has a stable distribution in the grasslands along the northern and southern banks of the Mugua River. Although there have been no reports of this rat spreading disease or invading homes, as it has become the dominant rat species in parts of Jian, attention needs to be paid to understand whether it poses any harm to the local ecological balance or public health.
Text/Chen Yan-Jun, Chen Mu-Xuan
Photo/Huang Xiao-ting
