Giant rats and rodents

A new species of rat was discovered on the Solomon islands and it can weigh up to 1 kg (2.2 lb) and measures about 45.7 cm (1.5 ft) from its nose to the tip of its tail. A typical adult male north american brown rat weighs on average 350 g (12 oz), while a typical adult male black rat weighs between 75 and 230 g (2.6 to 8 oz).

The Solomon Island rat can eat coconuts.

In 2010, a Papau New Guinea Bosavi woolly rat weighing a whopping three and a half pounds and measuring an incredible 32 inches from nose to tail was found. It is the largest living rat.

Above is a picture of the largest known living rat species the Papau New Guinea Bosavi woolly

East Indonesia is a primary location for rodent evolution. The giant rat expedition uncovered the remains of 13 rodent species, 11 of which were unknown to science. Given the dense forest and difficult terrain of East Timor, it is possible that new, even larger specimens are waiting to be discovered. No one knows what is out there. Archeologists in East Timor unearthed the bones of a rat three times larger than the Bosavi specimen dating from about 1000 years ago. These extinct giants weighed up to 6 kilograms (13 lb).

The Cape porcupine of southern Africa is the largest of its prickly brethren. These beasts can grow up to 27 kilograms (60 lb), making them the third-largest living rodents. Only the capybara and beaver outweigh these monsters.

The capybara is the largest living rodent. These semi-aquatic beasts from South America can top out over 45 kilograms (100 lb), about the size of labrador retrievers.

In Sweden there were large rats that were 16-24 inches in size that would chew through concrete to get into houses.