In the movie The Princess Bride, the hero Wesley is attacked by fearsome Rodents Of Unusual Size (ROUS) in the fire swamp. Turns out, ROUS really exist!
Example of a Princess-Bride-era ROUS
Confirmed ROUS!
A new species of rat, the size of a large cat, was confirmed during a scientific expedition earlier this year to the Foja Mountains of western New Guinea, in a remote region where people have rarely explored. The expedition was reported in National Geographic and yielded other new species of flora and fauna (like a tiny possum).
"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
"With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."
Hat tip darkman for bringing ROUS-sighting to my attention.
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omg that is a small rat u r a bunch of pussys me, blake will kick all ure heads in, cum to shepton u rat fu**ers
Wouldn't Nutria(Myocaster coypus) qualify as ROUS?
Missed a close parenthesis there.
Inconceivable!
I used to have pet rats (of the normal sized variety). I wonder if my landlord would let me keep an ROUS?
Also, does this mean we now have to worry about fire shooting from the ground and patches of lightning sand?
You've obviously never been to New York City.
Wow. I wonder if the beaver still gets the title for largest rodent? BAck in the ice age days there were giant beavers. And giant everything elses.
The rat is actually immune to iocane powder
Whenever scientists announce they've discovered a new species my first thought is almost invariably, "I wonder what that tastes like?" But this time it was, "Imagine the investment strategy I could glean from that thing's brain!" Thanks Shelley.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
You've obviously never been to New York City.
Posted by: Ghosty | December 18, 2007 12:40 PM
Yep,
I was thinking the same thing! LOL! I sure hope these don't decide to try to beat that around the world in 80 days record! We would have to start genetically modifying the cats! LOL!
Dave Briggs :~)
I've always figured the real ROUS was a capybara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara). Whenever I see them in a zoo I exclaim, "Look! There are the ROUSes!"
Does the researcher holding the ROUS have six fingers on his right hand?
I second the comments on NYC rats. Furthermore, that rodent the dude in the picture is holding is not "the size of a large cat" (unless the dude is eight feet tall and weighs 400 pounds).
Not to be picky, but that rat is not the size of of a large cat, it is the size of a small cat.
Here is a picture of a LARGE cat! :D
http://upload.pbase.com/image/90616609/original
Wow! Now *that* is a large cat indeed! :)
Again, the Princess Bride proves oddly prescient.
Never get involved in a land war in Asia! Oooops ...