Zombie rats: Parasite lures rodents to their death by making them sexually attracted to the smell of cats

By GRAHAM SMITH

Danger zone: A parasite that turns rats into zombies and manipulates them into losing their fear of cats has been uncovered by scientists

A parasite that turns rats into zombies and manipulates them into losing their fear of cats has been uncovered by scientists.

Cat urine normally acts as natural deterrent to rodents, who are keen to keep their distance from their natural predators.

But researchers found that Toxoplasma-infected male rats exposed to cat urine suffered an increased activation in the brain regions involved in sexual attraction.
At the same time, the brain regions that govern fear were paralysed, as expected.

Co-study author Robert Sapolsky, a professor of neuroscience at Stanford University, said: 'Normally, we would expect Toxoplasma to knock out the normal fear function in the brain, but in these rats the parasite also tapped into the sexual arousal pathway, which is strange.'

Toxoplasma requires the cat digestive system for sexual reproduction.

By not only reducing a rat's fear of the smell around cats, but also attracting them to it, the parasite makes the rodent far more susceptible to being killed by a cat.

This therefore enables the completion of the parasite's life cycle.

source: dailymail

Read more »

You flirty rat! New York fashionistas splurge on designer outfits ... for their pet rodents

Runway: Perriwinkle wows the NYC Fancy Rat Convention in Manhattan with her emerald green tutu


First there was doggy dresses, and coats for mini pigs, now trendy pet owners are ordering designer clothing for their rats.

Pet fashionista Ada Nieves is selling rat tuxedos, wedding dresses and bridesmaids gowns among other exclusive designs.

Ada, from New York, said: 'The rats look very cute and seem to like wearing them. Rats are very popular these days and the owners love to dress them up.'

Rat fans gathered in New York yesterday for a rodent fashion show featuring Ada's outifts, which come complete with crystals, feathers and frilly tutus, and sell for around £50 each.


Traditional: Rat Lily showcases designer Ada Nieve's wedding couture dress


Rat owner Kelly Antonova, 27, said: 'Rats have amazing personalities. They are like a dog, cat and ferret all rolled into one. But each also has its own individual character.

'I've had rats who swim in a little bath, or sleep on the bed. You can train them on a little lease and they will learn how to dance, and how to fetch things like a dog.

Rats are very sociable and give you a lot of love. They are very intelligent and share similar characteristics to humans.'


Model behaviour: Sugar and Spice storms the catwalk in this matching jacket and lead ensemble


The latest breeds sell for around £70 but owners are also spending a fortune on rat furniture for their cages, toys, hammocks, clothing and harnesses.

Kelly, from Long Island, who runs a pet supply business, Kelly Critter Creations, added: 'Friends of owners usually end up falling in love with rats and getting their own.'It became more fashionable once people realised celebrities were keeping rats.

The message is finally getting out that rats make great pets.'

The fashion show, held as part of the New York City Fancy Rat Convention, was organised by the Big Apple Rattery, which provided all the rat models.


Dressed to impress: Blue the rat takes part in the fashion show in this teal dress


source: dailymail

Read more »

King rat: two-and-a-half-foot 'ratzilla' shot on estate as super-sized rodents found in UK

By Daily Mail Reporter

Super-sized species: Rats in Indonesia and South America can grow up to three feet long, and witnesses say the rats in Bradford are just as big


When Brandon Goddard picked up an air rifle and went 'ratting' with mates at a rodent-plagued estate, he had no idea that he would come face-to-face with a 30-inch monster.

The 31-year-old cleaning firm manager today told of the terrifying moment when five huge rats burst out from behind a wall - each about the size of a large cat - and galloped past him.

And he said: 'They were more like "ratzillas" than rats.'

The residents of Ravenscliffe estate in Bradford, West Yorkshire, had been been complaining of super-sized rodents seen around their homes - with some even claiming to have occasionally cornered one in their kitchen or lounge.

Mr Goddard - who says that he and his mates go rat hunting a couple of times a week - decided to see if he could bag one of the bigger ones.

He and his pals took an air rifle and headed to the edge of the estate.

He said the group had heard rustling and scratching near the wall before he got the shock of his life.

He told The Sun: 'The first went right past but we got the second one. Then three more got away.


Infested: The Ravenscliffe estate, where residents have been plagued by giant rats, and where Brandon Goddard shot a two-and-a-half-foot specimen


'I've never seen any as big as this. The one I shot was absolutely terrifying. I was shaking, Goodness knows where the others went. I'm glad I don't live there.'

The average water rat can grow as large as 18 inches - nose to tale - but large species in Indonesia and South America have been known to grow to three feet.

Some residents of Ravenscliffe are worried that the super-species might have somehow made their way to the UK.

Experts couldn't get their hands on the specimen Mr Goddard shot because he threw it into undergrowth - and it was probably eaten by foxes, or fellow giant rats.

But resident Rebecca Holmes, 38, was in no doubt that large rodents are int eh area - after having cornered one in her house.

The mother-of-five said her cat Marie had cornered one in the lounge, but the rodent stood its ground - because it was around the same size as the domestic cat.

Laura Drake, of the Mammal Society, said that it could be a coypu - a South American rodent often referred to as a giant rat.

She said coypus were thought to have been eradicated in Britain 20 years ago but she said it was not impossible that some of the rodents survived the cull.


source: dailymail

Read more »