Vangunu giant rat

The Vangunu giant rat (Uromys vika), known locally as the vika, is a large tree-dwelling rodent in the family Muridae that lives only on Vangunu Island in the Solomon Islands. Researchers went looking for it after hearing local stories of a giant rat that cracks coconuts, and the first specimen was collected in 2015 from a felled Dillenia salomonensis tree in lowland primary forest. It was formally described in 2017 by Tyrone Lavery and Hikuna Judge on the basis of its skull, skeleton and DNA. The animal measured about 46 centimetres long, weighed roughly half a kilogram to a kilogram and had orange-brown fur. Its diet is believed to include thick-shelled nuts such as ngali nuts and coconuts, and probably fruit. The Mammal Diversity Database lists it as living and assesses its IUCN Red List status as Critically Endangered, reflecting its tiny range, the small area of forest left on the island (about 80 square kilometres) and ongoing logging. It was first observed alive in the wild in 2021 by camera trap.