Triple-sized mice eating albatross chicks alive

[GCP]

Horrifying story on BBC News tonight.


"Supersize" mice are eating seabird chicks alive on Gough Island, one of the most important seabird colonies in the world, UK conservationists report.

The rodents are taking out one million petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses each year on the UK Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic.

Until passing sealing ships moored up in the 19th Century, the birds were largely safe from predators. But mice aboard the ships have infested Gough, and grown large, partly because of the abundant new food source on which they have recently started to indulge.

"Mice and other small animals often do get bigger when they are put on islands, particularly islands at higher latitudes," Dr Cuthbert explained.

"It's an ecological rule: if it's a cold environment, you are better off being a larger animal."

More here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4708899.stm

Film shown on the news showed albatross chicks veing eaten alive by these horrible carnivorous mice. :cry:

[KittyWampus]

1. Are The Inuit Or Tibetans Particularly "Large"?

It's an ecological rule: if it's a cold environment, you are better off being a larger animal."

That sounds like a bogus supposition.

[Kraklen]

8. Ever see midget inuits?

Well there you go.

[BrotherBuzz]

2. Where I come from we call them rats....

:shrug:

[wtmusic]

3. Supersize cats?

[donco6]

4. Hey! I'm tryin' to eat over here!

Mice. :scared:

I seriously hate those $@#$%^$ things.

[pitohui]

5. what a shame

in my experience all mice are carnivores given the opportunity -- no fan of the rodent here

[Endangered Specie]

6. Theres got to be a Horror movie plot in here somewhere.

:evilgrin:

[Yupster]

7. Heartbreaking

I hate stories like this.

Is there somewhere we can send money to anyone trying to help here?

[GCP]

9. I believe the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Are looking to see what they can do. The article states that as the UK is a signatory to some treaty protecting albatross and other endangered seabirds, then they have to do something about it.
It was really horrible watching a poor baby bird being eaten by mice while still alive - they can't walk for a long time and they're helpless. :cry:

[Dave Reynolds]

10. Mother Nature, what a bitch.

For all things, there is something to eat it.

[wli]

11. not ecology, geometry

Surface area to volume ratio.