Farmers say easy solutions to rat plague have been rejected

A man in blue clothes looks at the camera

Farmers battling the worst rat plague ever seen across Western Australia say solutions are bogged down in red tape. An estimated 8,000 rats live on every hectare in northern Washington’s grain belt, and swarms can be seen on pastures and on roads at night. Grain producers say current doses of the toxic zinc phosphide are … Read more

Instead of civil war, naked mole rat colony peacefully replaced queens

Naked mole rats live in underground colonies. Usually only one female breeds at a time. Sometimes fights break out when one queen retires and it's time for another to rule.

Naked mole rats live in underground colonies. Usually only one female breeds at a time. Sometimes fights break out when one queen retires and it’s time for another to rule. Evgeniya Moskova/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Evgeniya Moskova/iStockphoto/Getty Images When the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego acquired the first colony of … Read more