The island effect produces giant predatory house mice

[urbpan]

I found out about this on "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me: The NPR News Quiz."

‘Monster mice’ are eating island’s seabirds
Rodents evolved to triple normal size, attack much larger chicks

The island effect produces giant tortoises, giant (flightless) pigeons, and my favorite, giant monitor lizards (Komodo dragons). For some unknown reason, it also produces dwarf humans (Homo florensis) and dwarf elephants (which, according to island biogeographer David Quammen, were originally the chief prey of Komodo dragons).

EDIT: I originally spelled the name "Kwammen," for some reason

Comments

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

You wascally wabbit, you.

In other news, I replaced the ballcock thing with the only thing they had at the hardware store - damn home depot, why must you be so far away?! - and it works, kinda. The original fancier one had a special doohickey that hooked up to the water in pipe that made water flow into the bowl. The cheapass mofo of a thing that I got doesn't have that so no water is going in through those holes (but the bowl still fills fine). Nothing more fun than lying on your back on the damp tile floor trying to figure out why the freaking thing doesn't work.

[vampyrusgirl.livejournal.com]

You said ballcock. Tee hee.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Hee hee!! :)