CAGED RAT

Wild (or feral) rats are a major problem in the Galapagos Islands. They are predators of native bird and reptile eggs and hatchlings. On some islands they practically wiped out populations of endemic species now at risk of extinction. The Galapagos National Park Service is actively studying rat biology to find effective control measures. This one (probably the black rat, Rattus rattus) was captured near the Charles Darwin Research Station on the island of Santa Cruz.