Giant rat
Encyclopedia
The term giant rat has been applied to various species of large rodents. They tend to be native to tropical and sub-tropical locations. Some have flourished in other climates, including the Coypu
and the Gambian pouched rat
, which have both become invasive species. Giant rats have also figured in popular fiction, where they are often portrayed as monster-like creatures.
s in fiction
, role-playing game
s, computer games, and other venues of fantasy
.
, who in The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
has Sherlock Holmes
declare, as an aside, to Dr. Watson:
Quite how the ship, the mammal, and the Indonesian island
are associated is not specified. There are a number of species of large rats on Sumatra, with one, Sundamys infraluteus, actually being referred to as the "giant rat of Sumatra". Rats commonly colonise ship
s, and so there is an obvious line of speculation.
Holmesianist Alan Saunders has argued that the reference is in fact to events connected with The Adventure of the Dying Detective
, although he identifies the rat as the Large Bamboo Rat
. A number of authors of Sherlockiana
have endeavoured to supply the missing adventure of the giant rat of Sumatra. These tales include:
Coypu
The coypu , , also known as the river rat, and nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent and the only member of the family Myocastoridae. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by...
and the Gambian pouched rat
Gambian pouched rat
The Gambian pouched rat , also known as the African giant pouched rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about long including their tail which makes up half their length...
, which have both become invasive species. Giant rats have also figured in popular fiction, where they are often portrayed as monster-like creatures.
South America
- CoypuCoypuThe coypu , , also known as the river rat, and nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent and the only member of the family Myocastoridae. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by...
, or nutria - CapybaraCapybaraThe capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
- Woolly Giant RatWoolly Giant RatThe Woolly Giant Rat, Kunsia tomentosus, is a burrowing rodent species from South America. It is found in wet grasslands in Bolivia and Brazil, where it feeds on roots and grasses. They prefer elevations from sea level to about one thousand metres above sea level. They create burrows in which to...
- Fossorial Giant RatFossorial Giant RatThe Fossorial Giant Rat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Argentina and Brazil. Its natural habitat is dry savanna....
Asia and New Guinea
- Mountain Giant Sunda RatMountain Giant Sunda RatThe Mountain Giant Sunda Rat, Sundamys infraluteus is a large rat, around 480 to 640 millimeters in total length . It weighs 230 to 600 grams...
- Giant cloud ratsPhloeomysPhloeomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Southern Giant Slender-Tailed Cloud Rat * Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat...
- Woolly ratsMallomysMallomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek μαλλός, mallós, wool, and μῦς, mȳs, mouse/rat. These very large rats weigh between and are native to highlands in New Guinea...
Giant rats in fiction
Fictional giant rats appear as monsterMonster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s in fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, computer games, and other venues of fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
.
Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra
Perhaps the best known giant rat in fiction comes from the pen of Sir Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, who in The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire
"The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short-stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.- Plot summary :...
has Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
declare, as an aside, to Dr. Watson:
- Matilda Briggs was not the name of a young woman, Watson, ... It was a ship which is associated with the giant rat of SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, a story for which the world is not yet prepared.
Quite how the ship, the mammal, and the Indonesian island
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
are associated is not specified. There are a number of species of large rats on Sumatra, with one, Sundamys infraluteus, actually being referred to as the "giant rat of Sumatra". Rats commonly colonise ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s, and so there is an obvious line of speculation.
Holmesianist Alan Saunders has argued that the reference is in fact to events connected with The Adventure of the Dying Detective
The Adventure of the Dying Detective
"The Adventure of the Dying Detective", in some editions simply titled "The Dying Detective", is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Together with seven other stories, it is collected as His Last Bow.-Plot summary:Dr...
, although he identifies the rat as the Large Bamboo Rat
Large Bamboo Rat
The Large Bamboo Rat is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.-References:...
. A number of authors of Sherlockiana
Sherlockiana
Sherlockonia encompasses:*Memorabilia, such as statuettes, drawings, and movie posters, that concern the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, his associates such as Dr...
have endeavoured to supply the missing adventure of the giant rat of Sumatra. These tales include:
- In The Spider Woman (1944), Nigel BruceNigel BruceWilliam Nigel Ernle Bruce , best known as Nigel Bruce, was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...
's Watson briefly reflects on the Giant Rat of Sumatra when looking through a scrapbook of old cases. - In Pursuit to AlgiersPursuit to AlgiersPursuit to Algiers is the twelfth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes movies. Elements in the story pay homage to an otherwise unrecorded affair mentioned by Watson at the beginning of The Adventure of the Norwood Builder, notably the steamship Friesland.-Plot:About to...
(1945), a Holmes film starring Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
and Nigel BruceNigel BruceWilliam Nigel Ernle Bruce , best known as Nigel Bruce, was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Doctor Watson in a series of films and in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes...
, Watson tells the story of the Giant Rat of Sumatra to an audience on board a ship. - The giant Sumatran rat is mentioned in the 1972 novel Watership DownWatership DownWatership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
in one of the rabbits' allegorical tales. - The Tale of the Giant Rat of SumatraThe Tale of the Giant Rat of SumatraThe Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra is a comedy album recorded by The Firesign Theatre and released in early 1974 by Columbia Records.-Side one - London:#"Chapter 1 - Not Quite The Solution He Expected"#"Chapter 2 - An Outrageously Disgusting Disguise"...
, a 1974 comedy album by the Firesign Theatre (LP Columbia KC32730) is a pastichePasticheA pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
with protagonists Hemlock Stones, the 'Great Defective', and his biographer and companion, Dr. John Flotsom, O. D., part of which takes place aboard the "Matilda Brigg". The name of this ship induces the group to perform the song Frigate Matilda (to the tune of Waltzing MatildaWaltzing Matilda"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
), which has become something of a cult standard. - "A Father's Tale," a 1974 novelet by Sterling E. LanierSterling E. LanierSterling Edmund Lanier was an American editor, science fiction author and sculptor who published as both Sterling Lanier and Sterling E. Lanier. He is perhaps known best as the editor who championed the publication of Frank Herbert’s bestselling novel Dune.-Life:Lanier was born in New York City...
. Lanier's narrator, Brigadier Ffellowes, recounts his father's story of an encounter in the East Indies with a mysterious man calling himself "Verner", and a race of large, intelligent rats. - In the 1975 novel Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds, Holmes mentions that Professor ChallengerProfessor ChallengerGeorge Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
helped solve the case of the giant rat, although the actual name of the case is not stated, nor what was involved. - The Talons of Weng-ChiangThe Talons of Weng-ChiangThe Talons of Weng-Chiang is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 26 February to 2 April 1977.-Synopsis:...
, a 1977 Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
TV serial set in a Victorian setting, in which the hero (dressed in deerstalker, accompanied by a medical doctor with a housekeeper known as Mrs. Hudson) confronts a giant rat in the sewers of London. - The Holmes-Dracula File, a 1978 novel by Fred SaberhagenFred SaberhagenFred Thomas Saberhagen was an American science fiction and fantasy author most famous for his Berserker series of science fiction short stories and S.F...
, in which Holmes and DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
(who turns out to be related to Holmes) uncover a plot to destroy London with plague-bearing rats, the Giant Rat being a living plague vector. - The Giant Rat of Sumatra, a 1987 novel by Rick BoyerRick BoyerRichard Lewis Boyer is an American writer, best known for series of crime novels featuring Charlie "Doc" Adams, a dental surgeon in New England. His novel Billingsgate Shoal received the Edgar Award for best novel in 1983....
, which features the return of The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
villain Stapleton. In this novel, the "giant rat" turns out to be a vicious tapirTapirA Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
. (ISBN 0-586-20087-8) - Dead Alive, a 1992 film by Peter JacksonPeter JacksonSir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
, features a Sumatran Rat-monkey, a hybrid that "according to legend" resulted from the rape of tree monkeys on Skull Island by plague rats (The cage for the creature makes a cameo aboard the ship in Jackson's 2005 remake of King KongKing Kong (2005 film)King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
). - All-Consuming FireAll-Consuming FireAll-Consuming Fire is an original novel written by Andy Lane and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The novel is a crossover with Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes featuring the characters of both Holmes and Doctor Watson, and also...
, a 1994 Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
novel by Andy LaneAndy LaneAndrew Lane , who also writes as Andy Lane, is a British author and journalist. He has written a number of spin-off novels in the Virgin New Adventures range and audio dramas for Big Finish based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who , as well as assorted non fiction books based...
, part of the New AdventuresVirgin New AdventuresThe Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
series; in this story, the DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
joins forces with Holmes and Watson to confront AzathothAzathothAzathoth is a deity in the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories of H. P. Lovecraft and other authors. Its epithets include Nuclear Chaos, the Daemon Sultan and the Blind Idiot God.-Inspiration:...
, an entity from H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's Cthulhu MythosCthulhu MythosThe Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
. The giant rat is portrayed as an alien monster. (ISBN 0-426-20415-8) - "The Giant Rat of Sumatra," a 1996 short story by Paula VolskyPaula VolskyPaula Volsky is an American fantasy author. Born in Fanwood, New Jersey, she majored in English literature at liberal arts college Vassar in New York State. At the University of Birmingham, England, she received an M.A. in Shakespearian studies. Before writing fantasy, she sold real estate and...
, included in Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of H. P. Lovecraft in Popular Culture. (ISBN 978-0-9655901-7-4) - The Giant Rat of Sumatra is a 1997 title in the Hardy Boys juvenile mystery series digests.
- The Shadow of the Rat, a 1999 novel by David Stuart DaviesDavid Stuart DaviesDavid Stuart Davies is a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies has written extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction...
deals with the rat, a breed from Sumatra, as part of a plot against London using the bubonic plague. The "Matilda Briggs" is the ship that brought them. - The Giant Rat of Sumatra, a 2001 novel by Daniel Gracely (ISBN 0-9714041-0-0)
- Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra, a 2002 novel by Alan Vanneman, (Carroll & Graf, ISBN 0-7867-0956-1). The 'Matilda Briggs' does not appear in this book.
- The Oriental Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, a 2003 collection of short stories by Ted Riccardi supplied an adventure involving the Giant Rat of Sumatra. (ISBN 0-9658164-3-5)
- Sherlock Holmes' Lost Adventure: The True Story of the Giant Rats of Sumatra, a 2004 novel by Lauren Steinhauer. (ISBN 0-595-66386-9)
- In Dutch author Reggie Naus' 2008 children's book De schat van Inktvis Eiland (The Treasure of Squid Island), a group of pirates tell tall tales around the campfire. One of them claims to have seen all his shipmates being eaten by a giant rat on Sumatra. The author's a Holmes fan.
Other fictional giant rats
- A giant rat plays a pivotal role in the Bram StokerBram StokerAbraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
short story "The Judge's House" (first published in 1914) in the collection Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories. - The 1969 novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen GilbertStephen Gilbert (novelist)Stephen Gilbert was born at Newcastle, County Down . He worked for the Northern Whig until the mid-1930s when he joined the family firm of McCausland in Belfast. In 1939 he joined the Supplementary Reserve and served with the 3rd Ulster Searchlight Regiment in France...
was the basis for the 1971 movie WillardWillard (1971 film)Willard is a 1971 horror film starring Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine, directed by Daniel Mann. The movie is based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert, and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best picture...
and its 1972 sequel (as well as the 2003 remakeWillard (2003 film)Willard is a 2003 horror film loosely based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert and a remake of the 1971 film of the same name...
) - all three works featured a large rat named Ben. - The Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Night ShiftNight Shift (book)Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
contains a 1970 short story, Graveyard Shift, made into a 1990 movie of the same name, which climaxes with the revelation of a giant rat. - Giant rats, known as Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S.), are a running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the 1973 novelThe Princess BrideThe Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
and 1987 motion pictureThe Princess Bride (film)The Princess Bride is a 1987 American film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance, and fantasy. The film was directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Goldman...
, The Princess Bride. - The Giant Black Rat is a ferocious species of radiationRadiationIn physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
spawned mutants featured in James HerbertJames HerbertJames Herbert, OBE is a best-selling English horror writer who originally worked as the art director of an advertising agency. He is a full-time writer who also designs his own book covers and publicity.-Family:...
's "Rats Quadrilogy," beginning with 1974's The RatsThe Rats (novel)The Rats is a horror novel written by British author James Herbert. This was Herbert's first novel and included graphic depictions of death and mutilation. A film adaptation was made in 1982, called Deadly Eyes. A 1985 adventure game for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum based on the book was...
. - In the 1996 Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
film Dr. Wai and the Scripture Without Words (冒險王 = Adventure King) a giant mutant rat (frequently mistaken as some sort of marsupial) is encountered in the basement of a 1930s era Shanghai newspaper and complications ensue. - Giant rats are enemies in the Fallout videogame series, grown by centuries of mutation. They appear in every game but Fallout 3 which instead are replaced by Giant Mole rats. The rats come in varieties of "Small, Big, Giant Rat, Giant Rat Pup, Rodent of unusual Size, and Unusually large sized rodent"
External links
- Fauna in the Canon by Ronald Rosenblatt
- "Long Ago, a Rodent as Big as a Bull Lurked in South America" Associated Press, Jan 17, 2008. Josephoartigasia monesi
- "A giant rat has been discovered deep in the jungle of Papua New Guinea" BBC, Sep 6, 2009. Mallomys, full name yet to be decided