Curious about the Moonrat

Curious About the Moonrat

What: The moonrat is a curious animal that is neither a rat, nor lives on the Moon.

Who: Whoever wanders near a moonrat better hold their nose--they spew a powerfully stinky spray from their anus to mark their home, stinky home!

How: How does a moonrat spend its evenings? Eating as many worms and insects as it can find! Yum!

Where: Well, it doesn't live on the Moon; it lives in the swamps and forests of Thailand, Myanmar, and Borneo.

When: It's a nocturnal animal, so it sleeps during the day and wakes up when the Moon comes up.

Why: Why did it get its name if its not a rat and isn't from the Moon? Being nocturnal gives it its moon and it looks a whole lot like a rat; what name would you give it?

Huh?: What if an animal did live on the Moon? What would you call it and what would be one unique feature that would distinguish it from earth animals?

Wow!: Today's moonrat might have a mighty stink, but better to come across it than it's distant--now extinct--cousin, the saber tooth moonrat!

More Stuff:

Read more in The Screaming Hairy Armadillo.

Learn more with the National Geographic & History of Geology

What? to Wow!

Curiosity Based Learning

The Screaming Hairy Armadillo