Rat-Tail Research

Tamahere rat tail collection, photo credit J Morgan

We were recently invited to be a part of a super cool research project led by a young postdoc researcher from the University of Otago. They're hoping to develop a targeted elimination framework for Norway and ship rats here in Aotearoa New Zealand, using genetic information to gain a better understanding of genetic diversity and rat movements across the country, and investigating genes associated with reproduction.

When I joined Predator Free Tamahere just over a year ago, I never imagined I would become so fascinated with rats that I’d end up collecting rat tails and storing them in my freezer! Thanks to the enthusiasm of several other locals, we’ve swiftly reached our goal of collecting 30 rat tails from Tamahere gullies for this unique, all while checking and clearing our traps!