Snakes, sinkholes, mega-mosquitoes: Florida’s troubles continue to mount

Super-sized: Scientist says mega-mosquitoes also known as gallinippers, left, could be common in central Florida this summer. They can be 20 times bigger than typical Asian tiger mosquitoes

March 7, 2013 – ORLANDO, Florida – Mega -mosquitoes known as gallinippers could invade Central Florida this summer, as flood waters from tropical storms force the larvae to hatch this hurricane season. Entomologists at the University of Florida say the mosquitoes are 20 times the size of a typical mosquito, about the size of a quarterThey also pack a painful bite, according to UF entomologist Phil Kaufman. He calls the species “notoriously aggressive.” The best way to protect against these super-sized mosquitoes is to wear bug spray with DEET and cover up as best as possible. Gallinippers were spotted last year in Florida after Tropical Storm Debbie doused the state, but scientists predict they’ll make an appearance again this summer. According to Kaufman and his team one good thing about these mosquitoes is that they aren’t known to carry any viruses that could be harmful to humans. –Click Orlando

Large rats invade Iran: Tehran, the capital of Iran, is battling an invasion of “genetically mutated’ giant rats. Iran has sent in sniper teams to clear Tehran’s streets from the massive rodents weighting up to five kilos plaguing 26 district of the Iranian capital, the city’s environmental agency said. “They seem to have had a genetic mutation, probably as a result of radiations and the chemical used on them,” Ismail Kahram, Teheran city council environment adviser and university professor Ismail Kahram told Qudsonline.ir. “They are now bigger and look different. These are changes that normally take millions of years of evolution. They have jumped from 60 grams to five kilos, and cats are now smaller than them.” The ‘mutated rats’ have been running rampant in the capital, as cats are scared off by their giant size and traditional poison appear to have no effect on them. To stop them storming of restaurants’ backyards and scavenging public waste containers, the council has deployed ten snipers teams armed with infra-red sighted rifles. ‘We use chemical poisons to kill the rats during the day and the snipers at night, so it has become a 24/7 war,’ the head of the environment agency, Mohammad Hadi Heydarzadeh, said. Rats’ carcasses are burnt or buried in lime. So far 2,205 rats have been shot dead, but the war is far to be won and the council is planning to bring the snipers team up to 40. –Sina

contribution Emanni