Subject: Oh, Willem de Vlamingh thought that, too.
Author:
Posted on: 2017-01-23 01:06:00 UTC
He found a bunch of them on an island and called it 'Rottnest Island.'
Rat nest.
Because, you know. Thought they were rats. On a giant nest.
He later described it as 'a paradise on earth,' so he must have really liked rats, too.
But, nah, they're part of macropodidae, which is the family that includes kangaroos and such.
It's a good thing, then, that Willem never figured that out.
Imagine his disappointment!
