Discovery 

 


What is that strange mammal?

 

1.) Capybara - A South American tailless rodent, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, living along the banks of rivers and lakes, having partly webbed feet: the largest living rodent.

 

 

 

2.) Douroucouli - A small, nocturnal South American monkey of the genus Aotus, having large, owllike eyes: in danger of extinction.

 


 


3.) Echidna - Any of several insectivorous monotremes of the genera Tachyglossus, of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, and Zaglossus, of New Guinea, that have claws and a slender snout and are covered with coarse hair and long spines.

Information and video below

 

 

4.) Naked Mole Rat - A nearly hairless rodent, Heterocephalus glaber, of eastern African dry steppes and savannas, having two protruding upper and lower front teeth and living entirely underground in colonies, based on a single breeding female and specialized workers of both.

 

 

 

5.) Pangolin - Any mammal of the order Pholidota, of Africa and tropical Asia, having a covering of broad, overlapping, horny scales and feeding on ants and termites.

 

 

 

6.) Pichiciego - Any of several small armadillos of the genera Chalmyphorus and Burmeisteria, of southern South America.

 

 

 

7.) White Faced Saki - Any of several monkeys of the genus Pithecia, of tropical South America, having a golden-brown to black, thick, shaggy coat and a long, bushy, nonprehensile tail. 

 

 

8.) Celebes Crested Macaques - A monkey that lives only in the forests of the northeast portion of Sulawesi plus other tiny neighboring islands in Indonesia. Despite the population density, they’re very promiscuous: males and females mate various times with various partners. When the female is in heat, her buttocks turn red and swell to an anatomically disproportionate volume. 

 

 

 

9.) Narwhals - A whale that has a horn that grows through the upper lip of this whale. This calls for a haiku.

 

 

10.) Bush dog - A rare species has a range that extends from Panama all the way down to northern Argentina. They have squat bodies, short legs, short bushy tails, round ears, and muzzles. They also have webbed feet, which is an adaptation for living near water. 

 

 

 

11.) Almiqui - An ugly and dangerous animal. Only 37 of these nocturnal Cuban creatures have been captured and the species was thought to be extinct for many years. They resemble shrews or rodents but are not at all related – Almiqui also have venomous saliva.    

 

 

12.) Tilacin - Despite the seemingly tilacin looks more like a wolf or a dog, the more close relatives are the Tasmanian Devil Wombat , or Kangaroo. Indeed, the Tasmanian Wolf is the only large predator belonging to a family of marsupials. 

Information Below 

 

 

New Shrews Found in Indonesia

 




 

New Shrew Review
A new found white-toothed shrew of the Crocidura genus (pictured) is one of four potential new shrew species discovered during an April field survey of Mount Tompotika, a small mountain on the eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (map). DNA analyses currently underway will reveal which of the mammals are truly new to science.

Like all shrews, the mammals have small eyes and a sharply developed sense of smell for rooting out small invertebrates such as earthworms, said team member Jake Esselstyn, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.

"People don't appreciate how little we know about the natural world—even basics like how many species there are on Sulawesi," Esselstyn said.

"This kind of work is important to [show] how many species live in particular places, what their evolutionary history is, and how we can preserve natural biological communities." 

 

 

Super Schnoz

The mossy forest shrew, such as this individual pictured in April on Sulawesi, is among the previously known neighbor species of the four potentially new shrews found in Indonesia.

Among the tiniest mammals, shrews "live fast and die young," according to the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation.

Some shrews have heartbeats that can race up to 1,200 beats a minute, the conservation group says.

 

 

 

 


Nontoxic Shrew

A new, unnamed species of white-toothed shrew walks across a fallen log on Indonesia's Mount Tompotika in April.

Some shrew species have venomous saliva that helps them subdue prey—but not the new found animals, Esselstyn said.

 

 

 

Stretched-Out Shrew

This elongated shrew (Crocidura elongata)—pictured on Mount Tompotika in April—may or may not represent a new species.

The Tompotika variety has obvious anatomical differences from C. elongata found elsewhere on Sulawesi—including different colored fur and a different tail length. Even so, it's too early to call the new found type a distinct species, according to the local nonprofit the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation.

C. elongata is one of the few species of shrew that can switch between terrestrial and arboreal habitats. The small mammals use their long tails and feet to balance when aloft, Esselstyn said.

 



 

 

Isolated Jungle

Much of Sulawesi is highly isolated and little studied. The April survey increased the number of species known to exist only on Tompotika to about ten, including the presumed new shrews, a snake, three frogs, and three geckos. (See pictures: "'Lost World' of New Species Found in Indonesia.")

To catch the potential new shrews, the team used pitfall traps. To make a trap, the researchers buried buckets in the ground, with the openings flush with the soil surface. The researchers then made long barriers using tarps and sticks. The "fences" directed the animals toward the open buckets, and the shrews fell in.

 

 

 

 

Rediscovered: Attenborough's 'extinct' egg-laying mammal 

 

 A species of mammal that lays eggs and suckles its young in a pouch has been rediscovered in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, nearly 50 years after it was seen for the first and last time.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna - which was named after Sir David Attenborough - was known only from a single museum specimen caught in 1961. Its subsequent disappearance led scientists to believe that it had become extinct.

However, a scientific expedition to the remote Cyclops Mountains has found that the endangered creature is still alive and continues to use its long, toothless beak to poke exploratory holes in the ground in its endless search for earthworms.

"We've not found a live one yet, but we've found the areas where they feed - they leave very distinctive imprints in the soil with their beaks," said Jonathan Baillie of the Zoological Society of London, who led the expedition. The scientists also interviewed tribesmen who had reported sightings of the shy, nocturnal creature as recently as 2005. It is known locally by the name of payangko, and is sometimes hunted for food.

"We hope that Sir David Attenborough will be delighted to hear that his namesake species is still surviving in the wilds of the Papuan jungle," Dr Baillie said. "We are now planning a further expedition to the mountains to discover more about the species and devise conservation plans to ensure its long-term survival," he added.

There are three species of long-beaked echidna living in New Guinea. Attenborough's echidna - Zaglossus attenboroughi - is about half the size of the others, being just about big enough to fit into a shoebox.

The month-long expedition to Papua covered areas of the mountain forests that have not been explored for at least 45 years. Attenborough's echidna is the only echidna that lives on the slopes of the Cyclops Mountains so its feeding marks cannot he confused with those made by another species, Dr Baillie said.

"In addition to Attenborough's echidna, we found an astonishingly vast array of biodiversity, some of which is highly unlikely to be known to science."

Recently classified as three separate species, long-beaked echidnas belong to an ancient clad of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus of Australia. They are easily distinguished from short-beaked echidnas by their long snouts, which account for two-thirds of the length of the head. Despite laws designed to protect these species, they are in decline in areas accessible to humans. Echidnas have lost much of their forest habitat to logging, mining and farming, and are regarded as highly prized game animals by local people, who hunt them with specially trained dogs. One species, Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, is thought to have an extremely restricted range and may be at high risk of extinction.

 The most distinguishing feature of long-beaked echidnas is their long snouts, which curve downwards and account for two-thirds of the length of the head. They have no teeth; instead their tongues are covered in spikes (teeth-like projections), which are very effective in hooking prey and drawing it into the mouth. They have compact, muscular bodies, with strong limbs and claws for digging. Their back and sides are covered with spines, which vary in color from white through to dark gray or black. The body is also covered in brownish-black hairs, which sometimes hide the spines. Males are larger than females and have spurs on the inside of the hind limbs, near the foot.

 Little is known of the ecology of long-beaked echidnas. They are thought to be largely nocturnal, spending the day resting in shallow burrows or hollow logs, and foraging amongst the forest litter at night for food. The diet consists almost exclusively of earthworms, although individuals may occasionally eat termites, insect larvae and ants. Echidnas lead solitary lives, coming together only to breed. This is thought to be seasonal, with the female laying 4-6 eggs into her pouch each July. Hatching occurs ten days later, and the young echidnas remain in the pouch for a further 6-7 weeks, or until the spines develop. All echidnas have the ability to erect their spines when they feel threatened. If the ground is soft, the animal will burrow into it to protect its belly. On hard ground it will curl up into a spiky ball like a hedgehog.

 Found at a variety of altitudes ranging from sea level to montane forests and highly elevated alpine meadows.

 Endemic to New Guinea, long-beaked echidnas are widespread and found in both Papua New Guinea in the west and Papua on the Indonesian side. They are also known from the island of Salawati off New Guinea’s western tip, and may possibly occur on the islands of Supiori and Waigeo, although their presence here has yet to be confirmed.

The three species have distinct ranges: Z. bruijni is found in the far west of New Guinea, Z. attenboroughi is known only from the Cyclops Mountains of Papua, and Z. bartoni is principally found in a swathe along the center of the island, where each of the 4 subspecies have separate ranges. 

 The population is estimated to be 300,000 individuals. Decreasing in areas where they interact with humans. Only one species (Z. bruijni) is currently recognized by the IUCN. It is classified as Endangered (EN A1ac) on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Traditional hunting is the main reason for the species' decline. Long-beaked echidnas are highly prized game species and are hunted for food by local people with trained dogs. The other threats come from farming, logging and mining, which are causing a decline in the echidnas' forest habitat.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna was previously thought to be possibly extinct since it was apparently restricted to a single mountain peak in the Cyclops Mountains and hadn’t been reported since the original specimen was found in 1961. However, a recent EDGE expedition to the region found evidence that the species survives, even in the lowlands, and may have a larger range than previously believed. Very little is known about the threats to Attenborough's echidna, although interviews with local community members suggested that it is also at risk from hunting.

 

 

 

Thylacine or tilacin (LAT. Thylacinus cynoserhalus)

History of sumčatogo Wolf or, as it is called Tasmanian (Tasmanian) Wolf is very sad. With the arrival of Europeans in Australia began their extermination of neŝadnoe, and then, when their number was already in a critical condition, a situation exacerbated canine plague. Now tilacin is an extinct species. The last wolf died 7 September 1936 in a private Zoo in Hobart from old age.

 

 

Despite the seemingly tilacin looks more like a wolf or a dog, the more close relatives are the Tasmanian Devil Wombat , or Kangaroo. Indeed, the Tasmanian Wolf is the only large predator belonging to a family of marsupials. Its broad at the base of the tail and bag in the form of skin folds, covering 2 pacifier, are eloquent proof of this.

 

 

 

Sometimes you are surprised how people can be short-sighted. Instead of carefully examine the animal they were massacred. Almost as much as one hundred years of researchers was such a possibility, but no. Only the official description and pictures were published only once, in the proceedings of the Linnean Society in 1808, the amateur naturalist Harris. He then gave him the name tilacinus kinocefalus, which means "striped dog with volč′ej head". 

 

 

 Thylacine was a medium-sized. The length of his body with the tail reaches 180 centimeters, and the height of the shoulders was 60 centimeters. Wolf weighed about 20-25 kilograms. Outwardly it looked more like a dog than a wolf. His thick hair had a grayish-yellow color. On the back of the rear legs and the tail were 16-18 transverse dark bands. It had stripes on the back of the body as a tiger. Even the skull tilacina form resembled a dog. But of particular interest was its elongated jaws. Wolf during the zevaniâ to disclose it until 120 degrees. A special build of its hind legs attached gait juddering movements in both movement and gave the animal to stand on hind legs.  

 

 

These wolves are single mothers. But for hunting often collected in pairs or small groups. This nekrupnogo predator and prey was relevant sizes – small marsupial Wallabies, other birds, Echidna, and even lizards. They nebystroj their prey was very stressful, but the long race. In natural environments tilaciny never returned the Touché nedoedennoj. Therefore, when people tried their lime, either by poisoned carcasses, they have nothing.Like all marsupials-mammals – from tilacina had a bag with two nozzles, which simultaneously may grow from 1 to 4 pups. They were born quite tiny, just a couple of centimeters, and rushed the bag to the mother. There they spent 3 months, then the female podyskivala good asylum, where the left and sent to hunt. Here she was, and also taught the kids how to suppress it. 

 

 

Prior to joining to mainland Australia, the thylacine was distributed in large parts of this continent, as well as on Tasmania and New Guinea. But with the advent of Europeans and brought their dogs, dingoes, the life of these marsupials evolved into hell.

 

 

Initially they lived in the negustyh forest and grassy plains, but were then replaced by man in the rain forests and mountains, where the main havens for them became Burrows under the roots of trees, caves and hollows of fallen trees. 

 

 

As a result, tilaciny only in Tasmania, where people and dogs dingoes just so it doesn't get to. But in the early 20th century with these animals there was another attack-dog epidemic plague. Thus, the Tasmanian Wolf was almost completely destroyed. By 1914 they had a few units. In 1928, it had adopted a law on the protection of the flora of Tasmania, but despite the almost complete disappearance of this species, it has not been entered in the number of protected species. So recent marsupial wolves were killed: one 13 May 1930, from the bullets of Hunter and in 1936 – in captivity died the last thylacine in the world. 

 

 

In our time, in connection with the successful development of science in the field of cloning, attempts were made to restore the function of DNA tilacina. DNA material, proležavšij zaspirtovannyj has served as a Cub at the Sydney Museum of more than 100 years. Gene extinct animal was ushered in the mouse embryo. As a result, this gene was successfully function in the body of the rodent. But the extinct animal to clone must be much more genetic material, than it is now.

 

 


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