The Yoda Bat
In
2010, a tube-nosed fruit bat with an appearance reminiscent of the Star
Wars Jedi Master Yoda was discovered in a remote rainforest. The bat,
along with an orange spider and a yellow-spotted frog, is among a host
of new species found in a region of Papua, New Guinea. More than 200
animals and plants were
revealed for the first time after two months of surveying in the rugged
and little-explored Nakanai and Muller Mountain ranges that year.
Lesula
Scientist claim they have discovered a new species of monkey living in
the remote forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo -- an animal
well-known to local hunters but until now, unknown to the outside world.
In a paper published in the open-access journal Plos One,
the scientists describe the new species that they call Cercopithecus
Lomamiensis, known locally as the Lesula, whose home is deep in central
DR Congo's Lomami Forest basin. Thescientists say it is only the second
discovery of a monkey species in 28 years.
In an age where so much of the earth's surface has been photographed, digitized, and placed on a searchable map on the web discoveries like this one by a group of American scientistsseems like a throwback to another time.
Mr. Blobby
Affectionately
nicknamed "Mr. Blobby," this fathead sculpin fish was discovered in
2003 in New Zealand during a Census of Marine Life expedition, according
to the Austrian Museum in Sydney. Fathead sculpins—named for their large, globe-like heads and floppy skin—live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths of between about 330 feet (100 meters) to 9,200 feet (2,800 meters).
Penis Snake
A
group of engineers building a dam in the Amazon recently discovered an
Atretochoana eiseltiis, better known as a caecilian, which some people
might know as a limbless amphibian. But let's be honest, the creature
pictured above is a penis snake. The strange creature was discovered
while the Madeira River was being drained as part of a damn building
project in Brazil's Madeira River. Biologist Julian Tupan said that six penis snakes were found at the bottom of the river.
Pinocchio Frog
This Pinocchio-like tree frog species
was discovered by fortunate accident when it ventured into a Foja
Mountains camp kitchen and perched on a bag of rice, where herpetologist
Paul Oliver of Australia's University of Adelaide spotted it. Oliver
was unable to find another of these frogs, and suspects that they stay
mostly in the treetops.
The male frog's nose, the scientists were
surprised to discover, points upward when the animal's calling and
hangs flaccid when it's not. "Exactly what it is for, no one really
knows for sure," Oliver said.
Chinchilla tree rat
The
chinchilla tree rat (Cuscomys ashaninka) was discovered in 1997 during
RAP expeditions that targeted Peru's Vilcabamba mountain range, very
close to the famous ruins
of Machu Picchu. It is pale grey in colour, possesses a stocky build,
has large claws, and is characterized by a white stripe along its head.
It is related to the chinchilla rats which are known to have been buried
alongside the Inca people in their tombs.
Leaf-Nosed Bat
A
new species of bat has been found in Chu Mom Ray National Park.
Apparently this bat was mistaken for a known species in 2008, but has
since been proven genetically distinct.
Cyclops Shark
An
extremely rare cyclops shark, recently confirmed in Mexico, is one of
the oddest life-forms found in 2011. The 22-inch-long
(56-centimeter-long) fetus has a single, functioning eye at the front of
its head, scientists announced.
The eye is a hallmark of a congenital condition called cyclopia, which
occurs in several animal species, including humans. Scientists have
documented cyclops shark embryos a few times before, said Jim
Gelsleichter, a shark biologist at the University of North Florida in
Jacksonville. The fact that none have been caught outside the womb
suggests that cyclops sharks don't survive long in the wild.
The flamingo tongue snail
This
flamingo tongue snail, Cyphoma gibbosum, from the British West Indies
is one of thousands of new species uncovered as part of the first Census
of Marine Life.
Sea-Angel
A 2005 Census of Marine Life expedition to the arctic ocean captured
a so-called sea angel, Clione limacina, at about 1,148 feet (350
meters) underwater. Despite its nickname, this little angel apparently
doesn't mind showing a little skin. It's actually a naked snail without a
shell,scientists said in December 2009.
Such
marine snails—most of them the size of a lentil—are widely eaten by
many species, making them the "potato chip" of the oceans, biologist
Gretchen Hofmann, of the University of California, said in a 2008
statement.
Pink Nillipede
Able
to shoot cyanide, this millipede is tough enough to wear pink. First
documented in 2007, the shocking pink dragon millipede--yes, that's its
real name--is among more than a thousand new species found in the
Greater Mekong region in the last ten years, WWF announced on December
15, 2008. Far from a fashion statement, the animal's bright color
probably warns predators of the millipede's toxicity.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Restricted
to Colorado, the Gunnison Sage-Grouse was only recently realized to be a
species separate from the Greater Sage-Grouse. The two species differ
in size, display ornaments, and breeding displays.
