40 New Species Found in Papua New Guinea

Posted by Miss Cellania in Animal, Travel & Places on September 8, 2009 at 9:46 pm


The BBC’s natural history unit sent an expedition to Mount Bosavi, a volcano in Papua New Guinea. Scientists on the team identified 40 new species of wildlife which have called the crater home since its last eruption 200,000 years ago. These include the 3-pound Bosavi Woolly Rat which can grow up to 32 inches long! They also found colorful new birds, beetles, spiders, marsupials, and frogs, such as the Litoria sauroni pictured.

The habitat in the area is currently regarded as pristine, but less than 20 miles to the south of Mount Bosavi extensive logging operations are happening.

The mountain acts like an island in the vast sea of jungle, trapping different species on it.

Link

(image credit: BBC)


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8 comments to "40 New Species Found in Papua New Guinea"

  1. SenorMysterioso
    September 8th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

    I doubt any of them are all that new

  2. Susano
    September 8th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Wait... "sauroni"? Was that named after what I think it was named after?

  3. Miss Cellania
    September 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm

    "new" meaning "new to us."

  4. Johnny Cat
    September 8th, 2009 at 11:42 pm

    I love the wooly rat, reminds me of a gargantuan version of my old Gandalf.

  5. LisaL
    September 9th, 2009 at 12:42 am

    Very cool. The spider is pretty neat, and I'm loving the birds.

  6. not pierre
    September 9th, 2009 at 1:07 am

    if i were french this would make me hungry

  7. felixthecat
    September 9th, 2009 at 7:06 am

    That little parrot is quite neat. Good thing that these animals were found before the loggers clear cut the area.

  8. FishBottleT
    September 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am

    I like the spider- its pretty big too! I woinder what it eats!


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