40 New Species Found in Papua New Guinea

By Miss Cellania in Animals & Pets, Travel on Sep 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.

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(image credit: BBC)


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

    I doubt any of them are all that new

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

    Wait… “sauroni”? Was that named after what I think it was named after?

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

    “new” meaning “new to us.”

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

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

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

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

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

    if i were french this would make me hungry

  7. felixthecat
    Sep 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
    Sep 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am

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

  9. ellie
    Dec 1st, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    ya how old are thay realy god only know how old they are so they are not ‘new’ ‘new’

  10. Panvorax
    Dec 15th, 2009 at 6:55 am

    It turns out I know the Bosavi area pretty well. I was a part of the BBC expedition that this thread is about.
    When we talk about “new” species, we’re talking about species that were previously unknown to science.
    Of course some of the “new” animals we found were already known to the Kosua people but some of the things we found were a surprise, even to the locals.
    The Bosavi region is really increadible and if you’re the slightest bit curious about the place you should try to make it there at some point in your life. Check out me website to find out how.


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