http://phys.org/news/2014-02-rare-species-deep-diving-whale.html

Researchers discover rare new species of deep-diving whale

Feb 05, 2014

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Male specimen of Mesoplodon hotaula that washed up on Desroches Island in the Seychelles in 2009, whown with men formt eh siland. It was found by Wayne Thompson (far right in picture) and Lisa Thompson of the Island Conservation Society of the Seychelles. Credit: Lisa Thompson

Researchers have identified a new species of mysterious beaked whale based on the study of seven animals stranded on remote tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans over the past 50 years.

Beaked whales, a widespread but little-known family of toothed whales distantly related to sperm whales, are found in deep ocean waters beyond the edge of the continental shelf throughout the world's oceans.
"They are rarely seen at sea due to their elusive habits, long dive capacity and apparent low abundance for some species. Understandably, most people have never heard of them," says international team leader, Dr Merel Dalebout, a visiting research fellow at UNSW.
The study of the new species, Mesoplodon hotaula, is published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

The first specimen was a female found on a Sri Lankan beach more than 50 years ago.
On 26 January 1963, a 4.5 metre-long, blue-grey beaked whale washed up at Ratmalana near Colombo. The then director of the National Museums of Ceylon, P.E.P (Paulus) Deraniyagala, described it as a new species, and named it Mesoplodon hotaula, after the local Singhala words for 'pointed beak'.
However, two years later, other researchers reclassified this specimen as an existing species, Mesoplodon ginkgodens, named for the tusk-like teeth of the adult males that are shaped like the leaves of a ginkgo tree.
"Now it turns out that Deraniyagala was right regarding the uniqueness of the whale he identified. While it is closely related to the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, it is definitely not the same species," says Dr Dalebout.
The researchers used a combination of DNA analysis and physical characteristics to identify the new species from seven specimens found stranded in Sri Lanka, the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati), Palmyra Atoll in the Northern Line Islands near Hawai'i, the Maldives, and the Seychelles.
The new specimens are held by various institutions and groups, including the US Smithsonian National Museum in Washington DC, the Island Conservation Society in the Seychelles, and the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The genetic analyses were conducted as part of an international collaboration with the US NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Oregon State University

The researchers were able to get good quality DNA from tissue samples from only one specimen. For the others, they drilled the bones of the whales in order to analyse short fragments of 'ancient DNA' relying on techniques commonly used with old sub-fossil material from extinct species.
The researchers also studied all other known beaked whale species to confirm the distinctiveness of Deraniyagala's whale, including six specimens of the closely related, gingko-toothed beaked whale.
"A number of species in this group are known from only a handful of animals, and we are still finding new ones, so the situation with Deraniyagala's whale is not that unusual," Dr Dalebout says.
"For example, the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, first described in 1963, is only known from about 30 strandings and has never been seen alive at sea with any certainty. It's always incredible to me to realise how little we really do know about life in the oceans. There's so much out there to discover. "
Over the last 10 years or so, two other new beaked whales have come to light; both through research in which Dr Dalebout was involved. In 2002, Mesoplodon perrini or Perrin's beaked whale, was described from the eastern North Pacific, and in 2003, Mesoplodon traversii, the spade-toothed whale, was described from the Southern Ocean. Both species are known from only about five animals each.
With the re-discovery of Mesoplodon hotaula, there are now 22 recognised species of beaked whales.

Explore further: Rare whale found dead in Southern California

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-02-rare-species-deep-diving-whale.html#jCp

Lost World discovered (thanks to Google Earth)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1100323/Lost-World-discovered-thanks-Google-Earth.html

Lost World discovered (thanks to Google Earth)

By David Derbyshire

Updated: 11:08 EST, 22 December 2008

In days gone by, explorers seeking a Lost World would spend a lifetime decoding ancient maps, talking to reluctant locals and hacking through dense jungles.
In the digital age, however, the job of an adventurer is more simple.
A team of conservationists from Kew Garden has just returned from an expedition to an uncharted and unexplored Eden in the heart of Mozambique after discovering it on Google Earth.

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Mozambique's Mount Mabu hosts a wealth of species. The idyllic setting was discovered by a team of conservationists from Kew Garden after discovering it on Google Earth

The mountainous area of southern Africa - crammed with colourful birds, unusual insects and rare plants - had been overlooked by wildlife experts and map makers because of its difficult landscape and decades of war.
It only came to light when British researchers spotted an unexpected patch of green forest on the satellite map website.
An expedition visited the untouched paradise surrounding Mount Mabu and discovered a wealth of wildlife including pygmy chameleons, Swynnerton's robin and butterflies such as the Small Striped Swordtail and Emperor Swallowtail.
There were three new species of butterfly, a previously undiscovered adder, a rarely seen orchid, giant snakes - including the gaboon viper -  and colonies of rare birds. More new species are expected to be discovered among the hundreds of plant specimens they brought home.

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A pygmy chameleon (left) and New Atheris snake (right)

Jonathan Timberlake, the expedition leader, admits that he was surprised by the wealth of wildlife they discovered among the 150 feet tall trees.
'That's when the excitement comes out - when you come back home or start reading some of the background and realise you're breaking new ground,' he said.
The Kew team discovered the hidden paradise in 2005. The conservationists were searching for a location for a new project and were scouring Google Earth's images online for areas at least 5,400 feet above sea level.

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The team found a rarely seen orchid

After spotting a green patch of forest in an area that had previously been unexplored by scientists, a British led expedition involving 28 scientists from Britain, Mozambique, Malawi, Switzerland and Tanzania was sent to the region.
They discovered 27 square miles of lush, rich forest crammed with exotic plants, insects and birds. Hundreds of exotic butterflies are there each day in the sunlight above the canopy, while peregrines and swifts flew around the trees.
The trees were home to loud samango monkeys, while the forest floor revealed small klipspringer antelopes - famed for their jumping ability - and blue duiker antelope.
'Nobody knew about it,' said Mr Timberlake. 'The literature I'm aware of doesn't mention the word Mabu anywhere. We have looked through the plant collections of Kew and elsewhere and we don't see the name come up.
'It might be there under another name, but we're not aware of any collection of plant or animals or anything else taking place there.'
He added: 'The phenomenal diversity is just mind-boggling: seeing how things are adapted to little niches, to me this is the incredible thing. Even today we cannot say we know all of the world’s key areas for biodiversity - there are still new ones to discover.
'This is potentially the biggest area of medium-altitude forest I'm aware of in southern Africa, yet it was not on the map, and most Mozambiqueans would not have even recognised the name Mount Mabu.'

Outside the forest the country’s roads and buildings have been devastated by the 1975- 1992 civil war. But inside scientists found the landscape was almost untouched. Locals had kept quite about its location because they used it as a refuge when the fighting was too intense.
Scientists 'describe' around 2,000 new species each year. However, it is unusual to find so new species in one place.

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Base Camp on Mount Mabu: The area came to light when the conservationists from Kew Garden spotted an unexpected patch of green forest on the satellite map website

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1100323/Lost-World-discovered-thanks-Google-Earth.html#ixzz2yLYghwLt
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Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013

Biggest new animal discoveries of 2013 (photos)

Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com
December 23, 2013

http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1223-top-new-species-2013.html

Thousands of species were scientifically described for the first time in 2013. Many of these were "cryptic species" that were identified after genetic analysis distinguished them from closely-related species, while others were totally novel. Below are some of the most interesting "new species" discoveries that took place or were formally announced in 2013.

The last name of the author of each post is listed in parentheses.


New tapir discovered in the Amazon (Hance)

A decade of research proved what indigenous tribes have long known: a diminutive tapir that inhabits open grasslands and forests in Colombia and Brazil is distinct from the larger Brazilian tapir. The species is named Tapirus kabomani after the name for "tapir" in the local Paumari language: "Arabo kabomani."

Described in the Journal of Mammalogy, the Kobomani tapir is the fifth tapir found in the world and the first to be discovered since 1865. It is also the first mammal in the order Perissodactyla (which includes tapirs, rhinos, and horses) found in over a hundred years. Moreover, this is the largest land mammal to be uncovered in decades: in 1992 scientists discovered the saola in Vietnam and Cambodia, a rainforest bovine that is about the same size as the new tapir.


A pair of Kobomani tapirs caught on camera trap. The individual on the left is a female and on the right a male. Females of the new species are characterized by a light patch on lower head and neck. Photo courtesy of Fabrício R. Santos.


New marsupial discovered in Ecuador (Hance)

The newly discovered marsupial: Caenolestes sangay with its signature small ears and long snout. Photo courtesy of Ojala-Barbour et al.

Researchers working in Ecuador identified a previously unknown species of shrew-opossum, according to a study published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Contrary to its mousey appearance, Caenolestes sangay, named after the national park where it was discovered, is actually a marsupial.

The team from Pacific Lutheran University set up more than 100 live traps over 15 nights on the eastern slopes of Andes. In the course of their research they recovered five specimens of the new species, each measuring approximately 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) long. Previously, researchers had considered it to be a subspecies due to its similarities with other populations inhabiting the western slopes of the Andes. Upon further scrutiny, however, the field workers noticed a difference in the shape of the animal's head.


New mountain porcupine discovered in Brazil (Hance)

In Brazil's Baturite Mountains, scientists uncovered a new species of prehensile-tailed porcupine, according to a paper in Revista Nordestina de Biologia. Dubbed, the Baturite porcupine (Coendou baturitensis), the new species was discovered when scientists noticed significant differences between it and its closest relative, the Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis). The name prehensile-tailed refers to these porcupine's long, mobile tail which they use as a fifth limb to adroitly climb trees.


Close view of the new porcupine species, the Baturite porcupine: Coendou baturitensis. Photo by: Hugo Fernandes-Ferreira.


New cat species in Brazil (Hance)

In November, scientists announced the stunning discovery of a new species of cat, long-confused with another. Looking at the molecular data of small cats in Brazil, researchers found that the tigrina—also known as the oncilla in Central America—is actually two separate species. The new species is called Leopardus guttulus and lives in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil, while the other Leopardus tigrinus is found in the cerrado and Caatinga ecosystems in northeastern Brazil.


DNA tests have revealed a new small wild cat species: Leopardus guttulus. Pictured here, the new species is primarily found in the Atlantic Forest. Photo by: Projeto Gatos do Mato - Brasil/Project Wild Cats of Brazil.


New bat species discovered in Brazil leaves another at risk (Millar)

Peracchi's nectar bat (Lonchophylla peracchii). Photo credit: Marcelo Nogueira

While new species discoveries are generally viewed as good news for conservationists, the November announcement of a new bat species in Brazil meant that another species is actually more vulnerable than previously thought. Long thought to comprise one species, the populations of Bokermann's nectar bat (Lonchophylla bokermanni) in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado are in fact distinct from one another, according to a study in Zootaxa. Scientists say the Atlantic Forest's population represents a newly described species, which they have dubbed Peracchi's nectar bat (Lonchophylla peracchii). However, this new classification leaves the entire Bokermann's nectar bat species restricted to a 150 square kilometers in the Cerrado and at grave risk from habitat destruction.


5 new, cryptic bats in Senegal (Edwards)

An international research team led by Professor Petr Koube and Darina Koubínová discovered five new species of vesper bats during a series of expeditions to Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, according to a paper published in Frontiers in Zoology. The new species are considered cryptic, because their genetic makeup is different despite physical similarities. The new bats have yet to be named.

Nycticeinops schlieffenii. Photo courtesy of Prof. Jaroslav Červený.


New dolphin species in northern Australia (Hance)

With the help of DNA tests, scientists in October declared a new dolphin species that dwells off the coast of northern Australia. The discovery was made after a team of researchers looked at the world's humpback dolphins (in the genus Sousa), which sport telltale humps just behind their dorsal fins. While long-known to science, the new, as-yet-unnamed species was previously lumped with other humpback dolphins in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the study published in Molecular Ecology—which looked at the dolphins' physical features (including over 180 skulls) as well as their mitochondrial and nuclear DNA—the world's humpback dolphins should be split into four total species: the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) found off the coast of West Africa; Sousa plumbea found in the western and central Indian Ocean; Sousa chinensis found in the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans; and the new species off the coast of Australia.


Two individuals of the newly identified humpback dolphin species. Photo credit: Guido Parra.


3 new herps in Australia (Butler)

Researchers from James Cook University and National Geographic discovered three new herp species — a cryptic leaf-tail gecko, a colorful skink, and a frog — during an expedition to northeastern Australia. The species are described in three papers published in October in the journal Zootaxa.

In March, a team led by Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and photographer Tim Laman of National Geographic and Harvard University explored a remote mountain range on Cape Melville. It was the first time scientists had surveyed the forest that grows among boulders on the summit of the range. Within days the team had identified the two lizards and frog along with several other species that may prove new to science.


Camouflage artist, The Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko. Photo copyright Tim Laman / National Geographic


Three new giant fish from the Amazon (Hance)

It's hard to mistake an arapaima for anything else: these massive, heavily-armored, air-breathing fish (they have to surface every few minutes) are the megafauna of the Amazon's rivers. But despite their unmistakability, and the fact that they have been hunted by indigenous people for millennia, scientists still know relatively little about arapaima, including just how many species there are. Since the mid-Nineteenth Century, scientists have lumped all arapaima into one species: Arapaima gigas. However, two studies in Copeia split the arapaimas into at least five total species—and more may be coming.

In the most recent study, researcher Donald Stewart with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), describes an entirely new species of arapaima based on a specimen held in the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia in Brazil. Dubbed Arapaima leptosoma, the new species is more slender than Arapaima gigas and possesses other important physical differences.


A new species of arapaima: Arapaima leptosoma. This species is housed at Sevastopol Sea Aquarium in the Ukraine, but long conflated with Arampaima gigas. Photo by: George Chernilevsky.

4 new species of legless lizards in California (Butler)

Four previously unknown species of legless lizard were described in California by researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and Cal State-Fullerton.

The species, all members of the Anniella genus, were hiding in plain site, living in marginal habitats that included "a vacant lot in downtown Bakersfield, among oil derricks in the lower San Joaquin Valley, on the margins of the Mojave desert, and at the end of one of the runways at LAX," according to a statement from UC Berkeley.


The Bakersfield Legless Lizard (Anniella grinnelli). Photo Credit: Alex Krohn


Ground-warbler from the Philippines (Butler)

A ground-warbler from the Philippines was the twenty-third species of bird described in 2013. The species, dubbed Robsonius thompsoni, was described in the August issue of the journal The Condor. It was discovered after researchers from the University of Kansas, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and the Philippine National Museum distinguished it from two closely-related ground-warblers.


The olinguito (Hance)

In August, Zookeys announced a major discovery: the first new mammalian carnivore described in the Western Hemisphere since the 1970's. Dubbed the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina), the new mammal is a member of a little-known, elusive group of mammals—olingos—that are related to raccoons, coatis, and kinkajous. It lives in Andean cloud forests.


The world's newest species in the mammal order Carnivora: the olinguito. The one was photographed in the wild at Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Ecuador. Photo by: Mark Gurney.


Peter Pan fairy in Central America (Millar)

A new genus of fairyfly has been discovered in Costa Rica. The new species is aptly named Tinkerbella nana after the fairy in J.M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan is one of the smallest winged insects in the neotropics.

Found in both temperate and tropical climates, the fairyfly is not actually a fly as its name suggests, but instead is more closely related to wasps – being classed within the superfamily Chalcidoidea, or the "chalcid wasps." There are over 1,400 species of fairyfly, mostly found in the tropical environments of the southern hemisphere.


New flying mammal in Lao bushmeat market (Kimbrough)

In September 2012, a team from the National University of Laos surveyed markets in central Lao PDR for squirrels. In one of the many small markets, Daosavanh Sanamxay found something remarkable, a single specimen of a flying squirrel previously unknown to science. The researchers described this newly discovered species in a 2013 Zootaxa paper, giving it the English name: the Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis).


Underside view of the newly discovered Laotian giant flying squirrel. Photo courtesy of Sanamxay, Daosavanh; et al. Zootaxa 3686 (4): 471–481.


Poison dart frog discovered in 'Lost World' (Butler)

In July scientists described a new species of poison dart frog after discovering it during a study to determine the impact of tourism on biodiversity in a tract of rainforest known as "The Lost World" in Guyana. The scientists named the frog Allobates amissibilis — in Latin, "that may be lost" — in recognition of its home, which was the set for British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 book, The Lost World. The frog was discovered near Turu Falls, a waterfall at the foot of the Iwokrama Mountains in Central Guyana.


Allobates amissibilis sp. nov., newly discovered micro-endemic frog species. Photo courtesy of M. Hoelting and R. Ernst/Senckenberg 


New bird species discovered in Cambodia's largest city (Butler)

A previously unknown species of bird was found hiding in plain sight after scientists photographed what was thought to be more abundant species at a construction site on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capitol and largest city. Subsequent analysis revealed the species to be distinct.

Known as the Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk), the new bird is one of only two species endemic to Cambodia, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the group whose researcher Ashish John snapped the first pictures of the bird.


Male Cambodian tailorbird. Photos by Ashish John/WCS.


15 new species of birds in the Amazon (Hance)

From 2000-2009, scientists described on average seven new bird species worldwide every year. Discovering a new bird is one of the least common of any species group, given that birds are highly visible, mobile, and have been scrutinized for centuries by passionate ornithologists and birders. But scientists working in the southern Amazon have recorded an incredible 15 new species of birds according to the Portuguese publication Capa Aves. In fact, this is the largest group of new birds uncovered in the Brazilian in the Amazon in 140 years.


101 new beetles from New Guinea (Hance)

In a single paper, a team of researchers described 101 new species of weevils from New Guinea, more than doubling the known species in the beetle genus, Trigonopterus. Since describing new species is hugely laborious and time-intensive, the researchers turned to a new method of species description known as "turbo-taxonomy," which employs a mix of DNA-sequencing and taxonomic expertise to describe species more rapidly.


New species: Trigonopterus echinus. Photo by: Alexander Riedel.


3 species of carnivorous snails in Thailand (Smith)

Scientists from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and the Natural History Museum, London discovered three new species of carnivorous snails in northern Thailand. The new snail species — named Perrottetia aquilonaria, P. dermapyrrhosa and P. phuphamanesis — were collected during surveys throughout Thailand between 2008 and 2012 and are described in the open access journal Zookeys. Identified by their genital organs and shell characteristics, these are the first snails in their genus Perrottetia to be described in over a century.

The snails belong to the family Streptaxidae which is a terrestrial carnivorous group of snails known to feed on insect larvae, earthworms, and even other snails. These tiny snails less than 1 centimeter in size are found living within rock crevices, endemic to a single or few limestone mountain ranges in north and north-eastern Thailand, adopting a "one hill one species" endemism.


The beautiful bright orange-colored Perrottetia dermapyrrhosa, one of the newly described species from Thailand. Photo by: Somsak Panha.


.....

A giant African mole rat (Hance)

In 2002, researchers noticed a distinct-looking mole rat in Zambia. It took several years to confirm their hypothesis that they had uncovered a new species, but an April study published in Zootaxa by Paul Van Daele and colleagues described the world's newest mole rat: Caroline's mole rat (Fukomys vandewoestijneae).

The new mole rat was found in the Ikelenge pedicle, a geographic area that covers portions of Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola. Although little research has been conducted in the Ikelenge pedicle, scientists believe it is a hotspot for animals found nowhere else. Already scientists have discovered 28 endemic species: one amphibian, five mammals, three butterflies, and 19 dragonflies. This unique region is made up of gallery forests along rivers and wetlands (known locally as mushitus) and woodlands dominated by miombo trees, where the new mole rat was discovered. But, like most forests in the world, these are imperiled.


A new mole rat from Zambia: Caroline's mole rat (Fukomys vandewoestijneae). Photo courtesy of: Daele, P.A.A.G. van et al.


2 new frog genera in India's Western Ghats (Perinchery)

The new genus: Mercurana. Photos by: Ansil B. R.

Researchers discovered two new frog genera in the rare and threatened freshwater swamps of the southern Western Ghats of India. The discoveries, described in the open-access journal Zootaxa, prove once again the importance of the mountain range as a biodiversity hotspot.

The Western Ghats is home to a stunning variety of flora and fauna ranging from large mammals like the Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) to fascinating amphibians such as the Malabar gliding frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus). Tree frogs like these gliding frogs belong to quite a diverse family of amphibians: Rhacophoridae. The mostly-arboreal rhacophorids are found in habitats including ground litter, on bushes and tree tops. Their reproductive modes also vary greatly: some lay eggs in foam nests that develop into tadpoles and metamorphize into frogs while others develop directly from eggs into young frogs. Around 60 rhacophorids are found in the Western Ghats. But knowledge about amphibian diversity in the mountain range has surged, with over 70 new species across all known genera discovered over the past decade.


Tree-dwelling porcupine in Brazil (Butler)

In an April issue of Zootaxa, scientists in Brazil described a new species of tree-dwelling porcupine in the country's most endangered ecosystems. A team of researchers led by Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes, a biologist at the Federal University of Pernambuco, found the porcupine in a small forest fragment in the state of Pernambuco. They christened the creature Coendou speratus, a combination of its local name "coandu-mirim" and the Latin word "speratus" for "hope."

The name choice is appropriate given the porcupine's high risk of extinction. About 98 percent of its forest habitat has been destroyed, while its population is as fragmented as the forests it inhabits, making the species vulnerable in inbreeding, according to the researchers. The species is also actively hunted by locals.

Coendou speratus. Image courtesy of Antonio Rossano Mendes / Universidade Federal de Pernambuco


Beautiful striped ban in South Sudan (Hance)

Scientists have discovered a brilliantly-striped bat in South Sudan. Working in Bangangai Game Reserve during July of last year, biologist DeeAnn Redeer and conservationist Adrian Garsdie with Fauna & Flora International (FFI) came across an unmissable bat, which has been dubbed by various media outlets as the "badger bat" and the "panda bat."

After collecting a specimen, Reeder took the bat back to the U.S. and confirmed that it belongs to a species that was discovered over seventy years ago in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1939. However, that wasn't the end of the story.

"After careful analysis, it is clear that it doesn't belong in the genus that it's in right now," Reeder explains. "Its cranial characters, its wing characters, its size, the ears—literally everything you look at doesn't fit. It's so unique that we need to create a new genus."


Niumbaha superba. Photo by: DeeAnn Reeder.


A giant tarantula in Sri Lanka (Hance)

Described by a number of media outlets as "the size of your face" a new tree-dwelling tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka has awed arachnophiliacs and terrified arachnophobes alike. But the new species, named Raja's tiger spider (Poecilotheria rajaei), is likely Critically Endangered according to the scientist that discovered it in northern Sri Lanka.


New species of tarantula from Sri Lanka: Poecilotheria rajaei. Photo by: Ranil Nanayakkara.


Another 'penis snake' (Butler)

A new species of caecilian - a worm-like amphibian - has been discovered in the rainforests of French Guiana.

The new species is called Microcaecilia dermatophaga or "little skin-eating caecilian" in reference to the feeding habits of young caecilians, which peel and eat their mother's skin. The mother isn't injured by this process — she grows an extra layer of fat-rich skin during this phase of development. Adult caecilians feed on termites and earthworms and spend most of their time living underground or in leaf litter in tropical regions.

Little else is known about the new species, which is related to Atretochoana eiselti, the so-called "penis snake" — also a type of caecilian — that turned up in an Amazon river tributary last year when engineers were draining a tributary of the Amazon for the construction of a hydroelectric dam.


Holotype of Microcaecilia dermatophaga sp. nov (head only). Courtesy of Wilkinson et al. (2013)


2 mouse lemurs in Madagascar (Butler)

Scientists have discovered two new species of mouse lemurs in Madagascar, bringing the total number of diminutive primates known to science to 20, according to a paper published in the International Journal of Primatology.

The lemurs were collected in 2003 and 2007 during field surveys to the eastern part of the island nation. Genetic analysis revealed them to be new species: the Marohita mouse lemur (Microcebus marohita) and the Anosy mouse lemur (Microcebus tanosi).

Both species are unusually large for mouse lemurs. Microcebus marohita tips the scales at 78 grams (2.8 ounces), making it the largest of known mouse lemurs. It reaches a length of 28 cm. Microcebus tanosi is now the second largest known mouse lemur, reaching 27 cm from snout to tail and weighing about 50 grams. It is named after the Anosy region in southeast Madagascar.


Microcebus marohita mouse lemur. Photo by Bellarmin Ramahefasoa.


Scientists discover new genus of crustacean (Hance)

In recent journeys to Madagascar, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Philippines, and French Polynesia, scientists from the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes and the University of Barcelona have discovered not only five new crustaceous species, but also the existence of a new genus in the family.


2 woodlizards in the Peruvian Amazon (Hance)

Scientists have discovered two new species of woodlizards from the Peruvian Amazon. Woodlizards, in the genus Enyalioides, are little-known reptiles with only 10 described species found in South and Central America. Described in ZooKeys, both new woodlizards were found in Cordillera Azul National Park, the nation's third-largest reserve.

Scientists named one of the new species Enyalioides azulae, or the blue woodlizard, after the Cordillera Azul (Blue Mountains). The other was named Enyalioides binzayedi, or Bin Zayed's woodlizard after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who helped fund the expedition through his Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZSCF).


New species of woodlizard: Enyalioides binzayedi. Photo by: P.J. Venegas.


Male and female (duller colored) of Enyalioides azulae. Photo by: P.J. Venegas.


8 new frogs in one Sri Lankan sanctuary (Hance)

Two surveys in the mountainous forests of Sri Lanka's Peak Wilderness Sanctuary have uncovered eight new species of frogs, according to a paper in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. While every year over a hundred new amphibians are discovered, eight new discoveries in a single park is especially notable. Sri Lanka is an amphibian-lovers paradise with well over 100 described species, most of which are endemic.


A new species discovered in the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary: Pseudophilautus sirilwijesundarai. Photo by: L.J. Mendis Wickramasinghe.


The beautiful amphibian from Hell (Hance)

Researchers have discovered a new species of Vietnamese salamander that looks like it was birthed from an abyssal volcano. Found tucked away in Tokyo's National Museum of Nature and Science, the scientists described the species in Current Herpetology. Coal-black with orange-tinted toes, the new crocodile newt (in the genus Tylototriton) was determined to be a new species when it showed morphological and genetic differences from near relatives. Despite its remarkable appearance, the researchers say these are typical colors for crocodile newts.

The scientists named the new species Ziegler's crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri) after Thomas Ziegler of Cologne Zoo who works with reptiles and amphibians in Vietnam. The new species is small, with males measuring 5.4 to 6.8 (2 to 2.6 inches) centimeters and females measuring 7.1 centimeters (2.7 inches). While genetic testing proved that it was a new species, the morphological differences were key.


New species: Ziegler's crocodile newt (Tylototriton ziegleri). Photo courtesy of Tao Thien Nguyen.


2 mini salamanders discovered in Colombia (Hance)

Biologists have discovered two new species of salamander in Tamá National Natural Park in Colombia. While the discovery should be cause for celebration, the news was dampened by the fact that both species are already infected with the deadly fungal disease, known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has wiped out amphibian populations worldwide. Both of the new salamanders belong to the genus Bolitoglossa, which are web-footed salamanders found in the tropical Americas.

Discovered on the eastern flank of the Andean mountains, the researchers named one of the new species the Tama salamander (Bolitoglossa tamaense) after Tama National Natural Park, and the other Leandra's salamander (Bolitoglossa leandrae) after a local girl, Leandra Mojica.


Bolitoglossa tamaense salamander. Photo courtesy of the authors


Owl species in Indonesia (Hance)

A unique whistling call has led scientists to discover a new owl on the Indonesian island of Lombok, according to a new study in PLoS ONE. Two scientific expeditions, occurring separately but within a few days of each other, both noticed something different about the calls coming from owls on Lombok.

The owl on Lombok was long-thought to be a population of the Moluccan scops owl (Otus magicus) due to similarities in plumage, but the unusual call pushed scientists to investigate further. Because they are nocturnal, owls depend on their calls to identify their own kind, allowing eavesdropping scientists to do the same.


A new species of owl: Rinjani scops owl. Photo by: Philippe Verbelen.


Giant flying frog in Vietnam (Hance)

Jodi Rowley is no stranger to discovering new amphibians—she's helped describe over 10 in her short career thus far—but she was shocked to discover a new species of flying frog less than 100 kilometers from a major, bustling Southeast Asian metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. Unfortunately, the new frog, dubbed Helen's tree frog (Rhacophorus helenae), may be on the verge of extinction, according to the description published in the Journal of Herpetology.

Measuring 10 centimeters long, the new species is described as a giant flying frog. Flying frogs don't actually fly, but instead use webs between their hands and feet to glide from one tree to another. Researchers believe Helen's tree frog went unnoticed for so long, because it stuck to the high canopy.


Helen's tree frog. Photo courtesy of Jodi Rowley.


Neon blue dragon in Vietnam (Butler)

German and Russian biologists have discovered a stunning new species of lizard in Vietnam. The species, dubbed Calotes bachae, is described in Zootaxa.

Calotes bachae is a type of agama, a group of lizards commonly known as "forest dragons." It was described after DNA research led by Timo Hartmann revealed it was genetically distinct from another blue lizard species found in Myanmar and Thailand. In other words, it is what scientists call a cryptic species — one that has been hiding in plain sight.


Male Calotes bachae. Photo by Peter Geissler.

The find of a lifetime: Bizarre 'panda bat' discovered in South Sudan

• Researchers say the bat is an entirely new genus
• Black and white fur make it look uncannily like a panda

By Mark Prigg
PUBLISHED: 05:23 EST, 10 April 2013 | UPDATED: 07:21 EST, 10 April 2013 
     
Researchers have hailed a bat that looks uncannily like a panda bear as 'the find of a lifetime'. The bat, discovered in South Sudan, is so rare researchers believe it is an entirely new genus.
'My attention was immediately drawn to the bat's strikingly beautiful and distinct pattern of spots and stripes,' said Bucknell Associate Professor of Biology DeeAnn Reeder, who made the discovery.
'It was clearly a very extraordinary animal, one that I had never seen before - I knew the second I saw it that it was the find of a lifetime.'

The newly discovered genus Niumbaha superba, dubbed the 'panda bat' and discovered in South Sudan

Bear faced: The discovery was described as 'the find of a lifetime' by researchers

The bat's colouring is similar to a panda

Reeder spotted the animal in Bangangai Game Reserve.

After returning to the United States, Reeder determined the bat was the same as one originally captured in nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1939 and named Glauconycteris superba, but she and colleagues did not believe that it fit with other bats in the genus Glauconycteris.

 

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'After careful analysis, it is clear that it doesn't belong in the genus that it's in right now,' Reeder said.
'Its cranial characters, its wing characters, its size, the ears — literally everything you look at doesn't fit.
'It's so unique that we need to create a new genus.'

In the paper, 'A new genus for a rare African vespertilionid bat: insights from South Sudan' just published by the journal ZooKeys, Reeder, along with co-authors from the Smithsonian Institution and the Islamic University in Uganda, placed this bat into a new genus - Niumbaha.

This image shows Fauna & Flora International Programme Officer Adrian Garside (left) and Bucknell University associate professor of Biology DeeAnn Reeder with Niumbaha superba in South Sudan

This image shows the distinguishing panda-like stripes of Niumbaha superba.

The word means 'rare' or 'unusual' in Zande, the language of the Azande people in Western Equatoria State, where the bat was captured.
The bat is just the fifth specimen of its kind ever collected, and the first in South Sudan, which gained its independence in 2011.
'Our discovery of this new genus of bat is an indicator of how diverse the area is and how much work remains,' Reeder added.
'Understanding and conserving biodiversity is critical in many ways.
'Knowing what species are present in an area allows for better management.
'When species are lost, ecosystem-level changes ensue.
'I'm convinced this area is one in which we need to continue to work.'

The team's research in South Sudan was made possible by a $100,000 grant that Reeder received from the Woodtiger Fund.

Reseachers placed this bat into a new genus - Niumbaha. The word means "rare" or "unusual" in Zande, the language of the Azande people in Western Equatoria State, where the bat was captured

The private research foundation recently awarded Reeder another $100,000 dollar grant to continue her research this May and to support FFI's conservation programs.

'To me, this discovery is significant because it highlights the biological importance of South Sudan and hints that this new nation has many natural wonders yet to be discovered,' said Matt Rice, Fauna & Flora International's South Sudan country director.
'South Sudan is a country with much to offer and much to protect,'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2306798/The-lifetime-Bizarre-striped-Panda-bat-South-Sudan.html#ixzz2oLeBCbiV
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Unknown Species Notice

Posted by Jeff Albertson on Facebook:
http://www.anoleannals.org/2013/11/10/help-identify-a-mystery-lizard/

We found the lizard depicted above in the herpetological collection at the University of Kansas. We have no information about where it is from or who collected it. Can anybody help us identify what species it is?

New species of humpback dolphin spotted swimming off northern Australian coast

Updated Thu 31 Oct 2013, 4:18 PM AEDT

Photo

This new species of humpback dolphin, found in waters off the northern Australian coast, is yet to be named.

Guido Parra

A newly discovered species of dolphin has been found swimming off the northern Australian coast.
Scientists say the as yet unnamed dolphin is part of the humpback family, which already contains three other species.
The Atlantic humpback (Sousa teuzii) is found in the eastern Atlantic off western Africa, while there are two other Indo-Pacific humpbacks: the Sousa plumbea, found in the central to western Indian Ocean, and the Sousa chinensis, seen in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans.
Scientists say the new species is part of the Indo-Pacific variety.
They reached their conclusion after examining 180 skulls and 235 tissue samples from other humpback dolphins and analysing the DNA for variations, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said.
"Based on the findings of our combined morphological and genetic analyses, we can suggest that the humpback dolphin genus includes at least four member species," Martin Mendez of the WCS said in a statement.
"This discovery helps our understanding of the evolutionary history of this group and informs conservation policies to help safeguard each of the species."
Humpback dolphins, named for a hump below their dorsal fin, grow up to 2.5 metres in length and their colouring ranges from dark grey to pink or even white, the WCS said.
"New information about distinct species across the entire range of humpback dolphins will increase the number of recognised species, and provides the needed scientific evidence for management decisions aimed at protecting their unique genetic diversity and associated important habitats," WCS Ocean Giants program director Howard Rosenbaum was reported as saying.
The findings have been published in the journal Molecular Ecology.
ABC/Reuters

Posted Thu 31 Oct 2013, 11:57 AM AEDT

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-31/new-dolphin-species-spotted-swimming-off-australian-coast/5060072

New Species Discovered in Amazon Rain Forest

New Species Discovered in Amazon Rain Forest

From Animal Planet

Allobated amissibilis: Kok, P.J.R., Hölting, M., Ernst, R. (in press 2013) A third microendemic to the Iwokrama Mountains of central Guyana: a new "cryptic" species of AllobatesImage Credit: © Philippe Kok

 

Apistogramma cinilabra: Description of a potentially endangered endemic cichlid species (Teleostei: Perciformes: Chichlidae) from the Departamento Loreto, Peru.Image Credit: © Uwe Rîmer

Callicebus caquetensis Bueno; Marta; Garcia, Javier (2010). "Callicebus caquetensis: A New and Critically Endangered Titi Monkey from Southern Caquetá, Colombia". Primate Conservation.Image Credit: © Javier Garcia

Cercosaura hypnoides: Doan T.M. and Lamar W.W. 2012. A new montane species of Cercosaura (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Colombia, with notes on the distribution of the genus.Image Credit: © Tiffany M Doan

Chrionius Challenger: Kok, P. J. R. 2010. A new species of ChironiusFitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Pantepui region, northeastern South America.Image Credit: © Philippe Kok

Dicrossus Warzeli: two new cichlid species from the Rio Negro and the Rio Tapajós, Amazon drainage, Brazil.Image Credit: © Frank Warzel

Gonatodes timidus: This extraordinary-looking species of lizard was discovered in 2011 in the part of the Amazon that extends into Guyana.Image Credit: © Philippe Kok

Passiflora longifilamentosa: A new species of passion flower was discovered in the rainforests of the Brazilian state of Para in 2013. Passion flowers are evergreen climbers with exotic looking flowers, often accompanied by brightly coloured fruits.Image Credit: © João Batista Fernandes da Silva

Potamotrygon tatianae: Silva, J.P.C.B. da and M.R. de Carvalho, 2011. A new species of neotropical freshwater stingray of the genus Potamotrygon Garman 1877 from the Río Madre de Díos, PeruImage Credit: © F. Reyda

Sobralia imavierae: Sobralia imavieirae Campacci & J.B.F.Silva, Colet. Orquídeas Brasil.Image Credit: © Andre Cardoso

Tometes Camunani: Andrade, M.C., Giarrizzo, T. & Jégu, M. (2013): Tometes camunani (Characiformes: Tometes camunani Andrade et al., 2013 Neotropical Ichthyology,Image Credit: © Tommaso Giarrizzo


http://animal.discovery.com/wild-animals/photos/amazon-rain-forest-new-species.htm#mkcpgn=fbapl14