tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/species_discovery1 species discovery news from mongabay.com 2009-06-29T05:46:32Z tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4685 2009-06-29T04:36:00Z 2009-06-29T05:46:32Z Rainforest discovered via Google Earth to be protected Mozambique has agreed to protect a tract of highland forest discovered by scientists using Google Earth, reports <i>The Guardian</i>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4681 2009-06-25T19:04:00Z 2009-06-25T19:26:20Z Tiny bat discovered on islands off Africa The Natural History Museum in Geneva, Switzerland has announced the discovery of a bat species new to science on the Comoros Island arichpelago off the south-east coast of Africa. The bat weighs only 5 grams (0.17 ounces). Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4641 2009-06-16T16:10:00Z 2009-06-16T16:46:19Z Photos: treasure trove of new species discovered in Ecuador <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/124672-1.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Near the once-contentious border of Ecuador and Peru in the mountainous forests of the Cordillera del Condor, scientists from Conservation International (CI) conducted a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP), uncovering what they believe are several new species, including four amphibians, one lizard, and seven insects. The team focused on the Upper Nanharitza River Basin, which has been geologically isolated from the rest of the Andes, giving it broad potential for new species. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4629 2009-06-11T16:32:00Z 2009-06-11T16:51:12Z Photo: brilliant pink moth discovered in Arizona <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/14544_web-2.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A new species of moth with brilliantly-colored pink wings has been discovered at 7,700 feet in the Chiricahua Mountains of southern Arizona. "This large moth flew in and we didn't think much of it because there is a silk moth very much like it, a Doris silk moth that feeds on pines that has dark wings with pink on the hind wings. It's fairly common there," said University of Arizona biologist, Bruce Walsh, who discovered the species. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4569 2009-05-22T18:04:00Z 2009-05-22T21:03:34Z Photos: top 10 species discovered in 2008 <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0522fish150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Scientists documented 18,516 previously unknown species in 2007, report researchers from the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, who also unveiled the "top 10 new species" described in 2008. The "top 10" species include a pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee, bacteria that live in hairspray, a tiny snake, a two foot long insect from Malaysia, a fossilized specimen of the oldest known live-bearing vertebrate, a snail whose shell twists around four axes, a ghost slug from Wales, a deep blue damselfish, and a palm that flowers itself to death. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4545 2009-05-14T16:14:00Z 2009-05-15T12:56:07Z Updated Red-List: 192 birds are Critically-Endangered <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/sidamo_lark__greg_davies-1-1.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>In this year’s updated IUCN Red List on birds, six species were down-listed from Critically Endangered to Endangered, but eight species were up-listed to Critically Endangered, leading to the highest number of Critically Endangered birds ever on the list. In all 1,227 bird species (12 percent) are currently considered threatened with global extinction. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4536 2009-05-11T16:02:00Z 2009-05-11T16:04:05Z Approximately 200 new frogs discovered in Madagascar threatened by political instability <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/090505061942-large-2.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Amid the amphibian extinction crisis—where amphibians worldwide are disappearing due to habitat loss, pollution, and a devastating fungal epidemic—the Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC) has announced some good news. In a survey of the island-nation of Madagascar they have identified between 129 and 221 new species of frogs. The discovery of so many new species nearly doubles the island’s total number of frogs. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4506 2009-04-23T18:52:00Z 2009-04-23T18:54:19Z DNA testing finds identical animals actually different species Seemingly identical animals on the outside may in fact be completely different species, according to scientists who have made a startling discovery that could have widespread implications for biology. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4493 2009-04-21T17:44:00Z 2009-04-21T17:47:12Z Expedition in Philippines uncovers one of the world’s rarest mammals along with possible new species A two week expedition into the North Negros Natural Park (NNNP) in the Philippines has led to several discoveries. In the 80,454 hectare park (nearly 200,000 acres), the expedition found what may be new species of insects and plants, in addition to a frog likely unknown to science. They also discovered evidence of the Visayan spotted deer, considered to be the world’s rarest deer and one of the rarest mammals. The team discovered droppings from the deer, which will be analyzed for food content. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4490 2009-04-21T01:47:00Z 2009-04-21T02:25:45Z New chameleon species named after carbon conservation pioneer A newly discovered species of chameleon from Tanzania has been named after Dorjee Sun, CEO of Carbon Conservation, an outfit which seeks to make rainforest conservation profitable through a carbon market mechanism known as REDD for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4477 2009-04-16T18:00:00Z 2009-04-16T20:07:33Z Extremophiles discovered below Antarctic glacier are remnants of marine life Living in isolation for millions of years, cut off from sunlight and oxygen, surviving by breathing iron beneath an Antarctic glacier—such are the conditions of newly-discovered microbes living under Taylor Glacier in Antarctica’s desert-waste, the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4474 2009-04-15T23:44:00Z 2009-04-16T17:14:26Z New lichen named after Obama A California researcher has named a new species of lichen after President Barack Obama. Kerry Knudsen of the University of California-Riverside (UCR) named the lichen <i>Caloplaca obamae</i>. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4413 2009-03-25T14:46:00Z 2009-03-25T15:29:53Z Photos: Undocumented species discovered in Papua New Guinea <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0325frog150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Colorful jumping spiders, a tiny frog with a "ringing song" and a striped gecko are among more than 50 previously unknown species discovered during a recent survey in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea. More than 600 species were documented during the 2008 expedition, which was led by Conservation International (CI) under its Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4409 2009-03-24T16:19:00Z 2009-03-25T18:12:03Z Ebay bidders to decide new shrimp's name <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/csiro_shrimpy_email_med-2.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A new way to raise conservation funds has captured attention worldwide. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has auctioned the naming rights of a newly discovered species of shimp Ebay. "The shrimp is in the group or genus of shrimps known as Lebbeus, but is awaiting the addition of a unique species name," said Anna McCallum, a Melbourne scientist who discovered the new species in deep waters off the Southwest coast of Australia. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4380 2009-03-18T04:57:00Z 2009-03-18T14:48:37Z Smallest Andean frog discovered in cloud forests of Peru <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/DSC_0541-2.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>At 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) in the Andes herpetologists were surprised to discover a frog so small it could sit on a dime with room to spare. Further study showed that this new species, named Noble's pygmy frog, is the smallest frog in the Andean mountain range. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4371 2009-03-16T01:38:00Z 2009-03-16T01:45:32Z Fastest evolving bird family produces new species Discovered in the Solomon Island of Vanikoro, a new species of bird from the white-eye family leads credence to the belief that white-eyes are the world's fastest evolving family of birds. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4361 2009-03-09T18:14:00Z 2009-03-09T18:18:08Z Seven new species of deep sea coral discovered In the depths of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which surrounds ten Hawaiian islands, scientists discovered seven new species of bamboo coral. Supported by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the discoveries are even more surprising in that six of the seven species may represent entirely new genus of coral. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4300 2009-02-16T03:55:00Z 2009-02-16T04:41:08Z Photos: 13,000 species found in Arctic, Antarctic Oceans <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0216coml150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A marine census has documented more than 13,000 species in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, including several hundred that may be new to science. Conducted over a two-year period under often perilous conditions &#8212; including monster waves and dangerous polar bears &#8212; the series of 18 surveys turned up a wealth of information on the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life. The research will also help establish a baseline for measure changes in polar ecosystems. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4253 2009-02-04T17:25:00Z 2009-02-17T19:07:26Z World’s largest snake discovered: prehistoric serpent was twice the size of an anaconda <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g94/troufs/11973-1.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Paleontologists have recently uncovered the world’s largest snake announces a paper in <i>Nature</i>. Measuring an astonishing 42 to 45 feet, the Titanoboa cerrejonensis makes the anaconda look diminutive. In fact the prehistoric serpent even makes once-ridiculous horror movie snakes appear conservative. "Truly enormous snakes really spark people's imagination, but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood," said Jonathan Bloch, one of the leaders of the party that discovered the prehistoric serpent. "The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie <i>Anaconda</i> is not as big as the one we found." Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4251 2009-02-03T04:28:00Z 2009-02-22T23:43:04Z Photos of new frogs discovered in Colombia <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0203frog150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Ten undescribed species of amphibians &#8212; including nine frog and one salamander &#8212; have been discovered in the mountains of Colombia, report scientists from Conservation International (CI). The "new" amphibians included spiky-skinned, orange-legged rain frog, three poison dart frogs and three glass frogs, named for their transparent skin. The amphibians were discovered during a recent Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition in the Tacarcuna area of the Darien, near the border with Panama. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4249 2009-02-03T02:09:00Z 2009-02-03T19:41:14Z 12 new species of frogs discovered in India <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0202frog150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>A dozen previously unknown species of frogs have been discovered in the forests of Western Ghats according to a paper published in latest issue of <i>Zoological Journal of Linnean Society, London</i>. The 12 species have been identified following a revision of the <i>Philautus</i> genus and are the result of ten years of field study in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. Goa, Maharashtra, and part of Gujarat, in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats are considered a global biodiversity hotspot for their species richness and the threats the mountain range faces. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4173 2009-01-04T08:00:00Z 2009-01-08T09:01:32Z 17 new reptile and amphibian species discovered in Tanzania <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v1976/28/101/24436227877/n24436227877_1134661_3252.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>17 previously unknown species of reptiles and amphibians have been discovered in the rainforests of eastern Tanzania, report Italian and Tanzanian scientists. Conducting surveys of the 'virtually unexplored' forests of the South Nguru Mountains between 2004 and 2006, Michele Menegon of the Natural Science Museum of Trento in Italy and colleagues recorded 92 species of 'herps', of which 17 had never before been documented. The new species &#8212; which include chameleons, tree frogs, and snakes, among others &#8212; are believed to be endemic to the region. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3573 2008-12-22T16:32:00Z 2009-02-21T23:08:21Z Photos: Google Earth used to find new species <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/08/1222chameleon150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Scientists have used Google Earth to find a previously unknown trove of biological diversity in Mozambique, reports the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Scouring satellite images via Google Earth for potential conservation sites at elevations of 1600 meters or more, Julian Bayliss a locally-based conservationist, in 2005 spotted a 7,000-hectare tract of forest on Mount Mabu. The scientifically unexplored forest had previously only been known to villagers. Subsequent expeditions in October and November this year turned up hundreds of species of plants and animals, including some that are new to science. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3565 2008-12-18T21:00:00Z 2008-12-19T01:24:43Z Green-blooded, blue-boned frog discovered in Cambodia <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/08/1218frog150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of frog in Cambodia. The amphibian is unusual in that is has green blood and turquoise-colored bones, a result of its transparent skin and a pigment that may make the species unpalatable to predators, according to Fauna & Flora International (FFI). Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2 2008-12-15T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:05:59Z Photos of new species discovered in the Greater Mekong More than 1,000 previously unknown species have been discovered in the Greater Mekong, a region comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam and the Yunnan Province of China, in the past decade, according to a new report from WWF. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/35 2008-12-04T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:06:14Z TV footage leads to discovery of strange and rare monkey After showing archival TV footage of a critically endangered species of primate to local villagers, conservationists have discovered a previously unknown population of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in a remote forested area of northern Vietnam. The find the offers new hope for the species, which is down to 200 individuals in two of Vietnam's northern-most provinces &#8212; Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3489 2008-11-19T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:53Z Studying world's rarest penguin leads to the discovery of a new species Researching one of the world's most endangered penguins in New Zealand, the yellow-eyed penguin, has led to a remarkable discovery. DNA from 500-year-old penguin fossils has shown that the country was once home to not just one penguin species, but two. The DNA has resurrected an unknown extinct penguin, which researchers have named the Waitaha Penguin. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3493 2008-11-19T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:53Z Photos of living gremlin discovered in Indonesia Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost species of primate on a remote island in Indonesia. Conducting a survey of Mount Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park on the island of Sulawesi, a team led by Sharon Gursky-Doyen of Texas A&M University captured three pygmy tarsiers, a tiny species of primate that was last collected in 1921 and was assumed to be extinct until 2000 when two scientists studying rats accidently trapped and killed an individual. Gursky-Doyen's team spent two months using 276 mist nets to capture the gremlin-like creatures so they could be fitted with radio collars and tracked. One other individual was spotted but eluded capture. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3508 2008-11-14T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:55Z Newly discovered ocean bacteria fixes nitrogen instead of carbon A remarkable species of cyanobacteria possessing a unique nitrogen fixation adaptation has recently been discovered in the open ocean, report researchers writing in the November 14th issue of Science. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3529 2008-11-10T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:00Z New species of flying lemurs discovered A new study has found that colugos or flying lemurs are twice as diverse as previously believed. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3533 2008-11-09T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:00Z Hundreds of rare and bizarre marine species discovered The evolutionary origin of deep sea octopuses, new species populating an underwater "continent", 12,000 amphipods crowding a square meter in the Gulf of Mexico, massive gatherings of white sharks in the middle of the Pacific: these are just a few highlights from the Census of Marine Life (COML)'s fourth report. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3534 2008-11-08T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:01Z New gecko species discovered A previously unknown species of gecko has been discovered in the South Pacific by French scientists, reports the Associated Press. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3363 2008-10-31T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:28Z Two new species of gecko discovered in Australia Two species of gecko have been discovered in the southern deserts of Western Australia and South Australia, report researchers from the Western Australian Museum. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3388 2008-10-23T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:34Z Rare bird rediscovered on 'most pristine' island in southeast Asia Scientist have rediscovered the endangered Wetar Ground-dove (<i>Gallicolumba hoedtii</i>), one of the world's least known birds, 100 years after it was last seen on the remote Indonesian island of Wetar, reports Columbidae Conservation, a UK-based conservation group. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3392 2008-10-22T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:34Z 7 new species of frog discovered in Ecuador Seven previously unknown species of frog discovered over the past two years by Ecuadorian researchers are already under threat from habitat loss, reports a newsletter from the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3411 2008-10-16T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:39Z What is the world's longest insect? The Natural History Museum of London has revealed the world's longest insect to be <i>Phobaeticus chani</i>, a stick insect from the rainforest of Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3435 2008-10-10T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:43Z 'Lost' deer species discovered after 78 years in Sumatra A rare species of deer has been rediscovered in Sumatra 78 years after it was last sighted, reports Fauna &amp; Flora International. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3472 2008-10-01T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:49Z Good news for amphibians: three new species and one "extinct" frog discovered Amphibians have received a lot of bleak news recently. Last week a report from the Zoological Society of London and EDGE stated that 50 percent of Europe&rsquo;s amphibians will go extinct by 2050 unless more is done for their conservation. Meanwhile a report published in August found that one in three amphibians worldwide are threatened with extinction, while 200 species have already been lost since the 1980s. Therefore the discovery of three new frog species and the rediscovery of one thought to be extinct provide a little respite from such bad tidings. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3302 2008-09-19T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:15Z Unknown but critically endangered iguana species discovered in Fiji Researchers have discovered a third species of iguana in the Fiji. It is believed to be critically endangered, with a population of a "few hundred". Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3303 2008-09-19T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:15Z 100 new species of sharks and rays discovered in Australia Scientists have described 100 new species of sharks and rays in the seas around Australia. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3203 2008-08-23T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:52Z New bird species discovered in rainforest of Gabon DNA analysis has revealed a previously unknown species of bird in the Central African country of Gabon. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3213 2008-08-21T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:53Z DNA study reveals new 1,000-pound grouper species DNA analysis has revealed that a 1,000-pound grouper found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is actually two different species. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3271 2008-08-03T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:08Z Scientists discover world's smallest snake species If one wanted to overcome their fear of snakes, they may want to start with the newly discovered Leptotyphlops carlae. Measuring less than four inches long, even stretched out this new species of threadsnake can't compete with the average pen or pencil. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3099 2008-07-29T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:32Z Researchers discover "artistic" moth in Panama Researchers have discovered a new species of Bagworm Moth that wraps its eggs individually in "beautiful cases" fashioned from its golden abdominal hairs, according to a new paper published in the <i>Annals of the Entomology Society of America</i>. The behavior is unique among insects. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3104 2008-07-28T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:33Z Newly discovered monkey is critically endangered by logging, poaching A newly discovered species of monkey may already be threatened with extinction, according to a study published in the journal <i>Oryx</i>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3109 2008-07-25T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:33Z Monster manta ray species discovered Researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of manta ray. Previously there was believed to be only a single species of ray but genetic analysis now shows there are at least two, and possibly three, species. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3120 2008-07-22T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:35Z Population of critically endangered lemurs discovered in Madagascar Scientists in Madagascar have discovered a population of greater bamboo lemurs (<i>Prolemur simus</i>), a critically endangered species of primate, in an area more than 400 kilometers away from its only known refuge, reports conservation International. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3123 2008-07-21T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:36Z 600 species of mushrooms discovered in Guyana In six plots of Guyanese rainforest, measuring only a hundred square meters each, scientists have discovered an astounding 1200 species of macrofungi, commonly known as mushrooms. Even more surprising: they believe over 600 of these are new to science &#8212; that's equivalent to a new species every square meter. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3141 2008-07-14T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:39Z Tiny lemur species discovered in Madagascar Researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of mouse lemur on the island of Madagascar. The find brings the global number of mouse lemurs to 16. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3180 2008-07-01T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:48Z Census of marine life opens with 122,000 species Discovering a new species can be the highlight of a biologist's career. Yet once a species enters the formal literature, complications may develop. The systen has been especially problematic because for centuries biologists have lacked the tools to construct a full and flexible list of the world's innumerable species. Using the Internet and hundreds of scientists around the world, the Census of Marine Life is attempting to take on this monumental task. Rhett Butler