Australian spider named for world champion surfer
Australian Mick Fanning is a three-time world champion surfer, and now he has another accolade to his name: an eponymous spider species. Pisauridae mickfanningi is a newly discovered species of…
Extremely rare cobra lily rediscovered in India
Naturalists in India have rediscovered a rare flowering plant -- Arisaema translucens -- after nearly 80 years. Botanist Edward Barnes first collected this plant in 1932 from the Nilgiri mountains in southern India. The…
50 new spiders discovered in Australia
A two-week expedition in Australia's Cape York Peninsula has uncovered 50 new species of spiders. The expedition, which identified spiders ranging from tarantulas as big as a human face to ant-mimicking…
Extremely rare bay cat filmed in Borneo
Scientists have filmed the extremely secretive bay cat (Catopuma badia) in a new location that is about 64 kilometers (40 miles) outside its currently known distribution range in Borneo. The…
Scientists rediscover ‘lost’ monitor lizard in Papua New Guinea
On an island in Papua New Guinea, scientists say they have rediscovered a species of monitor lizard thought to be "lost" to science since the 1800s. The medium-sized lizard was…
Two new species of tarsier, rumored to be inspiration for Yoda, announced on Star Wars Day
Just in time for Star Wars Day (May the 4th — get it?) comes the announcement of the discovery of two new species of tarsier, the diminutive but surprisingly capable…
Skin slime of Indian frog can kill flu virus
Scientists have discovered anti-flu molecules in an Indian frog's skin secretions. The slimy mucus of the brightly colored wide-spread Fungoid Frog (Hydrophylax bahuvistara) contains molecules that normally protect the frogs…
New genus created for arboreal toads in Indonesia
A group of researchers in Indonesia has created a new genus of arboreal toad to fit what they say are two new species, according to a recent article in the…
New leaf-nosed bat uncovered amidst burning habitat in Venezuela
Scientists have uncovered a new species of bat in the mountains of Venezuela and Colombia. But its forest habitat is under big threat from slash-and-burn agriculture, and its discoverers are…
New species of wild ginger discovered in DR Congo
In a remote mountainous rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), scientists have discovered a new species of wild ginger. The newly described plant -- discovered on the…
Two new clown tree frogs discovered in the Amazon
Two new species of clown tree frogs have been discovered in the Amazonian rainforests of Bolivia and Peru. Clown frogs are widespread throughout the Amazon region and get their name…
New ‘stone’ frog discovered in Vietnam
In the rugged limestone hills of northern Vietnam, scientists have discovered a new species of frog that looks like a small piece of rock. Researchers have named it the stone leaf-litter…
Short film takes you into the Amazon with researcher who discovered a new frog species
Biologist Jennifer Serrano was in the Amazonian rainforests of the Manú Biosphere Reserve in southeast Peru one night a few years ago when she came across a poison dart frog…
Audio: Meet the ‘Almost Famous Animals’ that deserve more conservation recognition
On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, we welcome Mongabay contributing editor Glenn Scherer to the program. Glenn is responsible for Mongabay’s “Almost Famous Animals” series, which just wrapped up…
What the geckos are telling us: new species point to conservation needs
Within the seemingly boundless Mysore Plateau of southern India, the newly-discovered Bangalore geckoella (Cyrtodactylus srilekhae) and Rishi Valley geckoella (Cyrtodactylus rishivalleyensis) pace – centred, unhurried, and only prone to flurries…
7 new frogs discovered in India, some smaller than a thumbnail
Indian scientists have discovered seven new species of frogs in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity-rich mountain range in India. All the newly described species belong to the genus Nyctibatrachus, commonly known as…
This new primate is a ‘giant’ among tiny bush babies
In the forests of north-western Angola, scientists have discovered a new species of primate -- a greyish-brown dwarf galago or bushbaby, larger than all previously known dwarf galagos. The newly…
Audio: Naomi Oreskes on what stories we can’t let get lost in the noise of 2017 and why scientists should speak up
Normally we’re focused on international conservation and environmental science news here at the Mongabay Newscast, just as our reporting on Mongabay.com is. But because there's so much uncertainty around the…
Newly discovered gecko loses scales in ‘really bizarre’ behavior
When at risk, go naked. At least that’s the defense strategy of a newly described species of gecko that can shed its scales in the face – or in this…
Newly discovered beetle catches a ride on the backs of army ants to get around
Dr. Christoph von Beeren of Germany’s Technical University Darmstadt was collecting “ant guests” during the nightly emigration of an army ant colony at La Selva Biological Station, a lowland Atlantic…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- In Cambodia, a rare acquittal in a climate of danger for green activists
- On Peru’s border, the Tikuna tribe takes on illegal coca growers
- Peru: Invaders claim their first victim at the Macuya Forest Investigation Center
Indonesias forest guardians
- Indigenous Iban community defends rainforests, but awaits lands rights recognition
- On the island of Java, a social forestry scheme creates jobs at home
- In Indonesia, bigger catches for a fishing village protecting its mangroves
Amazon infrastructure
- Yanomami Amazon reserve invaded by 20,000 miners; Bolsonaro fails to act
- Amazon infrastructure puts 68% of indigenous lands / protected areas at risk: report
- Amazon fish kill at Sinop spotlights risk from 80+ Tapajós basin dams
Asian rhinos
- Is the rhino horn trade a cartel? Economic analysis suggests it works like one
- Indonesia agrees to attempt Sumatran rhino IVF with eggs from Malaysia
- When it comes to captive breeding, not all Sumatran rhinos are equal
