Imagine walking through the wetlands of Madagascar and accidentally happening upon an entirely new species of animal. I came upon this article on BBC.com and was intrigued by the notion of a brand new creature being discovered in 2010. Upon further reading I learned that this new species, called Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli), is a mongoose like animal that most likely feeds on fish or small mammals. That fact titillates scientists because that is a very unusual diet for a mongoose, which is one of the reasons they know it is a new species. The scientists also compared this creature to the closest relative they could find, the brown-tailed vontsira.
"In addition, we found obvious differences in the structure of the skull and teeth... the size and shape of the pads on the paws clearly distinguished this animal from the brown-tailed vontsira, which is a forest-dwelling animal found in eastern Madagascar. It was indeed a distinct new species and the specimen we have in the museum is now recognised as the holotype (the specimen from which the species takes its name) so it is available to scientists for research in the future."
Madagascar is a hot spot for new species. Durrell's vontsira is the fourth new species found in the area since 2006. Unfortunately, it like many other of the new species, has been classified as endangered. It seems the wetlands that it inhabits has been greatly affected by pollution. However, this is most definitely a story worth following up on.
If you want to learn more, check out these sites:
The BBC article
Durrell's Wildlife Conservation Site
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Posted by: Vuzmal (Meesha) Sharma
That's really cool! I'm surprised that this is the 4th new mammal species found since 2006. Do you think these new discoveries will have any effect on the preservation efforts of this area?
ReplyDelete-Jane de Verges
It’s scary to think that some of these species might be gone before we even have a chance to discover them. Do researchers know (or are there any efforts being made to see) whether this species exists in places other than just Madagascar?
ReplyDeletePosted by Katie Kalutkiewicz
Jane, you brought up an interesting point. I would hope that this would lead to conservation efforts. Which lead into your point Katie, it is so sad to think that before we even get to know these creatures they may be gone.
ReplyDeleteIt is also very humbling to know that we are so far from knowing all this planet has to offer. Hopefully our curiosity will lead to compassion and efforts will be made to preserve life.