Photo by Robert Coffan – The Psathyrella aquatica mushroom, pictured above, was recently discovered by scientists in the Rogue Valley, Oregon. The Southern Oregon University environmental studies and biology faculty will share their discovery of a new species of mushroom that grows underwater – the first of its kind – in a presentation tomorrow in Ashland, Oregon. The new species is called Psathyrella aquatica. The multimedia presentation will be given by Robert Coffan, adjunct professor of environmental studies; Jonathan Frank, biology research technician; and Darlene Southworth, professor emerita, biology. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. with refreshments, and the presentation [...]
Rat-Eating Plant Discovered
Nepenthes tenax Here is another one for your cryptobotany file! It is not a cow-eating tree from India – (as per here, here, and here) – , but a rat-eating pitcher plant from Australia. A rare new species of plant that eats small rats has been discovered at the tip of Cape York. Pitcher plants, otherwise known as flesh-eating plants, grow throughout Cape York but now a new, larger species that grows like a vine has been discovered. The new species has been called “Tenax”. James Cook University ecologist Charles Clarke and a colleague found the new species at a [...]
Four New Geckos Discovered
United Press International is crediting the Vietnam News Agency with reporting from Long Xuyen, Vietnam, that herpetologists have discovered four new species of geckos in isolated mountains and islands in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. L. Lee Grismer with La Sierra University in the United States and Ngo Van Tri from Vietnam’s Institute of Tropical Biology published their 2007 findings in the journal Herpetologica. The reptiles are of the genus Cnemaspis and have the species names caudanivea, auranticopes, nuicamensis and tucdupensis. The geckos’ length ranges from about 4-6 inches from head to tail. The first gecko of this species in [...]
New Shrub Frog Discovered
The tiny shrub frog (Philautus ochlandrae) lives in bamboo hollows. This new species of shrub frog from the Western Ghats adds its name to the growing list of frogs discovered recently. The latest is a tiny oriental shrub frog, named Philautus ochlandrae, discovered in the cool evergreen forests of the Kakkayam Reserve Forest in Kerala, India. The squat little amphibian does not grow beyond 2.5 cm, has a short rounded snout and protruding eyes with striking golden yellow markings. With this, the number of frog species discovered in the last seven years in India stands at 25. The discovery was [...]
New Moray Eel Surprise Discovery
According to Zootaxa (Smith et al., 2008), a new species of moray eel, Gymnothorax baranesi has been discovered in the most surprising of locations: in relatively shallow water in front of a major marine laboratory. This finding of the new species took place in a well-studied area in front of the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat (IUI). These specimens were collected from a depth of approximately 200 metres off Eilat, in the northern Red Sea. They could not be identified with any known species. It indicates to those who found it how much we still have to learn [...]
New Monster Palm Discovered
New findings are everywhere, sometimes even when you happen to be on picnic! The palm will be called Tahina spectabilis which is Malagasy for blessed or to be protected. Tahina is the name of one of the discoverer Xavier Metz’s daughters. The most important new species of palm for 50 years has been discovered by a family picnicking in the jungle. Tahina spectabilis soars 60ft (18m) as it puts out millions of flowers in a spectacular last hurrah that kills it. Despite its size it escaped detection until Xavier Metz, a plantation owner, took his family for a picnic in [...]
New Uakari Monkey Discovered
A photo of the new discovery is unavailable to date, but this example of Cacajao calvus rubicundus, the bald uakari is typical of the uakaris. Photo credit: Roy Fontaine. The New Scientist of January 16, 2008 reports the discovery of a new uakai monkey living in north-western Amazonia, which belongs to a species unknown to science until recently. It is now named Cacajao ayresii in honor of Brazilian biologist Marcio Ayres, who pioneered field studies on uakaris. The new species has a very restricted distribution, says Jean-Philippe Boubli of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who describes it in a [...]
Giant Fossil Rodent Discovered
Along with other media outlets, The Times of London, through environment reporter Lewis Smith, is noting for January 16, 2008, the details of what is being characterized as a “giant rat” fossil find in South America. The skull of the rodent is 53cm long. The creature had huge incisors that may have been used for felling trees or fighting. Reconstruction of the largest fossil rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi. The fossilised skull of a rat the size of a car has been unearthed. The creature lived about four million years ago, weighed about a tonne and ate mostly soft vegetation. It was [...]
Ten New Anoles and Salamanders Discovered
A total of ten new herpetology species have been announced from the Central American highlands in recent months, through new 2008 papers. Discussion of three of the new salamanders previously took place here, at Cryptomundo. Today, five images of four of the six new anoles and one new salamander are shared. Anolis pseudopachypus Anolis pseudokemptoni Anolis gruuo Anolis datzorum Oedipina fortunensis, a new salamander. A new 2008 paper in Herpetologica has announced and described the discovery of new anoles and new salamander species several months ago. Four of the new anoles were found in the Serrania de Tabasara, Panamanian highlands [...]
Green Pigeon: New Singapore Species?
A recent new find in Asia must be understood in the larger context of how the birding community discusses “new species.” Not all talk of “new discoveries” of birds are of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker variety or level of effort, but most are of the talk of ranges, new life list records, and interlopers. As a heads-up to how insiders in birding “see the world,” there are ongoing discussions of when “new species” appear in areas they have not been seen before. This has nothing to do with the discovery of “new species,” per se, but does sometimes generate a bit [...]
Follow CryptoZooNews
Not Found
The resource could not be found.