Thursday, October 7, 2010

Papua New Guinea's Newly Discovered Species

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Papua New Guinea's Newly Discovered Species
A group of scientists discover 200 new species of frogs, rodents, and other critters

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Feather-tailed
Not much is known of this furry critter, who was previously seen in 1985, but whose distinction from other species has only recently established. It still remains unnamed.

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Bright
With a coloring pattern that varies considerably, these frogs are extremely difficult to spot in foliage in Papua New Guinea's Muller Range Mountains. Males make a soft ticking sound to attract mates nearby.

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Pink-eyed
This group of leaf katydids are relatively unstudied and very little is known about them so far. Scientists believe that they feed on flowers found high in the trees of the forest.

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First-of-its-Kind
The dark emerald coloration of this new species of Mossula is unique and has never been observed in other katydids.

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Loud and Clear
Living 30 meters above the ground in the forest canopy, this large bright green frog was more often heard than seen. The males make a loud croaking sound that can be heard during the night.

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Furry Rodent
Although this montane mouse resembles the prehensile-tailed tree mice of Papua New Guinea, it has been discovered to have no close relatives and represents a new genus.

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Bugging Out
This spider is one in four new species of Anelosimus.

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Adaptable
This ant species holds the record for the highest altitude for an ant in Papua New Guinea. They are able to live in both wet and cold conditions partly because they move slowly and have a slow metabolism that allows them to survive on a minimal food supply.

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Tree-huggers
Found only in the highest elevations of the Nakanai Mountians, this species of frog is unlike many others in that they lay their eggs on land or in trees and hatch into frogs without ever becoming a tadpole.
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Big-headed
The large major of this type of spiny ant, right, has a much larger head than that of the workers, left. Their powerful mandibles are used to crush food that workers bring back to the nest.

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