‘Eyeless' animals and ‘fairy' creatures: See this week's new species discoveries
Unique creatures, odd animals and new species are being discovered across the planet. Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.
Learn more about some recent new species discoveries:
In the dark waters of an underground river in southeastern China, researchers discovered the Wanlan cavefish, a new species with a 'large hump' and 'eyeless' appearance. This golden-brown fish was found in Guizhou Province and is named after the town of Wanlan where it was first discovered. | Published July 28 | Read More |
Off the coast of Tokyo, the deep-sea submersible Shinkai 6500 discovered a new species of limpet, Bathylepeta wadatsumi, at depths of over 19,000 feet. Named after the god of the sea from Japanese mythology, this 'mythical' creature was found attached to volcanic rock, marking the deepest discovery of this animal group. | Published July 28 | Read More |
In a shallow roadside pond in India's Western Ghats, researchers found a new species of 'fairy shrimp' named Streptocephalus warliae. This ethereal creature, known for its upside-down swimming, was discovered on the Jawahar plateau and is named in honor of the indigenous Warli tribe. | Published July 28 | Read More |
In the forests of Madagascar, researchers discovered the Arne Hartig dwarf gecko, Lygodactylus arnei, distinguished by its vibrant orange belly. Found in Baie De Baly National Park, this arboreal gecko is named after wildlife photographer Arne Hartig for his contributions to gecko exploration. | Published July 30 | Read More |
In the forests of French Guiana, researchers identified Pristimantis fouqueti, a new species of rain frog known for its color-changing ability and 'high-pitched' calls. Found in the tree canopies, this frog is named after Antoine Fouquet for his contributions to amphibian systematics. | Published July 31 | Read More |
McClatchy News continues to follow rare animals, new behaviors and even new species. Check back for the latest stories.
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Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Miami Herald
‘Dwarf'-like creature found sleeping near Madagascar hotel. It's a new species
As darkness stretched across Madagascar, a 'dwarf'-like creature settled on a tree branch near a hotel and fell asleep. But the night wouldn't be restful. Something about the animal caught the attention of passing scientists — and for good reason. It turned out to be a new species. A team of researchers visited Anjajavy Lodge in March 2023 to survey its wildlife as part of a larger project to classify some 'cryptic'-looking lizards, according to a study published July 23 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. During their visit, researchers searched the 'forest covering the lodge perimeter' and found several tiny lizards, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals, tracked down a few similar-looking archive specimens and analyzed their DNA. A pattern emerged: These lizards were subtly but consistently different from any known species, the study said. Researchers realized they'd discovered a new species: Lygodactylus anjajavy, or the Anjajavy dwarf gecko. Anjajavy dwarf geckos can reach about 2.5 inches long, researchers said. Photos show the brown-gray coloring of the new species. Some geckos have dark brown-black bands running along their sides, while others have a more marbled-looking pattern. Anjajavy dwarf geckos were found 'most often on tree trunks or sleeping at night on the tip of thin branches,' the study said. Researchers said they named the new species after Anjajavy Lodge because of where it was first discovered and 'in recognition of the support the hotel provided to our research.' A video shared on Facebook by the hotel shows its treehouse-like cabins, beach and surrounding nature reserve. 'It is a profound privilege to see our name forever linked to such rare and remarkable biodiversity,' the hotel wrote in a July 30 Facebook post. So far, Anjajavy dwarf geckos have been found at three sites near the northwestern coast of Madagascar, the study said. Based on this 'rather scattered' distribution and the 'general' threat of habitat loss, researchers considered the new species to be 'at least Vulnerable, if not Endangered.' The new species was identified by its DNA, scale pattern, texture, body proportions and other subtle physical features, the study said. The research team included Miguel Vences, Cecilia Herrmann, Malte Multzsch, Sven Gippner, Delina Razafimanafo, Ny Ando Rahagalala, Sandratra Rakotomanga, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Frank Glaw and Aurélien Miralles. The team also discovered two more new species of dwarf gecko: Lygodactylus arnei and Lygodactylus andavambato.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
SpaceX delivers four astronauts to the International Space Station just 15 hours after launch
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CNBC
2 days ago
- CNBC
SpaceX delivers four astronauts to the International Space Station just 15 hours after launch
SpaceX delivered a fresh crew to the International Space Station on Saturday, making the trip in a quick 15 hours. The four U.S., Russian and Japanese astronauts pulled up in their SpaceX capsule after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They will spend at least six months at the orbiting lab, swapping places with colleagues up there since March. SpaceX will bring those four back as early as Wednesday. Moving in are NASA's Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov — each of whom had been originally assigned to other missions. "Hello, space station!" Fincke radioed as soon as the capsule docked high above the South Pacific. Cardman and another astronaut were pulled from a SpaceX flight last year to make room for NASA's two stuck astronauts, Boeing Starliner test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose space station stay went from one week to more than nine months. Fincke and Yui had been training for the next Starliner mission. But with Starliner grounded by thruster and other problems until 2026, the two switched to SpaceX. Platonov was bumped from the Soyuz launch lineup a couple of years ago because of an undisclosed illness. Their arrival temporarily puts the space station population at 11. "It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time," Cardman said once on board. While their taxi flight was speedy by U.S. standards, the Russians hold the record for the fastest trip to the space station — a lightning-fast three hours.
