Long-tailed mammal with ‘facial mask' caught in trap in Peru. It's a new species
Scientists checked their trap — and discovered a new species waiting inside.
A team of researchers visited Abiseo River National Park in 2018 and set up a pitfall trap near an archaeology site. The group suspected the 'long-neglected region' had more diverse wildlife than currently known, according to a study published June 19 in the peer-reviewed journal American Museum Novitates.
When the team checked one of its traps, it found an unfamiliar-looking small mammal, the study said.
Researchers immediately recognized the animal as a mouse opossum, a group of marsupials native to the Americas, but 'were impressed by its slender and long (snout)!' study co-author Pamela Sánchez-Vendizú told McClatchy News via email.
Intrigued, the scientists took a closer look at the opossum, analyzed its DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Marmosa chachapoya, or the Chachapoyas mouse opossum.
The Chachapoyas mouse opossum can reach over 10 inches in length, the study said. Its head has a 'remarkably narrow and long' snout and a 'blackish facial mask.' Its hands and feet are 'densely covered by pale-yellow hairs,' and its tail is 'much longer' than its body.
Photos show the 'reddish brown' coloring of the new species.
Generally, mouse opossums 'are primarily insectivorous, but they also eat small fruits and small vertebrates (such as) frogs, mice (and) baby birds,' study co-author Robert Voss told McClatchy News via email. 'They primarily climb in trees, aided by their prehensile feet and tail. They are exclusively nocturnal.'
'The new species was captured at a much higher altitude than most other species' of mouse opossum, Voss said. Still, much about its lifestyle and behavior remains unknown.
The Chachapoyas mouse opossum 'seems to be a rare species,' Sánchez-Vendizú said.
So far, only one specimen of the new species has been found at the Abiseo River National Park in the Andes Mountains of northern Peru, a roughly 580-mile drive northeast from Lima.
Researchers said they named the new species Chachapoyas after the indigenous and pre-Incan culture 'that formerly occupied the cloud forests of northern Peru.'
'The Andes remain very poorly explored for small, secretive animal species,' Voss said.
'The discovery of our new species underscores the need for continued biological exploration in this region,' Sánchez-Vendizú said.
The new species was identified by its snout and skull shape, claws, tail, teeth and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had 'almost 8%' genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Silvia Pavan, Edson Abreu, Sánchez-Vendizú and Voss.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Whales and dolphins have an ‘intriguing' relationship, study finds. What to know
The relationship between whales and dolphins has long been shrouded in mystery. But, new research reveals that — despite their vast difference in size — these marine mammals often enjoy playful interactions, much like a Great Dane romping with a Chihuahua. Scientists at Griffith University in Australia came to this conclusion by analyzing dozens of interspecies encounters from around the world, according to a study published on Aug. 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Discover Animals. 'It is clear such interactions happen much more often than we previously thought,' Olaf Meynecke, one of the study authors, told McClatchy News. 'These interactions cannot be underestimated and may well play a part in the well-being of whales and dolphins.' The study reviewed 199 separate exchanges between 19 different species of dolphins and baleen whales captured in videos and photos. These interchanges took place off the coast of 17 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. They were then categorized by behavior, including jumps, belly rolls, tail slaps, bow riding and even petting. Humpback whales were involved in the majority of the encounters, participating in 68% of them, while bottlenose dolphins took part in 51%. In both types of marine mammals, adults accounted for most of the activity. 'There were a number of surprising interactions,' Meynecke said. The most frequent interactions involved dolphins positioning themselves near whales' heads — a behavior similar to bow riding — which could be understood as an efficient and playful mode of movement for dolphins. Each whale species also tended to interact with dolphins in their own unique way. For example, humpbacks gestured with their pectoral fins toward dolphins on 172 occasions. They also showed off their undersides 141 times. Meanwhile, grey whales rolled in the presence of dolphins 56 times, and southern right whales slapped their pectoral fins on five occasions. Researchers also obtained two videos recorded from cameras situated on the animals, which revealed some noteworthy encounters. In both instances, dolphins could be seen accompanying whales to the bottom of the ocean, paying close attention to each other and maintaining eye contact. Meynecke said it 'certainly was very interesting to see that dolphins continue their behaviour below the surface, following the whales all the way to the bottom in close proximity with the head turned towards the whales head.' In total, 25% of the interactions were described as positive and mutual exchanges. 'There have been enough events documented that showed positive interaction on both sides, that we can say there is a something both species get out of this,' Meynecke said. Play behavior could allow for sensory stimulation, help the animals develop relationships and contribute to their well-being. Creativity — a characteristic of intelligent species — could also be driving this behavior. Still, though, not all of the interactions were positive. 'Whales (clearly) show avoidance behaviour such as tail slaps or moving away from the dolphins if they don't want the interaction,' Meynecke said. Further study is required to better understand the complex interspecies dynamics between whales and dolphins, researchers concluded. 'Having the opportunity to document these observations and observe some of the behavioural patterns like bow riding by dolphins and close touches was intriguing,' Olivia Crawley, the other study author, said in a university news release. 'I hope that this study can serve as a foundation for future studies.'
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
‘Curious' octopus takes diver's camera and films ‘one-of-a-kind view' in Canada
Plunging into the chilly waters off the western coast of Canada, a pair of scuba divers swam along the seafloor near an octopus. The 'curious' animal eventually approached them and briefly took one of their cameras, filming an 'incredible, one-of-a-kind view' in the process. John Roney and Chris Mullen, underwater videographers and longtime dive buddies, decided to go scuba diving off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island on Aug. 5, Roney told McClatchy News via email on Aug. 12. Early on, they 'spotted this giant pacific octopus, about three metres (about 10 feet) arm to arm, resting under a ledge,' Roney said. 'At first it kept to itself, but as we passed by again on our way back to shore, it began walking alongside us before reaching out an arm toward my camera. Then it lunged and wrapped its arms around (the camera), so I just let go and allowed it to take over.' 'I had left the camera running, and as (the octopus) engulfed it and explored it with its suckers, it gave us this incredible, one-of-a-kind view from inside its arms,' Roney said. Nearby, Mullen recorded the interaction. Video footage shows the giant Pacific octopus grabbing the camera and its reddish body covering more and more of the contraption. In the clips filmed by the animal, its suckers are clearly visible, moving around near the lens. 'Octopuses use their suckers to both taste and gather information about their surroundings, so every movement was part of it investigating this strange new object,' Roney said. The octopus kept the camera for about five minutes before turning it off and letting go of it, Roney said. The pair started to leave, but the octopus 'had other plans,' Roney said. 'It drifted toward Chris, reached for his camera, and then wrapped a few arms around him. Octopus hug! At one point, an arm was exploring Chris's mask as he looked over at me with this perfect expression of surprise and awe.' Giant Pacific octopuses are 'such curious, intelligent animals, and each one has its own personality,' Roney said. 'Moments like these are why we dive,' Roney told McClatchy News. 'It was thrilling in the moment, and as soon as we broke the surface my main thought was, 'I cannot wait to get back in the water.'' Vancouver Island is off the western coast of Canada and near the border with the United States.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
Planet Parade: See Venus And Jupiter Shine As A ‘Double Star' On Tuesday
The two brightest planets to the naked eye, Venus and Jupiter, will pass to within a degree of each other in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, Aug. 12, as part of a 'planet parade' — mistakenly called a planetary alignment by some — in an August edition of what happened back in February. The planetary views come just as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. Venus and Jupiter will pass within a degree of each other in the pre-dawn night sky on Monday, Aug. 12. getty The current planet parade, which started around Aug. 10 and will continue through most of the month, features Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — though the latter two gas giant planets are too dim and distant to be seen with the naked eye. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 12, Venu and Jupiter, shining at magnitudes -4.0 and -1.9, respectively, will appear to be 0.9 degrees from each other in what astronomers call an appulse or close conjunction. The planet parade — and the conjunction — will be best seen about two or three hours before sunrise, with the planets' rise times depending on location. The best advice is to find a location with an unobstructed eastern horizon and look to the east-northeast horizon. There is no need for binoculars or a telescope. The Perseid meteor shower will peak overnight on Aug. 12/13, though the presence of a bright moon will likely lessen its up to 75 'shooting stars' per hour. According to The Planetary Society, a planetary conjunction is when two or more planets appear close together from our perspective on Earth, such as the view of Venus and Jupiter. However, a planetary conjunction can also include the moon, so you may hear about a conjunction between the moon and Venus, or the moon and Jupiter. However, it's essential to recognize that a conjunction is a line-of-sight illusion, where objects appear to be close together in the sky. In reality, the planets and the moon are many millions of miles apart. What Is A Planet Parade? Planet parades — though not an astronomical term — happen when several solar system planets appear close together in the sky from our point of view on Earth, according to the BBC Sky At Night. Again, it's an illusion, and inevitable at some point given that the planets orbit the sun from different distances, but on the same plane of the solar system — the ecliptic. Since Neptune and Uranus are very dim and impossible to see with the naked eye, only Saturn, Jupiter and Mars of the outer planets can be seen in the middle of the night. Venus and Mercury, which orbit close to the sun, can only ever be seen close to sunrise or sunset, which is why planet arcs always happen just before sunrise or just after sunset, when one or both of the inner planets are visible. When you're outside looking for Venus and Saturn, you likely won't have a problem. After all, Venus and Saturn will be very bright. However, Mercury and Saturn are harder to discern from stars. The key thing to remember is that planets don't twinkle like stars — they shine with a steady light. That's because they have a much larger apparent size than stars, and because they're much closer. Further Reading Forbes How To Easily Find The 'Northern Cross' In The Sky This Weekend By Jamie Carter Forbes Strange New Object Found In Solar System 'Dancing' With Neptune By Jamie Carter Forbes See The Perseid Meteor Shower Now Before It Peaks, Experts Say By Jamie Carter
