František Vejmělka
On our planet, over two million animal species have been documented – so you’d be forgiven for thinking we know of all the creatures that surround us by now.
But the real truth is that we’ve only really brushed the surface, with scientists believing that there could be millions more that haven’t yet been inscribed into our encyclopaedias, databases, and history books.
In fact, thousands of new species are documented every year, and recently a Czech researcher named František Vejmělka became the latest person to fully detail a new creature for the first time.
And the animal he discovered is quite astounding.
František Vejmělka
During a six-month long expedition to New Guinea, Vejmělka worked with local tribes and indigenous hunters to track down native species that may not yet have been documented, due to their elusive behaviors and the challenging terrain within which they live.
His biggest success? The Subalpine Woolly Rat (Mallomys istapantap), which he has now officially documented for the first time, with his findings published in the journal Mammalia.
This incredible creature is one of our planet’s largest rodents, with a length of 85cm and a weight of up to 2kg.
The massive rat was known to researchers, thanks to a few specimens in museums around the world, but it has never before been photographed in its natural habitat. That’s all because the big shaggy-haired rat lives in grasslands and forests at around 3,700 meters above sea level.
František Vejmělka
Now, as he explains in a statement, the vital information about this elusive species has been entered into scientific knowledge thanks to Vejmělka’s work and the local support he received:
“If it weren’t for the indigenous hunters who accompanied me in the mountains and helped me locate the animals, I would never have been able to collect this data. It’s astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied. How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?”
Thanks to the knowledge of local experts, Vejmělka – a doctoral candidate studying at the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia – was able to scale mountains, including Mount Wilhelm which at 4,509 meters is Papua New Guinea’s highest peak.
As well as the woolly rats, which hide in burrows and trees during the day and only come out at night, adding to their elusive nature, Vejmělka documented a total of 61 non-flying mammals along the route.
As we seek to protect our planet’s incredible ecosystems and biodiversity, work like this is both fascinating and vital.
Thought that was fascinating? Here’s another story you might like: Why You’ll Never See A Great White Shark In An Aquarium
Categories: ANIMALS, SCI/TECH
Tags: · animals, mammal, mount wilhelm, new guinea, new species, nocturnal animals, papua new guinea, rat, rodent, science, single topic, top, unknown species