Another huge freshwater stingray landed on the Maeklong River in Thailand

Dr. Ian Welch, a freshwater biologist, had been visiting Thailand in conjunction with the National Geographic Society to help with a stingray tagging programme, when he landed the fish on the Maeklong River. Dr Welch and the Fishsiam team, who are also helping with the research, landed this extraordinary fish on 28th January on the Maeklong River whilst filming a documentary with the Dr. Zeb Hogan and the National Geographic Society about "Megafishes". The fish was estimated by scientists present at the capture to weigh an extraordinary 265+ kilograms.

The fish was observed to be pregnant and was released soon after capture.

The expedition also involved a research project given official approval by the Thai authorities to tag Giant freshwater stingray and monitor stingray populations in both the Ban Pakong and Maeklong Rivers.

Further Information About the Giant Freshwater Stingray
Dr Terry Bertozi, of the Evolutionary Biology Unit of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, Australia, contacted Wildlife Extra concerning these amazing stingrays, and is now working with FishSiam on a small research project to determine whether these are the same species of stingray found in the rivers of Northern Australia.

Indonesia's psychedelic fish named a new species

A funky, psychedelic fish that bounces on the ocean floor like a rubber ball has been classified as a new species, a scientific journal reported. The frogfish — which has a swirl of tan and peach zebra stripes that extend from its aqua eyes to its tail — was initially discovered by scuba diving instructors working for a tour operator a year ago in shallow waters off Ambon island in eastern Indonesia.

The operator contacted Ted Pietsch, lead author of a paper published in this month's edition of Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, who submitted DNA work identifying it as a new species.

The fish — which the University of Washington professor has named "psychedelica" — is a member of the antennariid genus, Histiophryne, and like other frogfish, has fins on both sides of its body that have evolved to be leg-like.

But it has several behavioral traits not previously known to the others, Pietsch wrote.

Each time the fish strike the seabed, for instance, they push off with their fins and expel water from tiny gill openings to jet themselves forward. That, and an off-centered tail, causes them to bounce around in a bizarre, chaotic manner.

Mark Erdman, a senior adviser to the Conservation International's marine program, said Thursday it was an exciting discovery.

"I think people thought frogfishes were relatively well known and to get a new one like this is really quiet spectacular. ... It's a stunning animal," he said, adding that the fish's stripes were probably intended to mimic coral.

"It also speaks to the tremendous diversity in this region and to fact that there are still a lot of unknowns here — in Indonesia and in the Coral Triangle in general."

The fish, which has a gelatinous fist-sized body covered with thick folds of skin that protect it from sharp-edged corals, also has a flat face with eyes directed forward, like humans, and a huge, yawning mouth.

Kakapo population edging towards 100, may reach 120 in next few weeks

The Kakapo Recovery effort is one step closer to bringing the world's kakapo population to 100 after the successful hatching of two kakapo chicks. The latest additions bring the small but increasing population to 93, and lots more chicks are expected in the coming weeks.

Potential 35 more chicks on the way
As well as the 25 confirmed fertile eggs yet to hatch, there are another eight to be checked and seven more females are ready to nest. Volunteers and Kakapo Recovery staff are keeping a close eye on the two chicks and monitoring their progress.

These chicks, from the same nest, could very well be the descendants of Richard Henry, the only surviving kakapo from Fiordland. His genes are valuable to providing genetic diversity to the kakapo population.

"It is such an exciting time for Kakapo Recovery with so many breeding aged females having mated and with more matings happening, things are going to get even busier on the island," Kakapo Recovery team leader Deidre Vercoe said.

Out of the 38 breeding aged females, 27 have mated and expectations are that this season will end with 80 percent having mated.

Major boost to kakapo survival
"It will be awesome to bring the kakapo population to more than 100 and all signs are indicating that could very well happen. If this breeding season produces 30 to 40 chicks it will be a huge step in the recovery of this species," she said.

Ms Vercoe said it was a breeding season like this which the Kakapo Recovery programme had been building up to. Kakapo only breed every few years when the rimu fruit is right, so this breeding season is even more incredible given six chicks were produced in 2008.

Dependent on rimu fruit
"The rimu fruit is the unknown for us," Ms Vercoe said. "If it doesn't ripen there won't be enough fruit for the mothers to feed their young and we will have to look at bringing the chicks to the mainland and hand-rearing."
Ms Vercoe said at this stage it could go either way. "Ideally we would like the chicks to remain on the island."
For regular updates on the breeding season visit the Kakapo Recovery website http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/

Game count in the Nairobi National Park

On 1st of February a game count took place in the park by Will Knocker who monitors the wildlife and health of the Nairobi National Park. The given figures are minimums but give a good idea of overall trends in the park, which, as the dry season refuge for the Athi Kapiti plains ecosystem is currently full of migratory game due to the ongoing dry cycle.

Nairobi National Park becoming isolated
In addition, the park is getting more & more isolated & many of the species present in the park are today confined to it, owing to the ‘humanisation' of the dispersal area.

Warthog - 38 counted
Warthog have recovered from the rinderpest outbreak that nearly wiped them out 10 years ago & can be found all over the park: they are breeding well & will provide a much needed source of food for the lions once the wet season arrives in April (hopefully!) when the zebra move out.

Buffaloes - 355 counted
Buffaloes are also increasing in number in the park: 355 were counted, but no doubt there plenty more up in the Langata forest, where these grazers are concentrated right now.

Masai Giraffe - 157 counted
Giraffe (the Masai variety) can be very easily approached in the park & bulls often refuse to move out of the road on the approach of an oncoming vehicle. After all, they have right of way & are several times taller than any vehicle......157 were counted. This is probably close to the real population figure, giraffe being so visible & easy to count.

Eland - 211 counted
Eland are a species that are going to be more & more confined to the park as it is encircled by development. A shy species, eland cannot take disturbances associated with people & need the browsing that has all but disappeared outside the park owing to habitat change & the presence of goats.

There are several nursery herds in the park (eland calves have an intense attraction for one another) which is good news as they and their mothers are safe from meat hunters, (eland meat is particularly delicious & such big animals are very valuable to a poacher) & their dogs.......211 were counted.

Black rhinos - Just 12 counted
As Kenya's premier rhino sanctuary, the rhinos will have been disturbed by the recent cattle invasions of the southern boundary. They need territory & peace & quiet to breed. 12 were counted and this probably gives a good estimation of the total, which might be twice this number (which would make 24 individuals.) The KWS given figure of 65 is erroneous.

Thomson's gazelles - 148. Grant's gazelles - 94
The gazelles are back, which is terrific news: 148 Thomson's were counted & 94 Grant's, which is a greater total than for many years; a vindication of the KWS policy of controlled burning, which has restored the short-grass plains habitat to the park.

Cheetahs - Just 1 male
Sadly the victim of too many years of no burning & during a wet cycle has been cheetahs. A single male occurs in the park: all that remains of a population which was forced to move out of the park as there were no gazelles for them to feed on.......

Zebra - 1682 zebra
I'm surprised that only 1,682 zebra were counted. They are very adaptive & are well able to move out into the humanised dispersal area in the Rains. They're breeding this year in the park as it is so dry. Having said this, there are still some zebra outside the park on the parched & overgrazed plains.

Kongoni - 371 counted
Kongoni are also breeding well: 371 were counted & with a whole new generation born in (& increasingly confined to) the park, hopefully this species will adapt to staying in the park as outside is no longer suitable habitat.

Lions - 22 counted
Below is Ujonjo the Big Male of the park's estimated 22 lions, of which 18 were counted. (Photo by Gareth Jones -thanks!) The lions are having a great time with so much to feed on & at least one of the 5 adult lionesses is reported pregnant.

Impala - 632 counted
632 impala were counted in the park, showing that its wide range of habitats is perfect for this medium sized antelope, which browses or grazes, according to the seasonal food supply.

Wildebeest - 203 counted
The very best news is that the gnu are back in the park in good numbers after many many years. 203 were counted & this number should go up as the cows are calving right now in the park for the first time that I can recall over a 10 year period. Again the presence of short grass plain habitat makes all the difference to these wanderers of the plains, whose habitat has been gobbled up by the fast expanding city of Nairobi.

New butterfly species found – In London’s Natural History Museum

A new butterfly species from the dry Magdalena valleys of Colombia has been discovered among the three million butterfly specimens at the Natural History Museum in London by a butterfly curator. It lay undiscovered in the collection for 90 years, but was only discovered when the curator Blanca Huertas compared it with a recently found wild specimen was it identified as Splendeuptychia ackeryi, or Magdalena valley ringlet, which has the unusual distinguishing feature of unusually hairy mouthparts.

9 million butterflies and moths in the collection!
Blanca Huertas, butterfly curator at the Natural History Museum, who discovered and described the new species said, ‘The collections here at the Natural History Museum are a treasure trove to be explored. We have almost nine million butterflies and moths in our collections, a comprehensive example of the Earth's diversity. But there are many new species still waiting to be discovered, both in museum collections and in the field.'

Seen in the wild in 2005
Huertas discovered the new species in the wild when she travelled, with two colleagues, on an expedition to a remote mountain in Colombia in 2005. The entomologists did not realise, however, that the butterfly they had seen in Colombia had not been named and described until they returned to the UK and studied the specimens in the Museum's collections, dating from 1920.

20,000 species of butterflies known
Huertas continues, ‘Butterflies are a diverse group of insects with almost 20,000 known species, 40 per cent of which are in South America. We are working hard at the Museum with our current exhibitions and developments such as Butterfly Jungle opening this summer and the new Darwin Centre opening in September, to encourage a new generation of researchers. They can help us complete an inventory of the planet's biodiversity before we lose more species unknown to science.'

Critically endangered Saharan cheetah photographed in Algeria

The first camera-trap photographs of the critically endangered Northwest African or Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) in Algeria have been recorded by scientists led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Office du Parc National de l'Ahaggar (OPNA).

Four different cheetahs photographed
The photographs were taken as part of the first systematic camera trap survey across the central Sahara, covering an area of 2,800 km². The survey identified four different Saharan cheetahs using spot patterns unique to each individual.

"The Saharan cheetah is critically endangered, yet virtually nothing is known about the population, so this new evidence, and the ongoing research work, is hugely significant," said Dr Sarah Durant, Zoological Society of London Senior Research Fellow. Farid Belbachir, who is implementing the field survey, adds: "This is an incredibly rare and elusive subspecies of cheetah and current population estimates, which stand at less than 250 mature individuals, are based on guesswork. This study is helping us to turn a corner in our understanding, providing us with information about population numbers, movement and ecology."

Sand cat and oryx
This survey additionally provided photographic confirmation of sand cat Felis margarita presence in Algerian Central Sahara, and confirmation of past presence of the scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah through the collection of a horn. Scimitar-horned oryx are now extinct in the wild.

Northwest African cheetah - Algeria, Niger, Mali, Benin, Burkina-Faso and Togo
The Northwest African cheetah is found over the Sahara desert and savannas of North and West Africa, respectively, including Algeria, Niger, Mali, Benin, Burkina-Faso and Togo. The populations are very fragmented and small, with the biggest thought to be found in Algeria. The ongoing surveys in the region will also work with the local Tuareg pastoralist community to find out more about the ecology of the cheetah and identify threats to it.

Zoological Society of London
The research was undertaken by the Zoological Society of London, Office du Parc National de l'Ahaggar (OPNA) and Université de Béjaïa, with support from WCS and Panthera. Dr Luke Hunter, Panthera's Executive Director, said ‘"This is very exciting news. The photos are the first new data on this endangered sub-species, which also represent months of hard work by a very talented Algerian scientist and his team. Panthera is delighted to support Farid as part of our Kaplan Graduate Awards Program."

The species as a whole has just been put on Appendix I on the Convention of Migratory Species, at the request of Algeria with support from other parties. This affords protection of the species from all signatory countries.

World’s rarest ape gives birth

With only about 100 cao vit gibbons remaining in the world, the recent birth of this baby has extra significance. This species is only found in one location, on the international border between Vietnam and China. Fauna & Flora International's conservationists in Vietnam and China are working with local government and communities to reduce the threats to the population. This birth is a sign of hope for the species' long term recovery.

Acrobatic gibbons
The cao vit gibbon must be one of the most acrobatic of all the species with which FFI works. They execute heart-stopping leaps as they pursue each other through the forest canopy. Gibbons have the longest arms of any primate, relative to body size. Their hand-over-hand method of swinging from branch to branch, known as brachiation, enables them to move at breathtaking speed. With its spectacular locomotion and haunting, bird-like calls, the cao vit gibbon is a real show-stealer.

Complex social behaviour
Although classified as ‘lesser apes', cao vit gibbons are highly intelligent and show complex social behaviour. Males and females proclaim and protect their family territory with 'duets', which can be heard 2 kilometres away. They have also evolved a highly specialised diet of flowers, fruit and young leaves.

Easily located by hunters
The narrowness of its ecological niche, combined with its ostentatious behaviour has, however, helped to precipitate the cao vit gibbon's sharp decline. Though no longer a significant factor today, hunters posed a serious threat to the gibbons in the past, easily locating them in the forest. Such pressures have been compounded more recently by environmental changes to which the gibbon is unable to adapt; livestock overgrazing, firewood collection and encroaching agriculture are all contributing to the ongoing loss and fragmentation of its traditional habitat, jeopardising the cao vit gibbon's survival.

Along with the Hainan gibbon, the sister species from which it has recently split, the cao vit gibbon is one of the two most endangered apes in the world. The species formerly ranged across much of China and Vietnam.

Just 110 individuals alive - Thought extinct until 2002
Today only an estimated 110 individuals remain, confined to the karst limestone forest along the China-Vietnam border. Until 2008 only 50 were thought to exist but a detailed survey discovered around 110.

The species was actually considered extinct until an FFI-led team discovered a small remnant sub-population in Vietnam's Cao Bang Province in 2002.

FFI has been working to conserve the species since that first group was found. We have established community groups on both sides of the border to patrol and protect the gibbon's habitat. In addition, by working with local people, we are identifying and implementing simple and cost-effective measures to relieve pressure on the forest, such as providing villagers with fuel-efficient stoves. In fact, the cao vit gibbon is acting as a valuable flagship species, helping to secure protected area designation for the biologically rich, but threatened, karst limestone forest on which its survival depends.

Wild Jaguar collared in Arizona

While there has been some evidence, including camera trap photos, of a few jaguars in Arizona in the last decade, this accidental development is very exciting for conservationists.

The male Jaguar was accidentally captured by the Arizona Game and Fish Department on Wednesday, February 18, in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. While individual jaguars have been photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past years, the area where this animal was captured was outside of the area where the last known jaguar photograph was taken in January.

Satellite tracking collar
The jaguar was fitted with a satellite tracking collar and then released. The collar will provide biologists with location points every three hours. Early tracking indicates that the cat is doing well and has already travelled more than three miles from the capture site.

The data produced by the collar will shed light on a little-studied population segment of this species that uses southern Arizona and New Mexico as the northern extent of its range.

Mountain lion and bear research
"While we didn't set out to collar a jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear research project, we took advantage of an important opportunity," says Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "More than 10 years ago, Game and Fish attempted to collar a jaguar with no success. Since then, we've established handling protocols in case we inadvertently captured a jaguar in the course of one of our other wildlife management activities."

The jaguar plan, which was created in consultation with other leading jaguar experts, includes a protocol for capture, sedation and handling in the event a cat was captured.

Photo ID
Biologists are currently working on an identification analysis to determine if the collared jaguar is Macho B, a male cat that has been photographed by trail cameras periodically over the past 13 years.

The collared jaguar weighed in at 118 pounds with a thick and solid build. Field biologists' assessment shows the cat appeared to be healthy and hardy.

The species has been protected outside of the United States under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. That protection was extended to jaguars within the U.S. in 1997, the year after their presence in the Arizona and New Mexico borderlands was confirmed.

"We issued a permit under the Endangered Species Act to radio collar a jaguar if the opportunity presented itself," said Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Arizona field supervisor. "Gathering habitat use information and learning whether and how the cat is moving in and out of the United States may be essential to jaguar conservation at the northern edge of their range."

Jaguar Conservation Team
In 1997, a team was established in Arizona and New Mexico to protect and conserve the species. The Jaguar Conservation Team (JCT) began working with Mexico two years later, recognizing that the presence of jaguars in the United States depends on the conservation of the species in Mexico.

Trail cameras and field monitoring are carried out by the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, a group that works in cooperation with the JCT.

Extinct in US by 1900
Jaguars once ranged from southern South America through Central America and Mexico and into the southern United States. By the late 1900s, jaguars were thought to be gone from the U.S. landscape, but two independent sightings in 1996 confirmed that jaguars still used Arizona and New Mexico as part of the northern most extent of its range.

Jaguars are the only cat in North America that roars. They prey on a variety of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles. Individuals in the northern population weigh between 80-120 pounds. Females breed year-round and have litters of one to four cubs that stay with their mother for nearly two years.

New rat species found

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza yesterday called for greater biodiversity conservation in the wake of the discovery of a new species of small rodent found only on Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and the Chicago-based Field Museum of Natural History.

Mt. Hamiguitan is home to a forest of pygmy trees.

The Hamiguitan batomys or Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat is a yellow-brown animal with a long furry tail and a weight of 175 grams, discovers said. It is related to several other species known in Central Mindanao, Dinagat Island and Luzon, and lives only from an elevation of 950 meters up to the peak, in dwarf mossy forests of areas less than 10 square kilometers.

“We have long taken great pride in our wealth of flora and fauna and this new discovery reinforces our efforts to make the protection of these unique and endemic species found in the country our top priority,” Atienza said.

He said there is a very high chance of more discoveries of new species in the country, but some of these might already be threatened before they are even discovered. He urged everyone to do their share in protecting the country’s forests, home to the wildlife.

Atienza said the Philippines has been declared by global scientists as one of only a few mega diverse countries in the world.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the new species was found during an expedition that sought to learn more about the region, which is also home to the globally endangered Philippine Eagle, the country’s national bird.

Quoting expedition team leader and lead author Danilo Balete, the DENR said that the “Hamiguitan batomys is the first mammal to be described from Eastern Mindanao, and is the first mammal that is thought to live only in that area. Most mammals unique to Mindanao were described from Mt. Apo or Mt. Kitanglad. This points to eastern Mindanao, especially Mt. Hamiguitan, as a biologically unique part of the Philippines.”

PEF executive director Dennis Salvador said Mt. Hamiguitan and the rest of Eastern Mindanao are poorly known biologically but the mountain is known as a mining and logging hot spot.

The DENR said that at Mt. Hamiguitan, six mining agreements cover more than 17,000 hectares of forest, more than half of the mountain’s forest cover.

Meanwhile, DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau director Dr. Mundita Lim said Mt. Hamiguitan “fully deserves” to be among the global heritage sites and endorsed its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Lawrence Heaney, Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum, and a co-author of the batomys description, believed that additional species currently unknown to anyone except local residents are likely to live in eastern Mindanao due to its “unusual geological history.”

Four Lizards New to Science Discovered in The Highlands of Panama

The first live endemic anoles ever discovered in this region were found in a single day during a biological research expedition at 6000 feet in the Serranía de Tabasara of the Panamian Highlands.

As recently described in Herpetologia by Dr. Gunther Köhler and his research colleagues, all of the anoles found in the cloud forest of the Serrania de Tabasara mountain chain top at 6000 feet above sea level are almost certainly endemic to this area, considering their isolated geographical habitat. This makes them the first endemic reptiles ever discovered in the Serrania de Tabasara, which is a very poorly explored region, biologically speaking.
Discovering all four in a single day was quite spectacular. Koehler and his fellows joined the research expedition several months ago, and were quite delighted for the
amazing once in a life time experience: ‘During previous expeditions, we had found new species, one at a time – but four species within 24 hours, that was incredible!’ said the herpetologist from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany.

Panama Biodiversity
Panama is known for its great climatic and topographical diversity, which in spite of its relatively small size of 77082 sq kilometres (3.7 times the size of Wales), includes one of the most diverse and abundant herpeto-fauna of any Central American country. Thirty-one species of the genus Anolis are known to occur in Panama, eleven of which are restricted to the highlands of lower Central America. Even against this background the scientists were initially surprised to encounter four undescribed species within a 24 h period.

Four New Species
Nevertheless, comparisons showed that these lizards represent four undescribed species. As there is Anolis gruuo, Anolis pseudokemptoni, Anolis pseudopachypus and Anolis datzorum.

As most of the Serrania de Tabasara has not been fully researched yet, the scientists expect a fair number of species unknown to science to be found in this large mountain range. Köhler points out: ‘The region supports a very diverse herpeto-fauna and appears to be poorly known in respect of herpetology.’ Thus it is likely that the herpeto-fauna of Serrania de Tabasara will contain a high percentage of endemic species.

Human Pressure on the Environment
In spite of its great ecological value, there is a lot of human population pressure on the natural habitat in this region of the Panamanian highlands. The Pacific slope is characterized by heavy human intervention resulting in about 90 % of its surface having been converted into farm land, pasture and secondary forest. The Atlantic slope still supports large areas of primary cloud forest interrupted by a growing number of agricultural patches. But further deforestation could also impact the habitat of the anoles, so the area is recommended as a high priority area for conservation.

Scientists Discover New Species of Giant Elephant-Shrew in Tanzania

Although there is unquestionably much left to be discovered about life on Earth, charismatic animals like mammals are usually well documented, and it is rare to find a new species today, especially from a group as intriguing as the elephant-shrews.

Distant Cousins of the Elephant
Elephant shrews are monogamous mammals found only in Africa with a colourful history of misunderstood ancestry. Like shrews, these small, furry mammals eat mostly insects. Early scientists named them elephant-shrews not because they thought the animals were related to elephants but because of their long, flexible snouts. Ironically, recent molecular research has shown that they are actually more closely related to elephants than to shrews.

They evolved in Africa over 100 million years ago, and their relatives include elephants, sea cows and the aardvark. Until recently, only 15 species of elephant-shrews, also called sengis to avoid confusion with true shrews, were known to science. However, in March of 2006, California Academy of Sciences Research Associate Galen Rathbun and a team of collaborators confirmed the existence of a new species that lives only in two high-altitude forest blocks in the mountains of south-central Tanzania. Their discovery appeared in the January 25 issue of The Journal of Zoology.

First New Species of Elephant Shrew for 125+ Years
This is one of the most exciting discoveries of my career,’ said Rathbun, who has studied the ecology, social structure, and evolution of sengis for more than 30 years. ‘It is the first new species of giant elephant-shrew to be discovered in more than 126 years. From the moment I first lifted one of the animals into our photography tent, I knew it must be a new species, not just because of its distinct colouring, but because it was so heavy!’ The new species, which has been named the grey-faced sengi (Rhynochocyon udzungwensis), weighs about 700 grams (1.5 pounds), which is 25 percent larger than any other known sengi.

First Seen in 2005
The new sengi was first caught on film in 2005, when Francesco Rovero of the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences in Italy set up camera traps inside the remote Ndundulu Forest in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains, where he was surveying the region’s forest mammals. When the cameras recorded an elephant-shrew that looked unfamiliar, he sent the photos to Rathbun for identification, who determined that the colourful animal appeared to be a new species. In March of 2006, they embarked on a two-week expedition with a team of colleagues to search for specimens to confirm the discovery.

Traps too Small
Although it was supposed to be the dry season, the rains came early, and the traps they had brought with them turned out to be too small for the surprisingly large sengis. But with perseverance and the help of some traditional twine snares, they were able to capture four animals and make 40 observations, confirming the presence of a new species.

Unique Features
Its unique features include a distinctive grey face and a jet-black lower rump, as well as a large body size. So far, the new giant sengi is known to exist in only two populations that cover about 300 square kilometres (115 square miles) of forest in Tanzania. The other three species in the genus are also rare due to restricted and fragmented forest habitats—one is listed as endangered by the IUCN, another is listed as near-threatened, and the third is on the vulnerable list.

Udzungwa Mountains
The Udzungwa Mountains are part of a series of ancient and isolated mountain blocks stretching from southern Kenya to south-central Tanzania. The age, isolation and fragmented nature of the forests in these mountains have combined to produce high levels of biodiversity, including many species that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. In recent years, a number of other new species have been found there, including the Udzungwa partridge, the Phillips’ Congo shrew, a monkey known as the Kipunji, which, amazingly, proved not just to be a new species, but a new genus, and several amphibians and reptiles. ‘This new discovery highlights how exceptionally important the Udzungwa Mountain rain forests are, and how little we know about them,’ said Rovero.

The newly discovered grey-faced sengi is just one of many species in need of protection in the Udzungwa Mountains, which serve as an important dry-season refuge for many animals from adjacent areas. A recent survey suggests that the few remaining wildlife corridors linking the mountains to surrounding protected areas are critically threatened, and will be lost by the end of 2009 without intervention. Recent conservation efforts have resulted in the establishment of the Kilombero Nature Reserve, raising hopes for enhanced long-term protection of some important forests, including Ndundulu where the new sengi was found. Still, without more funding, the legal protection afforded by the reserve will be difficult to enforce. ‘We hope that new discoveries like ours will help bolster efforts to conserve this spectacular ecosystem,’ says Rathbun.

Ten new amphibian species discovered in Colombia

10 amphibians believed to be new to science have been discovered in Colombia, in addition to the recent discovery of 12 new frogs in India. The Colombia discoveries include a spiky-skinned, orange-legged rain frog, three poison dart frogs and three glass frogs, so called because their transparent skin can reveal internal organs.

The species were discovered during a recent Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) expedition in Colombia's mountainous Tacarcuna area of the Darien, near the border with Panama. The expedition was led by herpetologists from Conservation International (CI) in Colombia and ornithologists from the Ecotrópico Foundation, with the support of the local Emberá community of Eyakera.

754 amphibian species recorded in Colombia
Over a period of three weeks, the scientists identified approximately 60 species of amphibians, 20 reptiles and almost 120 species of birds, many of them apparently found no where else.

The potentially new species of amphibians include three glass frogs of the Nymphargus, Cochranella and Centrolene genus; three poison dart frogs of the Dendrobatidae family (Colostethus, Ranitomeya and Anomaloglossus genera), one harlequin frog of the Atelopus genus, two species of rain frogs of the Pristimantis genera and one salamander of the Bolitoglossa genus. Colombia holds one of the most diverse amphibian communities in the world, with 754 species currently recorded.

Mammals recorded - Tapir, peccary and 4 monkey species
In addition to the new discoveries, the expedition recorded the presence of large mammals such as Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered in Colombia, and four species of monkeys, including Geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), Geoffroy's tamarin or red crested bare-faced tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi), white-throated capuchin or Gorgona white-fronted capuchin (Cebus capucinus) and the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata). They also found populations of white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari).

Other surprising findings included the presence of Central American species recorded for the first time in the northern area of South America, including a salamander (Bolitoglossa taylori), a rain frog (Pristimantis pirrensis), a small lizard (Ptychoglossus myersi) and a snake not yet identified.

"Once more we confirm we are leaders in natural diversity and not only in our region but in the world. Without a doubt this discovery represents a great milestone for science and human health," said Colombia's Minister of Environment Juan Lozano.

"Canaries in the mine"
Scientists consider amphibians important indicators of ecosystem health. With porous, absorbent skin, they often provide early warnings of environmental degradation caused by acid rain, or contamination from heavy metals and pesticides that can also harm people. Amphibians help control the spread of many diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, because they eat the insects that deliver these diseases to human populations. In addition, amphibians are extremely susceptible to unusual weather variations, with many species impacted by climate change.

"Without a doubt this region is a true Noah's Ark. The high number of new amphibian species found is a sign of hope, even with the serious threat of extinction that this animal group faces in many other regions of the country and the world," said Jose Vicente Rodriguez-Mahecha, Scientific Director of CI-Colombia.

Darien Gap - Habitat under threat
This area of the Darien is isolated from the Andes Mountain range. It is recognized as a centre of endemism and valuable for its high biological diversity. Historically it has served as a bridge for exchange of flora and fauna between North and South America.

Although the natural cover of the Darien region is currently relatively undisturbed, it faces many threats and is undergoing rapid landscape transformation, mainly due to selective wood extraction, extensive cattle ranching, illicit crop cultivation, hunting, mining and habitat fragmentation. Between 25 and 30 percent of the natural vegetation of the area is being deforested, especially in the lowlands and alluvial plains.

Results of the expedition are expected to contribute to strengthening the protected area status that applies to almost all the Colombian Darien region, and to help bring about the declaration of a new protected area in the Tacarcuna hills. In addition, an important goal is to support initiatives that guarantee the land rights for the indigenous Emberá community of Eyakera through the creation of an Indigenous Reserve, and the development of management plans appropriate for the area and its population.

The identity and names of the new found species will be presented to the scientific community and the environmental authorities to evaluate their conservation status or risk of extinction.

Twelve new species of frog found in India’s Western Ghats

A dozen frogs new to science have been discovered in the forests of Western Ghats (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. Goa, Maharashtra, and part of Gujarat).

Amphibian researchers S D Biju of Delhi University Systematics Lab and Franky Bossuyt of the Amphibian Evolution Lab of the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels have published their discoveries in the latest issue of Zoological Journal of Linnean Society, London.

The paper in Zoological Journal of Linnean Society describes the discovery of 12 new species including the revision of the genus Philautus. These findings are the result of 10 years of extensive field study in the Western Ghats throughout its 1600 km range. Field studies were complemented by DNA research. This publication is unique because it is the first publication that describes a large number of vertebrate novelties in independent India.

Biju and Bossuyt have added 18 new species in just 4 years from 2005 to 2008.

Rediscovery:
This study has rediscovered a ‘lost species'. Travancore bushfrog (Philautus travancoricus) which was considered extinct as it was last reported more than a 100 years ago. In this study the species was rediscovered from a highly degraded environment in its original locality.

Western Ghats:
The Western Ghats mountain range stretches 1600 km from extreme southern tip of Indian peninsula in Mahendragiri in Kanyakumari district up to Tapti river basin in Gujarat. The Ghats have yielded spectacular amphibian discoveries including the Purple frog described in 2003. The discoveries include the new family of frog Nasikabatrachidae, the smallest Indian tetrapod- Nyctibatrachus minimus, the first Indian canopy frog-Philautus nerostagona and others.

Vanishing frog habitat:
This discovery further highlights the need to conserve species and their habitat in the Western Ghats. Forests here continue to be threatened and large areas are being destroyed for plantation and urbanization. The Western Ghats is home to a large number of endemic species that are not found outside the Ghats. Seemingly small disturbances in their habitat could wipe out several species. Seven of the 12 new species were only found in unprotected areas which have been deforested in the last 40 years. Habitats are rapidly disappearing and immediate steps are required to protect the remaining forests from human activities like plantation and urbanization. Scientific conservation should replace thoughtless exploitation of natural resources.

Need for focus on amphibians:
Many species of amphibians are disappearing due to transformation of natural habitat to land for cultivation and urbanisation. IUCN Global amphibian assessment has recorded that we have lost 200 amphibian species since 1980 and one in three surviving amphibian species are threatened with extinction. This is alarming and calls for strong and sustained efforts from conservationists and forest managers to conserve this vanishing diversity.

Jaguar photographed in central Mexico for first time in 100 years

Mexican and Spanish scientists have photographed a male jaguar in central Mexico for the first time in a century. In recent decades the jaguar has become endangered due to the fragmentation and deterioration of its habitat, as well as hunting and illegal animal smuggling.

The lack of published records about the jaguar in Mexico and concerns about whether this animal may have become extinct in the forests of the 674 square kilometre Sierra Nanchititla Natural Reserve led to researchers from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) and the University of Alicante (UA) successfully seeking out and monitoring this cat.

Photographs
The Mexican-Spanish research project includes the first documented recording of Jaguars in the centre of Mexico, in the Río Balsas river basin. "The photographs provide information about new recording sites, and allow us to deduce that the area where the animal was observed may be a corridor connecting jaguar populations," said Octavio Monroy-Vilchis, lead author and a researcher at the UAEM.

Not observed by humans
The researchers carried out 86 interviews with inhabitants of villages near the study area between October 2002 and December 2004, as well as collecting feline dropping samples and installing automatic photographic detection systems.

"Even though not one of the interviews mentioned sightings of jaguars, we obtained three photographs of a male, and ten of the 132 excrement samples found have been attributed to the jaguar", says Monroy-Vilchis.
It is thought that there may be 15 locations in which it is possible that these animals still exist in the area, where there is still suitable habitat. These areas are important for scientific studies, because they could include crucial zones for the felines' long-term survival.

The jaguar's habitat, a limited territory
Of 1800 photographs taken, just three contained evidence of a jaguar. Despite the photographs taken, the researchers themselves were unable to see the animal. "The lack of evidence highlights the fact that the jaguar is highly elusive, and that its presence in the area is sporadic - possibly because it has access to other resources near to Michoacán and Guerrero," says Monroy-Vilchis.

The recording of this individual and the presence of excrement in a range of sites in the south east of the State of Mexico now mean its known range has been extended to 400 kilometres to the south east of Arroyo Seco, 27 km to the north east of Purísima de Arista, and 140 km to the north of Puerto del Gallo.

According to the scientists, the fact that the animal was captured on film at 1,845 metres "supports the theory that jaguars travel along the sides of mountains because their habitat has been fragmented by hunting and other human activities", says the scientist.