Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea

A team of scientists from Britain, the United States and Papua New Guinea found more than 40 previously unidentified species when they climbed into the kilometre-deep crater of Mount Bosavi and explored a pristine jungle habitat teeming with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted 200,000 years ago. In a remarkably rich haul from just five weeks of exploration, the biologists discovered 16 frogs which have never before been recorded by science, at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat, which may turn out to be the biggest in the world.

The discoveries are being seen as fresh evidence of the richness of the world's rainforests and the explorers hope their finds will add weight to calls for international action to prevent the demise of similar ecosystems. They said Papua New Guinea's rainforest is currently being destroyed at the rate of 3.5% a year.

"It was mind-blowing to be there and it is clearly time we pulled our finger out and decided these habitats are worth us saving," said Dr George McGavin who headed the expedition.

The team of biologists included experts from Oxford University, the London Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution and are believed to be the first scientists to enter the mountainous Bosavi crater. They were joined by members of the BBC Natural History Unit which filmed the expedition for a three-part documentary which starts tomorrow night.

They found the three-kilometre wide crater populated by spectacular birds of paradise and in the absence of big cats and monkeys, which are found in the remote jungles of the Amazon and Sumatra, the main predators are giant monitor lizards while kangaroos have evolved to live in trees. New species include a camouflaged gecko, a fanged frog and a fish called the Henamo grunter, named because it makes grunting noises from its swim bladder.

"These discoveries are really significant," said Steve Backshall, a climber and naturalist who became so friendly with the never-before seen Bosavi silky cuscus, a marsupial that lives up trees and feeds on fruits and leaves, that it sat on his shoulder.

"The world is getting an awful lot smaller and it is getting very hard to find places that are so far off the beaten track."
Robert Booth
The Guardian, Monday 7 September 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/07/discovery-species-papua-new...
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Category:

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Tags:

• Lost
• world
• of
• fanged
• frogs
• and
• giant
• rats
• discovered
• in
• Papua
• New
• Guinea
• 40
• new
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• disprove

[pacz09]

I think 5 people hate that spider 

[XxKilaruna]

i dont afraid of snake or tiger...but a rats is my nightmare...

[LichLordKrull]

@Mystic69ify That was actually a movie quote, not my personal opinion ;)

[Mystic69ify]

@LichLordKrull Through the geographical isolation that aided in the evolutionary progress of the rats would in itself show that the their size is quite possible. For example that rats under the city of New York are large in size because they thrive in that environment but they are constantly hunted by the cities inhabitants, yet when you drop that species in a safe environment for a large amount of time, say 1,000 years, then the rat would gradually grow in size because the lack of predators.

[LichLordKrull]

Rodents of unusual size? I dont believe they exist.

[rainb0w911]

@rainb0w911 2:49六小龄童

[rainb0w911]

六小龄童

[Shenuday]

As the author of FRAGMENT, which came out, surprisingly, before this discovery and announcement came about, I'm particularly happy about this report. So wonderful, life.

[Shenuday]

:)

[happinesson]

the lost world has already been found! I am in awe with the picture clips..

[melikecookies1000]

DAMN!! NEVER SURPRISE ME WITH A SPIDER!

[Marika3able]

A háborítatlan természetnén félelmetesebbet az ember se tud kitalálni!!!!!!!!!