The most interesting animals, open in 2020. Top 10
The natural diversity of the Earth seems inexhaustible, because annually scientists find many unknown before creatures. 2020 was also a generous to discovery: only at the Galapagos Islands Biologists found 30 new types of invertebrates, and in the highland forests of Bolivia – 20 amazing animals and plants: from carnivorous orchids to a snake painted in the color of the Bolivian flag.
Monkey Langur, Myanmar
Having found monkeys in the jungle of Myanmar in the jungle, zoologists were not at all surprised: they were predicted to the existence of this species in advance by examining the DNA of the stuffed primates brought from Southeast Asia in the XIX century. Scientists were able to correctly calculate even the length of the tail and the ears.
Small moving creatures with black "gloves" on the front paws and cute muzzles, decorated with white "glasses" around the eyes, live on trees, feed on leaves and weigh about 8 kg. They were named Languri Poor – in honor of the extinct volcano Poor, on the slopes of which they live.
According to the authors of the study, Langura are under threat of disappearance: in four flocks, experts counted only 200-250 individuals. The new look is threatened by hunting and illegal deforestation.
In Russia, its red-star animals: here’s the top 10 of the most defenseless.
Flying poses, Australia
At once, two new types of unusual creatures opened in the forests of Australia. Large Flying Potsumen, He is a giant Flying Couscous, – Charming Fluffy Size with a Cat and the Biggest Baggy, Can Fall. Pretty clumsy on Earth, in the air of the possessums easily overcome distances up to 100 m due to the flying membrane. Night animals feed on the leaves of the eucalyptus, and in the afternoon sleeping in the humps of trees.
Scientists analyzed the DNA of 50 individuals from different regions and came to the conclusion that three different types are hidden under the name: one was known for a long time ago, and two more revealed during the studies. Newbies live in the center and in the north of the country. Externally, animals are so similar to each other, which for more than 200 years they were considered one species.
Hairy Earthwood, Indonesia
In the mountains of the island of Sulasi, a new kind of little mammal planets was discovered – earthlings. From its Asian fellow, this creature is distinguished by a long tail, covered with hairs and bristles, so it was also called – the hairy aging. She lives at an altitude of 500 to 1500 m, hunts on insects and knows how to climb on trees, while most of the representatives of this family prefer to move on the ground. Tiny mammals with fluffy gray-brown fur on the back and silvery on the stomach are found only on Sulawesi.
Swamp Rats, Africa
In the past 70 years, tropical forests of the Congo River Basin remained a forbidden zone for scientists due to political instability in the region. But in 2020, biologists were able to discover here two new types of African swamp rats: one – in Liberia and Guinea, the second – in the Republic of Congo and Angola. They were called in honor of Patrice Lumumba (Colomys Lumumbai) and the Liberian Mountains Vologizi (Colomys Wologizi).
Long paws allow the swamp rats to move the varod small streams and hunt for tadpoles, small fish and insects living in water. To detect the movement, they scan the surface of the water with the help of long mustache, and an unusually large brain quickly processes the received signals. (On water can run and birds do, they make it using various devices.)
Genetic studies have shown that cute creatures with dense water repellent fur and a snow-white belly – relatives of the most rare rodents in the world, Ethiopian water rats. The first and last time these secretive creations were seen almost 100 years ago, in 1928.
Hexaging Skat, Pacific Ocean
At the shores of Simushir, one of the Kuril Islands, fishermen caught five unusual rods. From his relatives, the fish was distinguished by three pairs of light spots on the disk and the head, because of which they were called "six-chairs". Differences confirmed both genetic examination: new slopes have discovered a unique sequence of nucleotides in Gene CO1.
Another name is the Simushir Skat – Dano from the Find Place. Ichtiologists plan to find out how wide the range of his habitat, and still suggest that this is the endemic of Russia, living only in the waters of the central smoke.
Leopard Gecko, Thailand
Biologist MSU, who has held field practice in Thailand, opened a previously unknown science type of semi-deficent gecko. Other representatives of this kind are unshakable brownish lizards with dark spots and divorces, and the new heckon is distinguished by a bright colors: contrasting black spots on a yellow-ohwriter background and a dark strip passing through the face and sides. Scientists believe that the animal is masked under the rotting sheet of bamboo or banana.
Because of the spotted color, Rektilia was called leopard gecko. It is found in the north of Thailand, in the mountains of Tennaserymes, amazing with his species diversity. Only over the past few years, biologists have discovered many unusual creatures here, such as a tiny "lunar rabbit" – a heckon in a fantastic dress: he is yellow-orange in front – dark gray.
Turtle Mata Mata, South America
Long neck, flat "smiling" muzzle with a trull nose and a bugger shell – such a strange creation of herpertologists found in the Orinoco River basin. Mata-Mata, or a fringe turtle, looks more like a sloe stone than a living being, and fading appearance helps her perfectly disguised both on land and in water. Reptile feeds mainly lively fish and attacks extraction from the ambush: dramatically throws his head forward, and then swallows the victim entirely.
Only two types of Mata Mata are known to science: one lives in Amazon’s pool, the second – on the shores of Orinoco, Rio-Negro and Essekibo. At first, scientists noticed the external differences – newcomers with Orinoco brighter and rounded shell. DNA tests 75 individuals allowed to allocate these turtles into an independent view.
And in this photo specification you can, on the contrary, see, animals that hid very badly. And smile.
Frog in camouflage, thailand
Nine no one like a miniature amphibious length of only 2-2.5 cm our scientists noticed in the bamboo forest after the night rain. A new appearance in the south of Thailand, called Micryletta Dissimulans (from Latin Dissimulo – to "hide", "hide"). Such a name of the frog from the family of microcups got due to camouflage coloring – dark patterns on a brown background.
While biologists are not known about the number of these amphibians, as well as their nutrition, reproduction and development. At the moment, only one habitat has a hidden frog, but it is possible that they are found and south, in Malaysia. Genetic analysis showed that their closest relatives live in the south of Sumatra. Sumatran micryarlette also opened quite recently, in early 2020.
Skylobic Bats, Africa
During genetic studies of the hilt of volatile mice collected in Africa over the past decades, American scientists have discovered four new types of these animals. They are very similar to each other and differ in the main color of the wool, and the most characteristic feature of their appearance is an unusual face with complex leathery folds in the shape of horseshoe. Such a structure is used for echolocation: unlike many of its fellows, these bats emit ultrasound pulses through the nose, without revealing the mouth.
Sliftsum – close relatives of honeycomb volatile mice, which are considered covid-19 pandemics. (To sufferers not in their own will, we will also carry pangolines.) At the same time, they know very little about them: 25-30 types of accommodation take place in China, and which one has become a source of coronavirus, science is unknown. That is why scientists believe that they should study these manochable and related species as best. What people accused animals before, and whether the new epidemic will happen and where it comes from, we understood together with scientists.
Arctic butterfly, Russia
For the polar circle, at an altitude of about 1.5 km, a new subspecies of the rarest polar butterfly was found on lifeless slopes of harsh rocky mountains – Arctic Apollo. This species is listed in the Red Book of Russia and six more countries. Biologists of Tomsk and Altai universities caught insects during field research in the northeast of Yakutia and noticed differences from other representatives of the species: they are larger and they have more oblong wings with oath-red strokes. Wingspan – from 39 to 45 mm.
Newbies called Parnassius Arcticus Arbugaevi – in honor of the ecologist and traveler Hermann Arbugaev, who helped researchers. Ephemeral creatures can be seen from the end of spring until the middle of the summer on the rocky slopes of the mom’s ridge, where there is almost no vegetation.
