MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & More

$corp · Oct 6, 2010

Brightly coloured frogs, spiny ants and a katydid with pink eyes were among the finds when Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Programme explored the remote rainforests of the Nakanai and Muller ranges

Tree dweller

This Australasian tree frog was found living 30 metres above the ground.

Researchers often heard them croaking gutturally from the forest canopy, but only managed to find this one male.

It is probably a new species, though its DNA will have to be checked to be sure.

(Image: Stephen Richards/Conservation International)

Pink eye

This is a katydid, an insect related to crickets and grasshoppers.

It is one of 20 new species of katydid found during the expedition, and probably feeds on flowers.

(Image: Piotr Naskrecki/Conservation International)

Big nose

Although it has been reported before, this tube-nosed bat has still not been properly described and does not have a name.

It seems to only live in hill forests, where it probably helps disperse plant seeds.

(Image: Piotr Naskrecki/Conservation International)

Big head

These big-headed ants were common around 1600 metres up in the Muller range.

They are social insects, in which many sterile workers serve a single queen.

The smaller workers, left, gather food from the forest floor and bring it back to the nest. There the major workers, right, crush it using their huge mandibles.

(Image: Andrea Lucky)

Bright yellow

New to science, this yellow frog is probably a member of a species complex called Litoria genimaculata.

The colour patterns vary a great deal, and it has distinctive yellow spots around its groin.

Despite its conspicuous colours it proved hard to find. Males gave themselves away more often, when they made a soft ticking noise to attract females.

(Image: Stephen Richards/Conservation International)

Possum

Like the tube-nosed bat, this feather-tailed possum has been seen before, on a nearby mountain in 1985.

Little is known about it, though the shape of its tongue suggests that it eats nectar. It may also catch moths.

The two known populations are genetically distinct, suggesting they are isolated from each other.

(Image: Stephen Richards/Conservation International)
Click to expand...

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn19531-new-species-discovered-in-papua-new-guinea

I think the bat is a repeat from the previous New Guinea thread, but the rest are new.

Uncle Albert · Oct 7, 2010

Re: MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & Mo

Nautica · Oct 7, 2010

Re: MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & Mo

Are any of them tastey?

Robotech Master · Oct 7, 2010

Re: MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & Mo

Very cool.

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee · Oct 8, 2010

Re: MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & Mo

They've got HUUUUUUUGE .00005 MM mandibles!

Tamar Garish · Oct 11, 2010

Re: MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & Mo

There are reasons species go extinct...because there are always more and new ones making an appearance in a dynamic ecosystem.

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MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & More

$corp Dirty Old Chinaman

Uncle Albert Part beard. Part machine.

Nautica Probably a Dual

Robotech Master '

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Tamar Garish Wanna Snuggle? Deceased Member

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MORE New Animals Discovered in Papa New Guinea! Frogs, Giant Head Ants, Crickets, & More

$corp Dirty Old Chinaman

Uncle Albert Part beard. Part machine.

Nautica Probably a Dual

Robotech Master '

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Tamar Garish Wanna Snuggle? Deceased Member

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