Victoria Gill - A new species of carnivorous mammal has been discovered in Madagascar.
The mongoose-like creature has been called Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) in honour of conservationist Gerald Durrell.
Scientists found the creature in the wetlands of Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in Madagascar.
Its marsh habitat is under pressure from invasive species and pollution, and the team thinks it could be one of the world's most threatened mammals.
They describe the cat-sized animal for the first time in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
A team from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust first saw the mammal swimming in the lake during a field trip in 2004. Suspecting it might be a new species, they photographed it so their zoologist colleagues could examine it more closely. ...
via BBC - Earth News - New carnivorous mammal species found in Madagascar.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
New carnivorous mammal species found in Madagascar
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