Bizarre, little-known carnivore sold as illegal pet in Indonesian markets (photo)

Bizarre, little-known carnivore sold as illegal pet in Indonesian markets (photo)

Few people have ever heard of the Javan ferret-badger, but that hasn’t stopped this animal – little-known even to scientists – from being sold in open markets in Jakarta according to a new paper in Small Carnivore Conservation. The Javan ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis) is one of five species in the ferret-badger family, which are smaller […]

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Malaysia may be home to more Asian tapirs than previously thought (photos)

Malaysia may be home to more Asian tapirs than previously thought (photos)

You can’t mistake an Asian tapir for anything else: for one thing, it’s the only tapir on the continent; for another, it’s distinct black-and-white blocky markings distinguishes it from any other tapir (or large mammal) on Earth. But still little is known about the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus), including the number surviving. However, researchers in […]

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New giant tarantula that’s taken media by storm likely Critically Endangered (photos)

New giant tarantula that’s taken media by storm likely Critically Endangered (photos)

Described by a number of media outlets as “the size of your face” a new tree-dwelling tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka has awed arachnophiliacs and terrified arachnophobes alike. But the new species, named Raja’s tiger spider (Poecilotheria rajaei), is likely Critically Endangered according to the scientist that discovered it in northern Sri Lanka. “I would […]

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Scientists discover two new remarkably-colored lizards in the Peruvian Amazon (photos)

Scientists discover two new remarkably-colored lizards in the Peruvian Amazon (photos)

Scientists have discovered two new species of woodlizards from the Peruvian Amazon. Woodlizards, in the genus Enyalioides, are little-known reptiles with only 10 described species found in South and Central America. Described in a new paper in ZooKeys, both new woodlizards were found in Cordillera Azul National Park, the nations third-largest. “These species were discovered […]

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