Posted on 12/05/2005 11:35:29 PM PST by dangus
GENEVA (Reuters) - Environmental researchers are preparing to capture what they call a new, mysterious species of carnivore on Borneo, the first such discovery on the wildlife-rich Indonesian island in over a century.
Swiss-based environmental group WWF said on Monday its researchers photographed the strange animal, which looks like a cross between a cat and a fox, in the dense, central mountainous rainforests of Borneo.
"This could be the first time in more than a century that a new carnivore has been discovered on the island," said the WWF in a statement.
The mammal, slightly larger than a cat with red fur and a long tail, was photographed twice by a camera trap at night.
Locals and wildlife experts who viewed photographs of the animal, which has very small ears and large hind legs, said they had never seen such a creature before and were convinced that it was a new species, WWF said.
Researchers hope to confirm the discovery by setting cage traps to catch a live specimen, but warn that Indonesian government plans to clear the rainforest to create the world's largest palm oil plantation may interfere with plans, WWF said.
The proposed plantation scheme, funded by the China Development Bank, is expected to cover an area of 1.8 million hectares, equivalent to about half the size of The Netherlands, said the WWF, formerly known as the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The potential new species of carnivore in Borneo would be the first since the discovery of the Borneo ferret-badger in 1895, the WWF said.
Pictures of the animal were first taken by WWF researchers in 2003, the photos kept unpublished by the WWF as research continued. The WWF decided to make public the photos with the release of a book about Borneo, to be published on Tuesday.
HA HA HA!!!
It's amazing how that picture of a fossa so well shows incredible similarities... the legs are quite remarkable. I'm not sure about the ears, and it's awful hard to tell with the lighting but there may be a subtle difference in color. These sort of changes MAY indicate some speciation, but hardly justify the sort of headlines this generated, which made it seem like the discovery of the Platypus, or the Echidna, or something like that.
"New Carnivore Discovered" sure is a lot flashier than "Obscure animal seen wiih unusual colorations that might suggest speciation."
I don't think the WWF faked this, I think they simply did an amazing job of spinning a none-too-remarkable sighting.
Thanks, dangus. . .interesting stuff. . . particularly that of 'brains' located in a posterior location; and all this time I just thought it was anatomical pecularity of Liberals. . .
Think of the cougar/puma/panther/mountain lion family. Depending where you are, you have different coloration and size, but still the same species.
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I guess I'm going to die now.
Anyway I guess this is some kind of Lemur, must have escaped from the Rainforest Zoo or something
There was a similar article concerning a Viverrid a couple of years ago, IIRC..
Possibly it was concerning this specimen, but I thought it was discovered elsewhere.. I will have to do some GIS'ing and see if I can find some information on that other "discovery" and where it was..
It looks like he's just seen something horrible, like Hillary in a short skirt...
Whatever it is, it's cute and I want one.
I'm fortunate to be friends with a fossa expert, Luke Dollar, a Research Fellow at Duke University. He's spent a lot of time studying and trapping fossa in Madagascar. He is already in touch with researchers in Borneo. They feel there are more similarities than differences.
The fossa is also very reclusive and difficult to trap. (they like chicken!)
But that's what is so amazing about this site. There's SOMEBODY who knows about every last darn thing in the universe. Bush visits Iraq, someone's there; Earthquake strikes Indonesia, and we've got people from Jakarta to just outside that city in Thailand that got wiped out (forgot its name) to Sri Lanka, to a naval station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; the Space Shuttle blows up over Texas and we've got reports coming in while it's still over California fretting about it not looking right. So of course, some researchers in the most distant jungles on Earth make a discovery, and someone knows someone who is in contact!
... and those silly fools at CBS think they can put one over on us.. :^)
The same way they know it's a mammal and not a marsupial.
They used the MSM method and made it up.
Fascinating, TC. Does Mr. Dollar believe it was migration that separated them?
Not sure, we just exchanged brief emails. I'll see him on Sunday at an IDPA pistol match. Mr. Dollar also wields a pretty mean 1911A1 .
Interesting enough, he's a regular in Madagascar. He had a party for his fellow researchers and friends from Madagascar, some time after the wedding when they were all back in the USA. He brought many of them out to the range. I got to shoot with the Special Envoy to Madagascar, who had a pretty cool IPSC rig. Makes me think that not everyone at the State Department is a bleeding liberal.
I will inquire to see what the latest theories are.
You have to give him big points for being able to remain standing!
Beware The Lemurs!!!
(For they are many, and cunning.)
I've been trying to recall a story out in the Pacific somewhere where it was observed that some animals (I forget what) that used a tool on one island but the same animals on another island didn't use tools. Some tool using animals made it to the other island and, later witnesses reported those animals were using tools the same as the first island. I believe is was an early report of animal use of tools and teaching or learning by seeing.
I wonder if he knows the story. It's been so many years since reading it, I've forgotten details. I've been around long enough to remember when experts doubted that animals used tools and long enough to see them realize that lots of animals do, so it's one of my fascinations.
Migratory animals have experience altered coloration and behavioral changes. Interesting subject.
Oh, by the way, 1911 good. Colt Commander here.
Shoulda knowed you'd want one ... I think you also need a centipede to fancy taking to the pub ... )
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