Twenty-seven new species have been discovered in Peru’s Amazon rainforest throughout a 2022 scientific expeditionenvironmental NPO Conservation International introduced.
Among the newly discovered species have been an “amphibious mouse” with partially webbed toes, a spiny mouse, a dwarf squirrel, eight varieties of fish, three amphibians, and ten butterflies. Researchers additionally recognized one other 48 probably new species that require additional examine.
The expedition, carried out between June and July, occurred in Alto Mayo, a protected space encompassing various ecosystems, Indigenous territories, and villages. A crew of 13 scientists collaborated with native technicians and Indigenous group members.
“Discovering so many new species of mammals and vertebrates was really incredible, especially in such a human-influenced landscape as Alto Mayo,” Trond Larsen, head of Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He highlighted the spiny mouse, the amphibious mouseand a 5.5-inch dwarf squirrel. “(The squirrel) fit so easily in the palm of your hand. Adorable and beautiful chestnut-brown colour, very fast,” Larsen stated. “It jumped quickly and hid in the trees.” He additionally famous a “blob-headed fish,” a sort of armored catfish, among the many discoveries.
The 38-day expedition employed digital camera traps, bioacoustic sensors, and DNA sampling. In complete, 2,046 species have been recorded, including 49 categorized as threatened, such because the yellow-tailed woolly monkey and the tree monkey.
According to Larsen, these findings underscored the significance of defending the world. “Unless steps were taken to safeguard these sites and help restore parts of the landscape … there was a strong chance they wouldn’t persist in the long term,” Larsen stated.
