A giant rodent five times the size of a common rat has been discovered in the mountainous jungles of New Guinea, Indonesia. The 1.4kg Mallomys giant rat is one of two species of mammal thought to be new to science documented on an expedition to an area described as a "lost world".
Conservationists also found a pygmy possum - one of the world's smallest marsupials - on the trip to the remote north of Papua province, Indonesia. Both are currently being studied to establish whether they are new species.
The Foja mountain range is part of the great Mamberamo Basin, the largest unroaded tropical forest in the Asia Pacific region, and has been described as a "Lost World" because of its deep isolation, after scientists discovered dozens of new plants and animals in the dense jungle.
Other new species found
A pygmy possum of the genus Cercartetus was found this June in Indonesia's pristine Foja Mountains and could be a species new to science. Experts with Conservation International described the mini-mammal as one of the world's smallest marsupials.
An ornate fruit-dove was among several exotic birds observed high in the Foja Mountains of western New Guinea, Indonesia.
Other new species found
A pygmy possum of the genus Cercartetus was found this June in Indonesia's pristine Foja Mountains and could be a species new to science. Experts with Conservation International described the mini-mammal as one of the world's smallest marsupials.
An ornate fruit-dove was among several exotic birds observed high in the Foja Mountains of western New Guinea, Indonesia.
A male golden-fronted bowerbird holds a bright blue berry in its beak as part of a courtship ritual—just one of the unusual birds seen on the Indonesian island of New Guinea. Bowerbirds are best known for attracting females by building towers of twigs and other forest materials, with some species depositing a variety of "gifts" inside.
The wattled smoky honeyeater, a species found only in the Foja Mountains of Indonesia, was officially named as a new species after an expedition to the remote region in June 2007.
"Very few scientists have entered the area because of extremely difficult access. The likelihood of finding more new species is very high," said Martua Sinaga, a zoologist from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences who took part in both expeditions. The area is 95 percent untouched and almost uninhabited by humans, he said.
With 42 million hectares (104 million acres) of tropical forests and some of the richest bio-diversity in the world, Papua is considered the country's last rainforest frontier. But it is under threat from increased cutting and clearing for palm oil plantations as well as rampant illegal logging.
"Very few scientists have entered the area because of extremely difficult access. The likelihood of finding more new species is very high," said Martua Sinaga, a zoologist from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences who took part in both expeditions. The area is 95 percent untouched and almost uninhabited by humans, he said.
With 42 million hectares (104 million acres) of tropical forests and some of the richest bio-diversity in the world, Papua is considered the country's last rainforest frontier. But it is under threat from increased cutting and clearing for palm oil plantations as well as rampant illegal logging.
