New carnivorous mammal species found in Madagascar
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.
A team then returned to the site in 2005, caught one of the animals
and took detailed measurements and blood and tissue samples.
During the same expedition, the scientists sent one dead specimen to
the Natural History Museum in London.
There, zoologists were able to compare the creature with its closest
relative, the forest-dwelling brown-tailed vontsira, and finally confirm
its identity.
Durrell’s vontsira and the brown-tailed vontsira are similar but have
very different colouring, explained the Natural History Museum’s Dr
Paula Jenkins, a member of the research team.
“In addition, we found obvious differences in the structure of the
skull and teeth, the size and shape of the pads on the paws clearly
distinguished this animal from the brown-tailed vontsira, which is a
forest-dwelling animal found in eastern Madagascar.
“It was indeed a distinct new species and the specimen we have in the
museum is now recognised as the holotype (the specimen from which the
species takes its name) so it is available to scientists for research in
the future.”
Incredibly rare
The discovery of mammal species is uncommon and finding a new
carnivore species is “particularly unusual”, Dr Jenkins added.
“Durrell’s vontsira is incredibly rare,” she said.
“We know of only two animals in the wild. It has only been found in
the wetlands of [Lake] Alaotra in Madagascar, so it lives in a very
small area and is consequently vulnerable to the pressures on this
threatened habitat.”
The researchers still know very little about the animal’s behaviour
and biology.
They think it may be a mongoose-like creature specifically adapted
for an aquatic or semi-aquatic environment.
Professor John Fa, chief conservation officer at Durrell, told BBC
News: “If that is the case, it’s very interesting indeed; mongooses
normally live in arid or forested areas.
“We think it feeds on fish and small mammals in the lake and if it’s
a mongoose that catches fish - that’s very unusual.”
The scientists hope to return to the lake to carry out a more
detailed, systematic trapping study, and possibly to tag and follow the
small mammals to see if their habitat is confined to the lake.
“This just shows how much biodiversity Madagascar is still throwing
at us,” Professor Fa added. Since 2006, new mammal species found in this
biodiversity hotspot have included three new species of mouse lemur (Microcebus
jollyae, M. mittermeieri and M. simmoni) and a bat (Scotophilus marovaza).
But the last carnivore discovered on the island was Grandider’s
vontsira (Galidictis grandidieri), described in 1986.
It is classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List.
The team also included researchers from Nature Heritage in Jersey and
Conservation International
- BBC
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