A team of researchers in the north-west Alto Mayo region of Peru have uncovered 27 animals that were previously unknown to science including a very cute salamander, an aquatic mouse and a rather bulbous-faced fish.
The Conservation International team recorded over 2,000 species during the 38-day expedition across the 780-hectare area of Alto Mayo which spans across “ecosystems and communities, including Indigenous territories, towns and cities.”
Four mammals in particular, a bat, squirrel, spiny mouse and the aforementioned “exceedingly rare” amphibious came as quite a shock to Trond Larsen, the director for the Rapid Assessment Program.
Speaking to The Guardian, Larsen said the mouse “belongs to a group of carnivorous, semi-aquatic rodents, for which the majority of species are exceedingly rare and difficult to collect, giving them an almost mythical status among mammal experts…”
Larsen added: “Discovering four new mammals in any expedition is surprising – finding them in a region with significant human populations is extraordinary,”
But perhaps the animal that is making most of the headlines is the bizarre “blob-headed” fish. The research team is none the wiser as to what purpose the enlarged facial feature has and says in its report that “it remains a mystery.”
What they do know is that the bulbous fish belongs to the Chaetostoma species of bristlemouth armoured catfish. Whatever its purpose may be, it’s certainly eye-catching!
In and out of the water and seemingly native to a small confined area of a white sand forest in Alto Mayo is a small climbing salamander. Though it has not been seen elsewhere, there was an abundance of the little climbers – a testament to the biodiversity of the region.
Humanity’s presence does pose a risk to these unique animals though. Conservational International notes that Alto Mayo has “a relatively high population density that has led to significant pressures, including deforestation and agricultural expansion.”
Despite this expansion, Larsen tells us that they “found that areas closer to cities and towns still support incredibly high biodiversity, including species found nowhere else.” highlighting that “These findings underscore that even in areas heavily influenced by people, biodiversity can persist but only if ecosystems are managed sustainably.”
Moving forward, Conservation International states in its report that they seek to work with “Indigenous peoples and local communities, to design a spatial management plan for the Alto Mayo landscape that will better conserve and restore important biodiversity, protect ecosystem services, improve livelihoods, and make agriculture more sustainable.”
Top image by Conservation International/ Ronald Diaz