Chameleon species discovered in snake’s mouth

A new species of chameleon was discovered in an African forest living in the mouth of a snake.

The tiny lizard came out of the mouth of a twig snake disturbed by Dr Andrew Marshall in Tanzania’s Magombera forest.

Dr Marshall, from the University of York, was in the threatened forest surveying monkeys.

He said today: ”I was out there doing conservation research when I came across this snake. It saw me and fled, and as it did so spat out a chameleon.

”I took photos and showed them to a local herpetologist, who instantly recognised that it was a new species.”

The creature, small enough to sit in the palm of a hand, was named today as Kinyongia magomberae by scientists writing in the African Journal of Herpetology.

Shortly after the first discovery, a second Kinyongia chameleon was found by one of Dr Marshall’s colleagues about 10 kilometres away. Unlike the first specimen, this one was very much alive.

”It’s amazing and wonderful to find a new species like this,” said Dr Marshall, from the University of York’s Environment Department. ”I’ve been working in Tanzania for around 11 years now and have identified a couple of new tree species, but to find a vertebrate is pretty special.

”Obviously chameleons are very well camouflaged. You walk through the forest and tend not to see them.”

On average two new species of chameleons are discovered in the world each year.

Dr Marshall said he hoped the new find would assist efforts to protect the Magombera forest. Naming the creature after the forest would help to win the support and co-operation of local people, he said.

Due to an administrative mistake, the forest, also home to the endangered red colobus monkey, had no protected status. Half of it was owned by a sugar company that had intended to clear the land to make way for settlements, but was now reconsidering its plans.

- via telegraph

Beyond sunlight: Explorers census 17,650 ocean species between edge of darkness and black abyss

This unfamiliar Dumbo species collected by Census of Marine Life scientists on a 2009 MAR-ECO voyage to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge may prove new to science.

Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight – creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5,000 meters (~3 miles) below the ocean waves.

Revealed via deep-towed cameras, sonar and other vanguard technologies, animals known to thrive in an eternal watery darkness now number 17,650, a diverse collection of species ranging from crabs to shrimp to worms. Most have adapted to diets based on meager droppings from the sunlit layer above, others to diets of bacteria that break down oil, sulfur and methane, the sunken bones of dead whales and other implausible foods.

Five of the Census’ 14 field projects plumb the ocean beyond light, each dedicated to the study of life in progressively deeper realms – from the continental margins (COMARGE: Continental Margins Ecosystems) to the spine-like ridge running down the mid-Atlantic (MAR-ECO: Mid-Atlantic Ridge Ecosystem Project), the submerged mountains rising from the seafloor (CenSeam: Global Census of Marine Life on Seamounts), the muddy floor of ocean plains (CeDAMar: Census of Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life), and the vents, seeps, whale falls and chemically-driven ecosystems found on the margins of mid-ocean ridges and in the deepest ocean trenches (ChEss: Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Systems).

Edward Vanden Berghe, who manages OBIS (Ocean Biogeographic Information System), the Census’ inventory of marine life observations, notes that, unsurprisingly, the number of records in the database falls off dramatically at deeper depths (see animation at http://coml.org/embargo/beyond-sunlight) – a function of the dearth of sampling done in the deep sea.

However, Dr. Vanden Berghe reports that OBIS today records 5,722 species for which all recorded observations are deeper than 1,000 meters (~.62 miles) and 17,650 species for which all recorded observations are deeper than 200 meters, the depth where darkness stops photosynthesis.

Scientists working on the deep-sea Census number 344 and span 34 nations.

By the time the 10-year Census concludes in October, 2010, the five deep-sea projects will have collectively fielded more than 210 expeditions, including the first ever MAR-ECO voyage in October-November this year, to explore the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Equator, a scientific collaboration between Russia, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay.

Each voyage is hugely expensive and challenged by often extreme ocean conditions and requirements that have kept the remotest reaches of Neptune’s realm impenetrable until recently.

via Beyond sunlight: Explorers census 17,650 ocean species between edge of darkness and black abyss.

Loren Coleman’s Cryptozoology Museum Opens

It was another rainy afternoon on Congress Street in Portland. From behind a large first-floor window, an eight foot tall model of Bigfoot watched the traffic roll by from behind a plastic shrub, trying to make sense of his new home – the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland’s Parkside neighborhood.

The museum, which shares space with the Green Hand bookshop, opened with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6. Around 300 people attended the event, which was led by Herb Adams, who represents Portland’s Parkside and Bayside neighborhoods in the Maine House of Representatives. Adams praised both Loren Coleman, the driving force behind the museum, and Michelle Souliere, who runs the book shop, for being part of the revitalization of Parkside. As he handed them official certificates of appreciation from the legislature, he said that entrepreneurs and artists like Coleman and Souliere were playing a vital role in overcoming Parkside’s reputation as a high crime district. He also pointed out that there are few places in the area with such interesting objects. “You have everything you could want here, it’s one stop shopping,” he said with a smile as he gestured toward a tray of what looked like hand crafted paws on key chains that were labeled “Yeti Feet.”

Since the grand opening, there has been a steady flow of people through the museum. Coleman believes this success is indicative of a growing societal acceptance of Cryptozoology, the study and search for “hidden animals” like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. “In the beginning, interest was small,” he explained, “but then you have things like the ‘X-Files’ using the word Cryptozoology for the first time on TV, and it’s slowly over the years become a subject of interest and a part of our culture.”

Part of that acceptance of Cryptozoology can be attributed to Coleman’s own work. Over the course of his fifty years of research and fieldwork, Coleman has written seventeen books and served as a consultant on television projects for the History Channel and the Travel Channel. He has also worked on a number of movies, including the 2002 Richard Gere film “The Mothman Prophecies,” for which he served as the resident expert on the legends surrounding the real Mothman. …

via Cryptozoology museum opens on Congress Street – Arts and Entertainment.

Congratulations Loren! I hope to visit some day. I’d like to thank you personally for all you’ve done to make life more interesting for us. There is something about searching for hidden truths, dreaming what might be (and finding evidence!) that keeps some of us excited about possibilities.

White deer hind caught on camera (photo)

 

A rare white deer hind has been filmed by a wildlife cameraman for the BBC Landward programme.

The animal’s location in the central Highlands has been kept secret by conservation bodies in an effort to protect it from poachers.

Cameraman Philip Lovel said the colouration was caused by a genetic condition that reduces the pigment in hair and skin.

Last year, a white stag was spotted on the west coast of the Highlands.

Mr Lovel said of the hind: “This white deer is very rare.

“I know of only one other wild white red deer at present in Scotland.

“Unfortunately their rarity can make them a target for poaching trophy-hunters, especially the stags.”

“A secret”

It was thought the hind was 10-years-old and deer stalkers have said her colour has got lighter with age.

Last February, a white stag was observed on the west coast of the Highlands.

The animal had been seen with other red deer by a member of the John Muir Trust, which kept its location a secret to protect it from poachers.

White deer are often mistakenly thought to be albinos.

Their unusual appearance is caused by a condition called leucism.

Unlike albinos who characteristically have red eyes, deer with leucism have normal colouring in their eyes.

via BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | White deer hind caught on camera.

Deep-sea fish captured on camera

The deepest living fish ever spotted in the southern hemisphere have been caught on camera.

The bizarre-looking pink creatures were photographed at a depth of 7,560m (24,800ft), swimming in the Kermadec Trench off the coast of New Zealand.

An international team has been studying this area using a submersible, built to withstand immense pressures.

Last year, the same team recorded another fish at 7,700m (25,300ft) – the deepest ever filmed.

These were found in the Japan Trench, which is in the Pacific, north of the equator.

Both expeditions form part of the Hadeep project, which aims to expand our knowledge of life in the oceanic trenches, the deepest parts of the ocean floor.

Quite a catch

The deep-sea fish seen near New Zealand look remarkably similar to last year’s find: they are pale pink in colour, with bulbous bodies and long tails. But they are in fact a different species. m

… The fish were photographed using a camera-laden, deep-sea submersible, which was connected to a ship and controlled from its surface. The probe was loaded with rotting fish, designed to lure deep-sea creatures, allowing them to be caught on camera and studied.

via BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Deep-sea fish captured on camera.

Video here.

Fifty Five Foot Snake Shocks China (Photos)

A photograph purporting to show a 55ft snake found in a forest in China has become an internet sensation.

It was originally posted in a thread on the website of the People’s Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper in China.

The thread claimed the snake was one of two enormous boas found by workers clearing forest for a new road outside Guping city, Jiangxi province.

They apparently woke up the sleeping snakes during attempts to bulldoze a huge mound of earth.

“On the third dig, the operator found there was blood amongst the soil, and with a further dig, a dying snake appeared,” said the post.

“At the same time, another gold coloured giant boa appeared with its mouth wide open. The driver was paralysed with fear, while the other workers ran for their lives.

“By the time the workers came back, the wounded boa had died, while the other snake had disappeared. The bulldozer operator was so sick that he couldn’t even stand up.” The post claimed that the digger driver was so traumatised that he suffered a heart attack on his way to hospital and later died. The dead snake was 55ft (16.7m) long, weighed 300kg and was estimated to be 140 years old, according to the post.

However, local government officials in Guiping say the story and photograph are almost certainly a hoax as giant boas are not native to the area.

via Ananova – Photo of 55ft snake shocks China.

Look at the size of the scoop is for the tractor. This is a classic camera trick: forced perspective. More like a 25 ft snake. Still scary. Here is the uncropped photo:

First film of a giant stingray

It is one of the rarest giants of the ocean, and it has been caught on film for the first time.

An underwater camera crew filming for the BBC has recorded a smalleye stingray swimming off the coast of Mozambique.

The smalleye stingray is the largest of all 70 species of stingray, attaining widths of more than 2m.

The elusive creature, first discovered in 1908, has only ever been seen alive off Tofo in southern Mozambique.

Rare sight

Stingrays are cartilaginous fish that are related to sharks.

They occur is marine, freshwater and estuarine habitats and vary in size from the dwarf whipray (Himantura walga), which measures just 24cm wide, to the smooth or short-tail stingray (Dasyatis brevicaudata) which can grow over 2m wide.

However, the smalleye stingray (D. microps) is the largest of all, able to grow to a width of 2.2m.

Specimens have been caught in waters around Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and The Philippines, as well as in various places in the Indian Ocean, including with the Ganges River estuary.

But live smalleye stingrays have only been recorded off Tofo, a beach in southern Mozambique that lies 425km north of South Africa and 820km west of the southern tip of Madagascar.

Several live sightings have been made by resident biologists Dr Andrea Marshall and Dr Simon Pierce of the Manta Ray and Whale Shark Research Centre based at Tofo Beach.

Film of a live specimen was recorded by an underwater film crew working for independent production company Big Wave productions, which was making a documentary about manta rays with Dr Marshall.

The footage was shot as part of the programme “Andrea: Queen of the Mantas” for the BBC documentary series Natural World, which will be broadcast on BBC Two at 2000GMT on Wednesday 11 November.

via BBC – Earth News – First film of a ‘giant’ stingray.

Chupacabra Videos and Reported Sightings Increase

Chupacabra Capture?

Another man captured what he suspected was a chupacabra at his farm after some of his animals had been mysteriously killed. The chupacabra (or whatever it was) he trapped has been sent to Texas Wildlife Management for identification. Are increased reports of the sightings of this mythical creature an omen? The video below is of this Texas farmer who supposedly trapped the little blood sucker.

Other sightings have been reported, and YouTube has any number of videos reporting supposed chupacabras. One such video, which appears to be from Sonora Mexico, reveals two stalwart Mexican chupacabra hunters getting the pants scared off of them in 2006. Even if the mysterious creature does not exist, you could not prove it by these guys.

…For those who do not know, the chupacabra is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. The creature is supposed to be something of a cross between a dog, a rat, and a kangaroo, and one which sucks the blood of small prey like goats and chickens. Eyewitness sightings have been claimed from as early as 1990 from Puerto Rico to Maine, but as of yet no proof of their existence has come to light. In one Puerto Rico incident, which added greatly to the legend, 8 sheep were discovered dead from loss of blood via what appeared to be puncture wounds in their chests. An eye witness also claimed she saw the elusive monster in another reported attack where as many as 150 animals died similarly.

via Chupacabra Videos and Reported Sightings Increase.

New species of first land animals discovered in India

Three new species of the rare Caecilians – the first land animals, which look like snakes or earthworms but are neither – have been discovered from forests of Manipur and Nagaland including two species having a unique “moustache-like stripe on its upper lip”.

Amphibian researcher SD Biju, Associate Professor, University of Delhi, who led the team of researchers talking to Hindustan times said, “The caecilians are the first land animals and extremely important from the evolutionary point of view being the oldest of the amphibians. They are the link between animals of the land and the water. There is no evolutionary data available as there are no fossil record of these animals”.

In northeast rare species faces threat due to environmental degradation.

“Apart from habitat destruction, local myth also contributes to caecilian depletion; local communities believe that caecilians are extremely poisonous ’snakes’. Actually caecilians are neither poisnous nor are they snakes! They never bite. They open their mouth only to eat food,” he added.

Caecilians are carnivorous and eat insect larvae, termites, and earthworms and live for five to 20

The discovery was the result of a collaborative effort between University of Delhi, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and The Natural History Museum, London, Royal Society London.

via New species of first land animals discovered in India.

Bumbling thieves steal rare goat-sheep in Volkswagen hatchback

THEIVES who stole a handful of incredibly rare goat-sheep were left red-faced today – when police said they would be stuck with them forever.

The mountain beasts – which look like a goat at the front and a sheep at the rear – are so rare there are only a few hundred left in the world.

And, because they are so unusual, every single one on the planet is easily identifiable.

A police spokesman in Dillenburg, Germany, said: “It’s very likely they weren’t professional rustlers because they used a Volkswagen hatchback to transport them.

“They will find them almost impossible to sell on because every single one of them is accounted for around the world.”

The shaggy coated Schwarzhalsziegen were originally bred to survive hard frozen winters in mountain farms around Germany, reports the Austrian Times.

via Daily Express | Odd News :: Bumbling thieves steal rare goat-sheep in Volkswagen hatchback.

Oh yes my friend, the Schwarzhalsziegen are quite real.