NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY
Podogymnura intermedia
WHAT IS IT? With its golden-brown fur and pointed nose, P. intermedia looks a lot like a shrew but belongs to a group of mammals known as gymnures. This new species is part of the Podogymnura genus, which until recently had just two species in it. However, as well as describing P. intermedia, the new paper also elevated P. minima from a subspecies to a distinct species level, doubling the number of species in the genus.
WHERE IS IT? Like the other members of the Podogymnura genus, P. intermedia is found in the Philippines. It was discovered during a survey on the mountains of eastern Mindanao, where there had never been surveys for mammals before.
WHAT DOES THE SCIENTIFIC NAME MEAN? The specific epithet ‘intermedia’ is derived from the Latin word ‘intermedium’, translating to intermediate. It was used for this new hedgehog lookalike as the species is mid-size between the largest member of the genus and the other two smaller species.
Find out more bit.ly/PIntermedia
Megan Shersby