{"id":33713,"date":"2023-11-10T11:02:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T10:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/68d66d5a-dcd4-4f50-a1c7-4155d7161f32"},"modified":"2023-11-10T11:37:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T10:37:01","slug":"rare-egg-laying-mammal-named-after-sir-david-attenborough-seen-for-the-first-time-in-60-years-in-indonesias-cyclops-mountains","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/rare-egg-laying-mammal-named-after-sir-david-attenborough-seen-for-the-first-time-in-60-years-in-indonesias-cyclops-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare, egg-laying mammal, named after Sir David Attenborough, seen for the first time in 60 years in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attenborough\u2019s long-beaked echidna, last seen by scientists in 1961, has been photographed for the first time in a tropical forest in Indonesia. <\/p>

By BBC Wildlife Magazine\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 10 November 2023 at 10:02 AM<\/p>

\n\n

More than 60 years after it was last recorded, a team of scientists have rediscovered\u00a0Attenborough\u2019s long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi)<\/em>, an extremely rare, egg-laying mammal known only to live in the Cyclops Mountains of Indonesia’s Papua Province.\u00a0<\/p>

The nocturnal monotreme, a distinct group of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus, was captured for the first time in photos and video footage using over 80 camera traps.\u00a0<\/p>

During their search for the\u00a0long-beaked echidna, the\u00a0international team of researchers, who\u00a0worked with local communities\u00a0on the project, also\u00a0uncovered a wealth of new species, including an extraordinary tree-dwelling shrimp.<\/p>

Did you know, echidnas blow bubbles to keep cool<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Whilst on their quest to find the long-beaked echidna, the team of researchers also discovered an extraordinary tree-dwelling shrimp\/Credit: Expedition Cyclops 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What is a long-beaked echidna?<\/h3>
Dr James Kempton, a biologist from the University of Oxford who led the expedition<\/a>, said: \u201cAttenborough’s long-beaked echidna has the spines of a hedgehog<\/a>, the snout of an anteater<\/a>, and the feet of a mole<\/a>. Because of its hybrid appearance, it shares its name with a creature of Greek mythology that is half human, half serpent.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThe reason it appears so unlike other mammals is because it is a member of the monotremes \u2013 an egg-laying group that separated from the rest of the mammal tree-of-life about 200 million years ago.\u201d<\/p>
Echidnas are nocturnal, live in burrows and are usually very shy, making them notoriously difficult to find.<\/p>
Incredible footage of the long-beaked echidna\/Credit: Expedition Cyclops 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Quest to find one of the world\u2019s rarest animals<\/h3>
To give themselves the best chance of finding\u00a0Attenborough\u2019s long-beaked echidna, the team spent four weeks in the forest, laying more than 80 trail cameras. Amazingly, it wasn\u2019t until the final day of the expedition \u2013 and on the final memory card \u2013 that the team got their first shots of the secretive mammal.<\/p>
The identification of the species was later confirmed by Professor Kristofer Helgen, mammalogist and chief scientist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI<\/a>).<\/p>
\u201cThe discovery is the result of a lot of hard work and over three and a half years of planning,\u201d said Dr James Kempton.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cA key reason why we succeeded is because, with the help of\u00a0\u00a0the Indonesian NGO\u00a0Yayasan Pelayanan Papua Nenda (YAPPENDA<\/a>), we have spent years building a relationship with the community of Yongsu Sapari, a village on the north coast of the Cyclops Mountains. The trust between us was the bedrock of our success because they shared with us the knowledge to navigate these treacherous mountains, and even allowed us to research on lands that have never before felt the tread of human feet.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Cyclops$
Cyclops Mountains, Indonesia\/Credit: Expedition Cyclops 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Remarkable new discoveries in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains<\/h3>
Despite the difficulties posed by extremely inhospitable terrain, venomous\u00a0animals, blood-sucking leeches, malaria, earthquakes and exhausting heat, the team made many other extraordinary findings, including Mayr’s honeyeater, a bird last recorded 2008, and numerous new species of insect. They also discovered an entirely new genus of tree-dwelling shrimp.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cWe were quite shocked to discover this shrimp in the heart of the forest, because it is a remarkable departure from the typical seaside habitat for these animals,\u201d said\u00a0Dr Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou,\u00a0lead entomologist for the expedition.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cWe believe that the high level of rainfall in the Cyclops Mountains means the humidity is great enough for these creatures to live entirely on land.\u201d<\/p>
Dr Kempton added: \u201cThough some might describe the Cyclops as a \u201cGreen Hell\u201d, I think the landscape is magical, at once enchanting and dangerous, like something out of a Tolkien book.\u201d<\/p>
\u201cIn this environment, the camaraderie between the expedition members was fantastic, with everyone helping to keep up morale. In the evening, we exchanged stories around the fire, all the while surrounded by the hoots and peeps of frogs.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Researcher$
One of the expedition team members on the quest to find the long-beaked echidna\/Credit: Expedition Cyclops 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What the future holds for the Cyclops Mountains<\/h3>
Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is the flagship animal of the Cyclops Mountains. The team hope that its rediscovery will help bring attention to the conservation needs of Indonesian New Guinea.\u00a0<\/p>
YAPPENDA are key to the future protection of Indonesian New Guinea\u2019s natural environment, and one of their primary focuses is to empower Indigenous Papuans. Members of YAPPENDA have already helped train six students from\u00a0Cenderawasih University\u00a0(a university in Jayapura, Indonesia) in biodiversity surveys and camera trapping during the expedition.<\/p>
Dr Davranoglou said: \u201cTropical rainforests are among the most important and most threatened terrestrial ecosystems. It is our duty to support our colleagues on the frontline through exchanging knowledge, skills, and equipment.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Researchers$
Researchers’ base in the Cyclops Mountains\/Credit: Expedition Cyclops 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>
More information about the expedition can be found at\u00a0expeditioncyclops.co.uk<\/a><\/p>
Main image, Attenborough\u2019s long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi<\/em>)\/Credit: Cyclops Expedition 2023<\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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