4 New Mammal Species Discovered In Democratic Republic of Congo

On conducting an extensive study on mammals in Africa, Chicago scientists found four new mammal species in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Africa has often been referred to as the land of all possibilities when it comes to the discovery of new flora and fauna. In one such discovery, a group of Chicago researchers found four new mammal species in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Three new species from a single forest (with a fourth from a nearby forest) is quite unique," Julian Kerbis Peterhans, a Roosevelt University professor said in a press statement. "More often such finds would be made on island ecosystems. However, the highlands in which these species reside are isolated from adjacent forests and mountains by savannah habitats and low elevation streams."

Details of the mammals are sketchy. But in the German journal Bonn Zoological Bulletin, Kerbis and his team have described two new species of shrews and another two species of bats. It seems the region where they were located is a gold mine for discovering new species.

Wildlife Conservation Society and Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles (CRSN) researchers are currently working on a research that describes three new species of frogs and one new chameleon species, all of which were found in the same region. The researchers also confirmed the high possibility of the existence of a unique squirrel and monkey. These were first recorded in historical surveys and collections dating from the 1950s. What makes the discovery all the more interesting is that all the species were discovered in less than 30 days in 2007.

"Given the clear importance of this site, we are working closely with the local communities and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect this unique area," reported Dr. Andrew Plumptre, director of WCS's Albertine Rift Program. "The local community has elected to create a new national park here to protect these unique species, but concerns over mining concessions that have been granted in the area are hampering its creation."