Red-Crested Tree-Rat

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Endangered species and extinct species are something we all read about. Nobody wants to have any of our animal kingdom just disappear forever. People try very hard to prevent the whole population of an animal die out. Often there are group movements such as "Save the Whales". Wolves are re-introduced to land they were chased from. What if these movements would not be necessary?


Lately I have been reading about animals that were previously thought to be extinct being discovered alive. They may not be flourishing but there they are. Take the case of the red-crested tree-rat.

Also known as the red-crested soft-furred spiny-rat, this rodent is about the size of a guinea pig. The last one seen was 113 years ago. Two specimens were studied in 1898. That provided most of the information available about them.

That seemed to be the last of these creatures. Then recently in a nature reserve in Colombia volunteers spotted this guy.

Apparently he just climbed up a guardrail near the workers and studied them as they studied him. So far he is the only one sighted. Now the species has been listed as critically endangered instead of extinct. I just wonder if he has any shy buddies.

Copas


Comments

  1. Out on the prairieNovember 10, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    sad to ever hear of anything leaving but the numbers are staggering

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  2. CopasNovember 11, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    The numbers are staggering. I do understand about evolution and survival of the strong. I am beginning to wonder whether those in the know are too quick to declare an animal as extinct. There have been a lot of animals discovered lately that had been named as extinct. For instance, in Thailand they recently discovered hundreds of apes that had been thought to be extinct. They were flourishing in and around an abandoned temple.

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