Kiss me, cat!

BBC: 'Bizarre' new mammal discovered

A new species of mammal has been discovered in the mountains of Tanzania, scientists report. The bizarre-looking creature, dubbed Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, is a type of giant elephant shrew, or sengi.

The cat-sized animal, which is reported in the Journal of Zoology, looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small anteater.

Wonderful! A shrew the size of a cat, and nobody's seen one before. Well, no western scientist at least. It's truly marvellous that people are still finding new species like this in this day and age.

One thing, though, BBC: it looks absolutely nothing like a miniature antelope.

Postscript: Oh, apparently, in the same way that elephant shrews aren't elephants, they're not shrews either. Pity.

Richard Carter, FCD

Writer and photographer Richard Carter, FCD is the founder of the Friends of Charles Darwin. He lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.WebsiteNewsletterMastodonetc…

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