Zaglossus attenboroughi

Facts for Prelims

Zaglossus attenboroughi

News: The species has been rediscovered after more than 60 years. The last recorded sighting was in 1961. The rediscovery occurred in the Cyclops Mountains of Indonesia’s Papua Province.

About:
• Zaglossus attenboroughi, also known as Attenborough’s longbeaked echidna, is a critically endangered species named after the famed British naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
• This unique creature is a monotreme, an evolutionarily distinct group of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus. It has the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater, and the feet of a mole.
• In addition to the echidna, the expedition also discovered many other remarkable finds, including Mayr’s honeyeater (a bird lost to science since 2008), an entirely new genus of tree-dwelling shrimp, countless new species of insects, and a previously unknown cave system.
• The rediscovery of this elusive creature is significant for the conservation of biodiversity and provides hope for the survival of this unique branch of the tree of life.