A shape-shifting frog from Ecuador, a giant virus from Siberia, a bioluminescent shark, a ruby seadragon, and the world’s smallest snail are among the twenty most bizarre species discovered in 2015.
1. Milton’s titi monkey (Callicebus miltoni), a species of monkey from Brazil:
Family group of Milton’s titi monkeys (Callicebus miltoni) in the undercanopy of the ombrophilous forest at Panelas, right bank of the Roosevelt River, northwestern Mato Grosso, Brazil. Image credit: A. Gambarini.
Milton’s titi monkeys are found in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Rondônia.
Like their close relatives, these monkeys live in small groups consisting of a mated pair and their offspring. The groups are territorial and use warning calls to keep others at bay – they are particularly vociferous early in the morning and during the rainy season.
Because they are not able to swim or cross mountainous terrain, Milton’s titi monkeys are restricted to a small area, effectively hemmed in by a number of rivers and hills.
2. Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra ssp. donfaustoi), a subspecies of Galapagos giant tortoise:
The Eastern Santa Cruz Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra ssp. donfaustoi). Image credit: Washington Tapia.
The Eastern Santa Cruz tortoise is found only on the island of Santa Cruz, Galapagos Archipelago.
The subspecies name, donfaustoi, honors Galapagos National Park ranger Fausto Llerena Sánchez, known to his friends and colleagues as Don Fausto.
3. Pristimantis mutabilis, a shape-shifting frog from Ecuador:
Skin texture variation in one individual Pristimantis mutabilis; note how skin texture shifts from highly tubercular to almost smooth; also note the relative size of the tubercles on the eyelid, lower lip, dorsum and limbs. Image credit: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Pristimantis mutabilis can be found in the Reserva Las Gralarias, Pichincha, north-central Ecuador.
It is believed to be the first amphibian known to have a shape-shifting capability.
4. Maratus jactatus, a species of peacock spider from Australia:
Maratus jactatus, male. Image credit: Jurgen Otto / David Hill.
Maratus jactatus, nicknamed Sparklemuffin, is a tiny spider: males are barely 4.5 mm long, though females are a bit bigger, up to 5.3 mm long.
The species name jactatus means ‘rocking (jolting)’ in Latin, a reference to the very rapid lateral rocking that punctuates the courtship display of males of this species.
According to scientists, “male Maratus jactatus display by tilting the expanded fan to one side or the other, and then moving the extended ipsilateral leg III, mostly behind the fan.”
5. White-cheeked macaque (Macaca leucogenys), a species of monkey from Tibet:
White-cheeked macaques (Macaca leucogenys), juveniles of different age. Image credit: Cheng Li et al.
The white-cheeked macaque is robust, heavy-bodied with a relatively short tail.
Modog County, Southeast Tibet, is the only known range of white-cheeked macaque, though its range may extend to neighboring counties in Tibet and the part of southeastern Tibet controlled by India.
The species can be found in many different habitats, from tropical forest at 1,395 m, to primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest at 2,000 m, as well as mixed broadleaf-conifer forest at 2,700 m.
6. Lasiognathus dinema, a species of anglerfish from the deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico:
Lasiognathus dinema, female about 30 mm long. Image credit: Theodore Pietsch.
Lasiognathus dinema lives at depths ranging between 3,280 and 4,900 feet (1,000 and 1,500 m).
Only three individuals of this species – all females – were collected. They ranged in size from 1.2 to 3.7 inches (3 to 9.5 cm) in length. They were collected as part of an ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pursuant to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
7. Wilkins’ rock-wallaby (Petrogale wilkinsi), a species of marsupial from Australia:
An adult male of the Wilkins’ rock-wallaby (Petrogale wilkinsi) photographed in Litchfield National Park, Australia. Image credit: Emily Miller.
The Wilkins’ rock-wallaby is found in the northern and eastern Northern Territory, Australia.
The species is named after Australian explorer, naturalist and aviator Capt Sir George Hubert Wilkins who, in 1925, collected one of the first specimens in southwestern Arnhem Land.
Another common name suggested for the Wilkins’ rock-wallaby is the Eastern short-eared rock-wallaby.
8. Ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea), a species of seadragon:
The Ruby Seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea). Image credit: Western Australian Museum.
The Ruby seadragon is only the third known species of seadragon and the first to be discovered in 150 years.
The holotype specimen was trawled east of the remote Recherche Archipelago in 51 m, additional specimens extend the distribution west to Perth in 72 m. The color of the specimen was a bright shade of red.
Scientists believe the species’ coloring suggests it inhabits deeper waters than other seadragon species, as the red shading would be absorbed at depth and effectively serve as camouflage.
9. African golden wolf (Canis anthus), a species of canid from Africa:
The African golden wolf (Canis anthus) in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Image credit: Gordon E. Robertson / CC BY-SA 3.0.
The African golden wolf is native to north and northeastern Africa.
10. Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus andysabini), a species of lemur from northern Madagascar:
The Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus andysabini) in its natural habitat. The population of this new species is found in and just outside the boundaries of Montagne d’Ambre National Park, Madagascar. Image credit: Edward E. Louis, Jr.
The Montagne d’Ambre dwarf lemur measures 6.3-7.1 inches (16-18 cm) long, with a tail length of 10.2-10.6 inches (26-27 cm).
About the size of a small squirrel, this animal weighs 250-310 g. It is reddish-brown in color with a white underside and has brownish-black rings around the eyes.
It is known from the Montagne d’Ambre National Park and areas nearby around the town of Joffreville, northwest of the Irodo River in northern Madagascar.
