When a new species is discovered in the depths of the rainforest or on top of a mountain, it can be years before the creature is cataloged again.
Separated from science by elevation, water or tangled branches, the species lives undisturbed, its populations existing in an almost-separate world.
Sometimes, so much time passes that scientists can’t be sure whether the animals still exist.
Re:wild, a project funded by anti-extinction laboratory Colossal, is working to rediscover these species “lost to science,” according to a July 17 news release. This includes species that aren’t extinct and may have been observed by local communities, but they have not been identified in a scientific study for an extended period of time.
In a recent expedition to Makira, the largest rainforest in Madagascar, researchers, entomologists and trail guides searched the trees, ground and rivers for 30 “lost” species, according to the release.
“In the past, the Search for Lost Species has primarily looked for one or two species on each expedition, but there are now 4,300 species that we know of around the world that have not been documented in a decade or more,” said Christina Biggs, a Re:wild officer.
“Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, and Makira is an underexplored area within the country. … We convened a group of scientists to search for as many species as possible, and it proved successful.”
Of the 30 species on the need-to-find list, there were three mammals, three fish, seven reptiles, 12 insects and five spiders, according to the release.
The crew searched for five days before local guides and fishers helped to identify all three fish species. The team also rediscovered several species of insects, some of which weren’t on the initial list.
