Each year scientists name many wonderful new species of animals, plants, and fungi. Let’s meet a few of them. It’s the Look Who’s Here roundup, 2024!
Did you know? You might think we know every species on Earth by now, but NOPE! By some estimates, we only know about 20% – or one out of five – of them. (Read what it means for a new species to be described by science.)
A giant anaconda
One of the largest newly described species is a type of giant anaconda. This huge snake was found on Waorani Indigenous land in the Ecuadorian Amazon. A research team encountered an impressive female specimen measuring 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) in length from head to tail, though local Indigenous communities report encountering even larger individuals.
Deep-sea marvels
On an expedition in the Southeast Pacific, scientists discovered incredible species and the previously unknown underwater mountain they live on! The new-to-science species include deep-sea corals (order Scleractinia), glass sponges, sea urchins (class Echinoidea), amphipods (order Amphipoda), and squat lobsters (family Galatheidae).
Pit vipers and more in the Greater Mekong
The Greater Mekong region in Southeast Asia revealed some of the year’s most distinctive species. Local nature enthusiasts and researchers documented a hedgehog species with fang-like teeth, leading to its name vampire hedgehog. They also described a pit viper whose scales create the appearance of dramatic eyelashes, and a karst dragon lizard first noticed by a local tour guide.
Toothed toads
Two new species of rare, toothed toads were discovered in Vietnam and China: the Mount Po Ma Lung toothed toad and the Yanyuan toothed toad. These amphibians have an unusual row of tiny teeth on the roof of their mouths. The discovery brings the total known toothed toad species to 21.
A new wild cat
In exciting news for cat lovers, scientists formally described a new small wild cat species, the clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides). This newly described cat species is found in high-altitude cloud forests from Central to South America.
A ghostly palm
This species of rattan palm is an example of how Indigenous communities sometimes know about species long before science catches up. Local Iban communities in western Borneo have used the rattan palm for basketry and edible shoots for a long time. The newly described Plectocomiopsis hantu is known for its ghostly appearance, with white undersides to the leaves and gray stems. The word “hantu” in the palm’s scientific name means ghost in Indonesian and Malay. This plant is currently known from only three locations in or near protected rainforest habitats in Borneo.
What exciting new species will be revealed in the year ahead? Stay tuned and find out! Or better yet, get outside and look for some hidden species yourself!
Get outside
The Seek app by iNaturalist can help you learn the names of plants, animals, and fungi:
David Brown adapted this story for Mongabay Kids. It is based on an article by Liz Kimbrough, published on Mongabay News. Click the link to read about more amazing species named in 2024:
