5 New Top Species
Glowing cockroach, monkey with a blue posterior and carnivore sponge in a shape of a harp were on the top 10 list of newly discovered species in 2012. Over the last 6 years this list is being compiled by International Research Institute of species, at the Arizona State University, and is being published on the anniversary of Carl von Linne's birth. This Swedish naturalist and scientist made a modern system for naming and classifying the species in 18th century. The professionals working on making of this list were looking for organisms that play a certain role in human environment or related to it.
1. Glowing cockroach
One of the species with peculiar characteristics is a cockroach that glows in the dark, called Lucihomerica luckae. With its glowing properties, this type of cockroach imitates its toxic cousin, thus making predators go away.
2. Carnivore sponge
This is a unique sponge, both by its look and its properties. First of all, it looks like a harp, which is interesting fact by itself, and second of all it's carnivore. This species is called Chondrocladia lyra, lives at three kilometers beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean and has about 20 barbed wires that resemble a harp. When it catches a meaty prey, the sponge wraps it into the thin membrane and slowly begins to digest it.
3. Blue-butt monkey
This monkey with unusually colored butt, called Cercopithecus lomamiensis can be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You could hear this monkey sing at dawn.
4. Night snake
A very unusual snake has found its place on this list. It's a night, snail eating snake found the mountain rage in Panama.
5. 7mm frog
Frog of extremely small size frog, Paedophryne amanuensis, is also on the list. Its length is 7 mm and is now considered the world's smallest vertebrate.
These are top 5, but the rest is also interesting. A black fungus that threatens to damage the drawings in caves from Paleolithic era, and a new kind of hanging flies that imitate leaves resembling the ginkgo tree…