Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough's Long-beaked Echidna)

[another specialist]

We well all be waiting eagerly for news and updates.

[ktdykes]

melanie said:

Here is a paper by Tim Flannery where he describes this species

My belated thanks for posting that, Melanie. I only just noticed. I've been wanting some kind of newish study of Zaglosus for ages. Hopefully, I can anchor an article on it at some stage. Presently, my entry on this species is ever so slightly concise: "Extinct". At the very least I should add the word 'possibly'.

Mesozoic? Mammals - Monotremata
home.arcor.de/ktdykes/monotrem.htm

[another specialist]

ktdykes interesting website you have

[ktdykes]

anotherspecialist said:

ktdykes interesting website you have

I'm a Mesozoic Cynodont addict, AnotherSpecialist. The monotreme directory is just one of about three dozen. Generally, they deal with cynodonts (including mammals) extending from the Upper Permian undtil the final performance of the Cretaceous. In some cases, especially monotremes and multituberculates, I follow them further. And then there are 50 or so locality articles, essays on particular physical features and so on and so forth. The present priority is to construct a framework for all British Mesozoic eucynodont localities.

Happily, that's liable to be interrupted by new stuff on Triassic critters from southern Africa, and a review of a group of mammals from Gondwana called australosphenidans.

[sebbe67]

Search for Attenborough’s echidna PART 1

In May of 2007 the EDGE team sent out a preliminary research expedition to search for Attenborough’s long-beaked (a remarkable small spiny egg-laying mammal with an enormous nose) in Papua. Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna was discovered by a Dutch botanist in 1961 at 1,600 m in the cloud forest of the Cyclops Mountains. It has not been recorded since and many scientists have suggested it may now be extinct.

My name is Jonathan Baillie and I have just retuned from the Cyclops Mountains and will be posting a series of updates from this research expedition.

Attenborough’s echidna is one of five monotreme’s (egg-laying mammals) that first inhabited the earth around the time of the dinosaurs. This group includes the duck-billed platypus which helps demonstrate how different these species are from all other mammals. When the platypus was first discovered by western scientists it was thought to be an elaborate hoax comprising parts of different animals skilfully stitched together.

Despite the fact that Attenborough’s echidna is one of the most evolutionarily distinct mammals on the planet and it is possibly extinct, no research or species specific conservation has ever been undertaken.

The EDGE team aims to make sure that remarkable species such as this do not fall through the conservation net and slide to extinction unnoticed. We want to collect the baseline information on species’ status, distribution, ecology, and threat processes so that effective conservation planning can take place. Essentially, we want to put these neglected species on the map and initiate the implementation of appropriate conservation actions.

The main objectives of the expedition were to:

1. Develop local partnerships.
2. Assess whether Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna still exists.
3. Assess whether it is truly a distinct species.
4. Assess threat processes to Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna and other wildlife in the Cyclops Mountains.
5. Identify future potential research sites.
6. Identify EDGE Fellows (local young scientists) to conduct further studies.

From London I flew to Jakarta and then on to Jayapura, Papua (formerly Irian Jaya).

As we were landing in Jayapura I could see the Cyclops Mountain range dramatically rising from the sea. Dense tropical forest covered a series of steep, almost vertical ridges. I wanted to assess how difficult the peaks looked to climb, but they were constantly covered in cloud.

To be continued…

www.edgeofexistence.org/blog/?p=65

[sebbe67]

Search for Attenborough’s echidna PART 2

As we were landing in Jayapura I could see the Cyclops Mountain range dramatically rising from the sea. Dense tropical forest covered a series of steep, almost vertical ridges. I wanted to assess how difficult the peaks were to climb, but they were constantly covered in cloud.

Upon landing we met our local partners from Conservation International who helped co-ordinate the expedition and navigate the various layers of bureaucracy of which there are many. To enter the Cyclops Mountain range we had wait to have official documents signed by the Police and Forestry Departments and verbal permission from various Onduafies (regional tribal chiefs). Failing at any one of these hurdles could mean the end of the expedition. The Forestry Department agreed to send along three of their staff: John, Daniel, and Seppy. Unlike the others, Seppy was from the forestry police department and I think was really sent along for our security. He stayed with us at all times and I soon discovered that he had been one of Indonesia’s greatest boxers. His English was limited, but he commonly said “if Mr. Jonathan Goes, Mr Seppy goes”.

On the 11th we were finally given the official letters allowing us to visit the villages along the sea on the north side of the Cyclops Mountains. We immediately organized transport and drove all the way around the south side of the mountains along Lake Santani (see above) until we reached the town of Depapura. From there, we climbed in the back of a pickup and bounced along an old dirt road for half an hour until we reached the sleepy town of Wambena on the ocean side of the Cyclops.

The Children were not accustomed to seeing westerners and rather enjoyed watching us talk to the older villagers about a strange creature they had never seen. They all had biblical names. Solomon, the one in the centre was the son of our guide.

It was not a great start. No one had actually seen an echidna. Finally, an older man in his mid 70s, Mr Simon Ormuseray told me he knew the name for the species in his local language. They call it Payangko. This was extremely encouraging, as an old local word for the species indicates that it once inhabited the area. In the afternoon we went for a hike in the mountains behind the village where we found at least four wood snares along the rout and agricultural activity up to 200 meters. It was clear that the forest immediately around the village was heavily exploited. However, bushmeat is less important here then the inland areas as more then half their diet comes from the sea

The following morning came early (4:30). I can’t remember if it was the roosters or the children’s church choir that started first, and just in case anyone was not aware that it was time for prayer, our guide Yahoda walked through the village banging a large mettle pot. The missionaries have been extremely successful at converting the tribes in the Cyclops region and a church dominates the centre of every village. I could not keep track of all the religious holidays and hiking on a Sunday appeared to be a non starter.

The Wambena locals informed us the best place to climb to the high peaks of the Cyclops Mountains was to start from a village called little Yongsu (a village to the west), but no-one knew of anyone who had ever been to the higher peaks. Once church had ended we climbed into a pick up and drove through coastal rainforest and small plantations until we arrived in Dormena. Here we organized a local boat to take us to little Yongsu. While waiting, one of the locals said there was an old man who knew something about the echidna but that he was not currently in the village.

From the ocean we could see many areas where deforestation (for small plantations) had occurred to about 100 m and in some areas it was so steep that landslides were sure to follow. Three months earlier there had been heavy rains and massive landslides on the south side of the mountains. At higher elevations it was reassuring that echidna habitat did not appear to be seriously threatened by deforestation on the north side of the mountains.

Just off the coast of little Yongsu we tried to identify the best place to climb to the higher peaks, but the clouds were relentless.

As we made our way to shore I had a feeling that it would be in the village of little Yongsu that would begin to unravel the mystery of Attenborough’s echidna.

End of part two

www.edgeofexistence.org/blog/?p=67

[ktdykes]

sebbe67 said:

Attenborough’s echidna is one of five monotreme’s (egg-laying mammals) that first inhabited the earth around the time of the dinosaurs.

I can add slightly to that. The oldest known montreme fossils date from the Lower Cretaceous of Victoria. I think the earliest of those is an arm bone named Kryoryctes cadburyi. That was picked up at Dinosaur Cove. Excavations at a site further north, Flat Rocks, are still underway, and the finds emerging there include Teinolophos. Probably slightly younger examples have also been found in New South Wales in the opal fields of Lightning Ridge: Kollikodon and Steropodon.

Although the gang is now entirely Australasian, it used to have a somewhat wider range. A Paleocene genus, Monotrematum, has been identified in Argentinian Patagonia. Only teeth have so far been found, but they're monotreme molars. Presumably, its ancestors went walkabout across Antarctica, but no monotreme remains have yet emerged from there.

[sebbe67]

If, like me, you have been enjoying reading about Jonathan’s research in the Cyclops Mountains, make sure you check out next week’s instalment. Without giving too much away, I think it is safe to say that his next blog will reveal some exciting news

www.edgeofexistence.org/edgeblog/?p=72

It has been rediscovered? I guess we will have to wait to next week to find out, already looking forward to next update.

[Melanie]

Extinct? It’s right under our noses...
Sunday, July 15, 2007


A creature named after Sir David Attenborough and thought to be extinct for nearly 50 years has been seen again.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, which lives in Papua New Guinea, left tell-tale burrows and nose-pokes for scientists to spot.

The sighting of the animal has prompted researchers at the Zoological Society of London to plan a return trek to the region to work on conservation.

Dr Jonathan Ballie, of the ZSL, said: 'Our expedition will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to study one of the most extraordinary species on the planet and discover some new ones.'

The echidna was first recorded by a Dutch botanist in 1961 and had not been seen since.

But tribes living in the jungle on the slopes of the Cyclops Mountains in Papua New Guinea, who call the echidna payangko, reported seeing one as recently as 2005.

Zoologists spoke to tribe members and found tracks of the animal, which makes distinctive holes in the ground with its equally distinctive nose while looking for worms to eat.

Dr Ballie said: 'In addition to Attenborough's echidna we found an astonishingly vast array of biodiversity, some of which is highly unlikely to be known to science.'

The ZSL plans to return to the jungle to work on preserving the species and its environment.

Its expedition is part of a programme, to find out more about the world's most distinct and endangered animals.

[Melanie]

moved to rediscovered

[Melanie]

Tribesman who dined on 'delicious' rare bird proves it's not extinct
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By Lewis Smith
Monday July 16 2007


FEARS that one of the world's rarest creatures had been driven to extinction have been allayed by a tribesman who told conservationists he had recently eaten one.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, a little-known, primitive mammal that lays eggs, lives in Papua New Guinea. Only one specimen, found in 1961, has ever been seen by scientists.

But fresh evidence that proves the echidna, which was named in honour of the naturalist Sir David Attenborough, is still alive has been found during an expedition by zoologists. Seven people told scientists that they had seen the spiny creature, which is related to the platypus.

One of the villagers said that he had trapped one in a snare and eaten it in the jungle, being unaware of how rare and sought-after the echidna was. "It was delicious," he said.

Further proof of the echidna's survival was found in the form of holes in the ground which showed where the creature had been hunting for worms. The holes were from the animal's distinctive beak and in some places it had pressed so far into the soft mud that it had left impressions of its head in the ground. Burrows were also found but none was occupied.

Sir David Attenborough was delighted to learn that a creature was still alive. "That is good news," he enthused. "Of course, I'm delighted."

The expedition to find the echidna was part of the Zoological Society of London's Edge programme which aims to find, learn about and help to protect some of the world's most endangered animals. It was led by Dr Jonathan Baillie of the ZSL, who said the discovery that villagers in the Cyclops Mountains of Papua New Guinea were familiar with the echidna was immensely reassuring, even if they did eat them occasionally.

He is planning to return to set up camera traps in the hope of photographing one of the shy, nocturnal animals. He said the conversations with villagers and the nose impressions in the ground indicated that the species had a much wider range than previously believed. The original specimen was discovered at 1,600 metres up a mountain but it is now known that the animal can live much lower down, at 160 metres. They are estimated to live in an area of 100 square kilometres.

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, Zaglossus attenboroughi, was first found in 1961 and the captured specimen was sent to the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, the Netherlands, for storage.

However, it was only in 1998 when the specimen was analysed that it was realised the animal represented an unrecognised species. (© The Times, London)

[Melanie]

'Extinct' egg-laying mammal rediscovered in jungles of New Guinea
mongabay.com
July 15, 2007



An egg-laying mammal thought extinct for nearly 50 years has been rediscovered in the Indonesian province of Papua on the island of New Guinea, reports BBC News.

The creature, called Attenborough's long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi) after TV personality Sir David Attenborough, was only known to biologists through a specimen dating from 1961. The burrowing marsupial was rediscovered by a team of scientists on a month-long expedition in Cyclops Mountains Reserve organized by the Zoological Society of London.

"We hope that Sir David Attenborough will be delighted to hear that his namesake species is still surviving in the wilds of the Papaun jungle," BBC News quoted Jonathan Baillie, ZSL's Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) program manager as saying.

While nothing is known about the biology of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, other echidna in New Guinea and Australia are nocturnal and feed on earthworms in forest litter and soil. The echidna is one of five surviving types of monotremes (egg-laying mammals) -- four other species of echidna and the platypus -- that have inhabited Earth since around the time of the dinosaurs. Echidna are covered coarse hair and spines they use for defense.

The team plans to return next year to the Cyclops Mountains to photograph the species, according to BBC News.

[Melanie]

New hope over 'extinct' echidna

Specimen of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna

Enlarge Image

A species of egg-laying mammal, named after TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough, is not extinct as was previously thought, say scientists.

On a recent visit to Papua's Cyclops Mountains, researchers uncovered burrows and tracks made by the Attenborough's long-beaked echidna.

The species is only known to biologists through a specimen from 1961, which is housed in a museum in the Netherlands.

The team will return to Papua next year to find and photograph the creature.

The month-long expedition by scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) involved travelling to parts of the mountain range, covered by thick jungle, which had remained unexplored for more than 45 years.

Lone specimen

Jonathan Baillie, ZSL's Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) programme manager, said: "We hope that Sir David Attenborough will be delighted to hear that his namesake species is still surviving in the wilds of the Papaun jungle."


The creature had not been recorded since a Dutch botanist collected the only known specimen in the cloud forest of the Cyclops Mountains in 1961.

As a result, it was widely assumed that the shoe box-sized species (Zaglossus attenboroughi) was extinct.

But while the Edge team were in the area, they spoke to local tribespeople who said that they had seen the creature as recently as 2005.

The scientists also discovered "nose pokes", holes in the ground made by the echidnas as they stuck their long noses into soil to feed.

In the programme's blog, Dr Baillie wrote: "Attenborough's echidna is one of five monotremes (egg-laying mammals) that first inhabited the Earth around the time of the dinosaurs.

Parts of the Cyclops Mountains were unexplored for more than 45 years


"This group includes the duck-billed platypus, which helps demonstrate how different these are from all other mammals."

Very little is known about the animal's ecology. It is thought that it is nocturnal, foraging for earthworms among the forest litter, then spending the day resting in shallow burrows or hollow logs.

When threatened, it is believed the solitary living echidna erects its spine-covered coat to protect it from predators.

The team is planning to return to the Cyclops Mountains next year to carry out further research and to also install camera traps in order to photograph a living Attenborough's long-beaked echidna.

[sebbe67]

Search for Attenborough’s echidna (Part 3)

Just before landing, one of the passengers, named Mr Paulus Ormuseray told me that he had seen an echidna at about 200m elevation in the hills behind little Yongsu village in 1980. When I showed him the picture of a different species of long-beaked echidna from the western highlands he said the animal that he saw was similar, but was smaller, about a foot long, and had a shorter straighter beak.

This was extremely exciting news, as echidnas are not usually found at such low elevation, and everything that Mr Paulus Ormuseray said was consistent with Flannery and Groves’ (1998) description of the only existing museum specimen of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi). See here for more information.

Flannery and Groves (1998) identified the main characteristics differentiating Attenborough’s echidna from all other long-beaked echidnas as:

(1) An overall smaller size;
(2) Shorter, finer, dense fur;
(3) A brown colour (close to raw umber); and,
(4) A shorter, straighter beak.

However, the single specimen of Attenborough’s echidna, currently residing at the Leiden National Museum of Natural History, is in poor condition - as can be seen from the below X-ray of the broken break - so it is difficult to be certain that it is truly a distinct species.

It was therefore very encouraging that Mr Paulus Ormuseray’s description supported the fact that the species found in the Cyclops Mountains is truly different from all others. The only thing he said that was not consistent with the description of the museum specimen was that the species was a black colour, not brown.

Another point that supports that theory that Attenborough’s echidna is a distinct species is that it is isolated to a mountain range far away from all other long-beaked echidnas. The closest population of Long-beaked echidna (Z. b. diamondi) is found roughly 200km to the south, and is the largest of all the echidnas.


Another point that supports that theory that Attenborough’s echidna is a distinct species is that it is isolated to a mountain range far away from all other long-beaked echidnas. The closest population of Long-beaked echidna (Z. b. diamondi) is found roughly 200km to the south, and is the largest of all the echidnas.

In the late afternoon we reached our destination – a small village house in Little Yongsu. Our gracious host was a man who referred to himself as Bapa – the Indonesian word for father.

Immediately large quantities of betel nut (Areca catechu) appeared – a bitter tasting mildly intoxicating small palm nut. Bapa popped four or five in his mouth and began his enlightening, but lengthy monolog. I was very impressed with our interpreter for deciphering the betel nut induced baritone grumble.

Bapa was roughly 70 and had never seen an echidna in or around Little Yongsu, but he knew the local word ‘Payangko’ and was aware of a number of men who had caught or seen this rare species over the years. Young children were then sent to all corners of the village to summon the hunters who knew something about this curious species. One by one the hunters arrived and recounted detailed stories of when they first saw an echidna.

In total, four men had seen an echidna near Little Yongsu. The most recent sighting was by Ben who snared and ate an Attenborough’s echidna in 2005. He said the meat was very greasy and extremely tasty which, unfortunately for the echidna, is meant to be true.

Strangely, all the sightings were below 300 meters in elevation, which is uncharacteristic of the other species of long-beaked echidna; though common for the short-beaked echidna. All the stories supported Flannery and Groves’ (1998) assertion that Attenborough’s echidnas are much smaller then their relatives (they indicated that they were roughly the size of a shoe box). However, all of them described the species as being black and said that the beak was visibly curved.

I asked them a number of questions about the echidna that would be difficult to answer it they had not held or eaten one. For example, I asked how sharp the teeth were and all of them correctly responded that they do not have teeth. Convinced that the reports were genuine I asked them to take me to the sites where the echidnas were last seen. I also asked them to go with me to the top of the Cyclops Mountains so that we could search the site where Pieter van Royen (a Dutch botanist) collected the only known specimen on July 4th, 1961.

They were more then happy to take me to the sites of the most recent sightings, but were less forthcoming about the top of the Cyclops Mountains. At first they said the echidna did not live at the top of the mountains. Then they said that we would have to climb up and down four heavily forested, almost vertical mountains to get there. They also said it was too cold, wet, and contained not one but four types of leaches, and then, that no-one knew how to get there. When I still expressed an interest they finally said that the land surrounding the higher parts of the Cyclops Mountains, on the north side, was owned by another tribe that could be quite aggressive and that they could not give us permission to go there. It was agreed that over the next few days we would search the sites where echidnas had been reported near Little Yongsu and at the same time one of the villagers would go to Ormu, the next village over and one with better access to the Cyclops Mountains, and ask them permission for us to visit and climb the mountains.

The next day we followed a river to the foothills of the Cyclops Mountains, where we began an intensive search for any signs of this elusive creature. We were south of the village at just below 300m elevation in the late afternoon when one of the villagers told me he had found a number of classic echidna feeding holes or ‘nose pokes’.


www.edgeofexistence.org/edgeblog/?p=76

[sebbe67]

Search for Attenborough’s echidna (Part 4)
6th September, 2007

We quickly moved over to inspect what the hunter described as a “Payangko feeding hole”. Immediately the hunters agreed that this is where an Attenborough’s echidna had recently been feeding. I was skeptical at first, but upon inspection the feeding marks looked like classic echidna nose pokes. When echidnas feed they probe their long beak into the ground, leaving a deep conical imprint in soft soil or leaf litter. Sometimes this print even provides an outline of the top the echidnas head. The drawings below demonstrate the various imprints typically left by long beaked echidnas.

There were three good examples of these ‘nose pokes’ in the soil in relatively close proximity, and a fourth nearby in a large termite mound. The location of the fourth nose poke was quite interesting because while the short beak echidna commonly feeds on termites, this has not been documented in long beaked echidnas. However, the termite mound looked a little old - so it is possible that it was feeding on invertebrates other then termites. Echidnas commonly spend their days in a burrow or under a log and feed in the evenings, so we decided to come back to this location the following night to see if we could find the animal while it was active.

Leaving the nose pokes, we then followed a mountain ridge south until we reached the site where the last documented Attenborough’s echidna had been killed and eaten. Ben showed us where the strange animal was snared and the coals from the fire where it was eaten. He described taste and the anatomy in detail, leaving me with little doubt that he had consumed the creature.

I was amazed that the site was only 166 m above sea level because Attenborough’s echidna was thought to only exist in the highest peaks of the Cyclops Mountains. This finding is very encouraging as it slightly extends the known distribution of the species.

When we arrived back to our base we received news that the Ormu tribe was willing to let us visit, but that we would have to make a donation to the church of about $300. I very much wanted to go to Ormu as it appeared to be the easiest place from which to climb to the top of the Cyclops Mountains, but I did not think a rather large forced donation to the church was the best way to start a conservation partnership. I asked Yahoda’s brother to return to Ormu to explain that we were doing and re-negotiate.

In the meantime we gathered all the camping equipment and made our way back to the site where we has seen the echidna tracks. That night we sat silently in the darkness waiting and listing for a small spiny mammal foraging in the earth. We did the same the following night at the site where the echidna had been eaten. Twice I heard an animal moving in the dark and quickly aimed my light in the direction of the moving vegetation. The first creature was a small terrified bandicoot, and the second, an irritable fruit bat. I also came across many strange invertebrates that I had never seen before such as this enormous spider (I would be grateful if someone could identify it for me) but alas, no echidnas.

When we returned to our base Yahoda’s brother told me that the Ormu tribe had now decided to let us visit, but that we would have to pay $600 instead of $300! I laughed, and started packing for Dormena. From Dormena it would be a long hike from the central mountains to the higher peaks, but I thought it would still be possible. I also wanted to go there to see if we could track down the old man who had a story to tell about the echidna.

When I got to Dormena I asked for the old man, who was named David Abusay. The villagers told me that he was not around. When I asked when he would be back they said he was dead. They then brought his younger brother to tell me the story of the echidna. He told me that in 1920 his brother had caught an echidna, and that this was the last time that one had been used for their traditional peace ceremony. He explained that if there is conflict between two people or two families, eating an Attenborough’s echidna together would bring peace. I also heard a slightly different story from another old person who said if someone had done something wrong in the village they would have to either pay a fine or find an echidna – and most people ended up paying the fine. The second story indicates that they have been rare for some time. It was wonderful to hear that the species was culturally significant, but unfortunate that the echidna had to be consumed during the peace process.

When I enquired about climbing to the higher peaks it sparked a major discussion leading to a village meeting that continued late into the evening. At 11pm the village chief finally came to the house where I was waiting. Nothing was said for the longest time, but the outcome was clear. He finally told me that we could not go into the hills above their village because foreigners never go there and they were also worried about the safety of our guide Yahoda, as the mountains were a very wet confusing and dangerous place. There was also a concern that we might anger the mountain and cause a landslide. They told me this happened many years ago when some people ventured into the hills behind the next village.

I was very disappointed as I was determine to get to the site where Pieter van Royen found the type specimen, but at the same time I was happy that these local customs were reducing pressure on what is likely to be the echidna’s key habitat. I knew at this point that I was not going to be able to climb the mountains from the North side and would have to go back to Jayapura and go through the long permission process again to climb the southeast part of the mountain range that was owned by a very different tribe with a different language and traditions.

On our way back to Jayapura I studied the southern slops of the Cyclops Mountains. I also re-read all of Van Royan’s field notes and was able to identify the exact place his journey had begun some 46 years earlier. I then got permission for the Forestry Department, police, military, and the head of the Santani tribe to climb the south-east slope to the peak called Rafini. This time the Forestry Department decided to send two rangers with us as no one from the department had ever been to the top of Rafini.

We cut through thick vegetation following what used to be a major path called the Salt Route. In the days before motorboats people used to commonly follow this path from Santani to Ormu to trade for the much needed salt. A few hours into our hike I noticed some rustling in the tress and waited patiently hoping for a sighting of a cassowary or a tree kangaroo, but out came Wandi – the man that would ultimately guide us to the mysterious peaks. On the second day at 769 m above sea level we came across perfect echidna nose pokes. This time the imprints were very fresh. We decided it was a good place to camp because there was the possibility of seeing the echidna – It was also getting dark, we had completely lost the salt route, and there appeared to be cliffs in every direction. We decided the following morning we would attempt to find the Salt Route again, follow it to the mountain ridge and then head straight for the top of Rafini. I slept soundly that night with no idea of what difficulties lay ahead…

To be continued…

www.edgeofexistence.org/edgeblog/?p=98

[sebbe67]

Search for Attenborough’s echidna (Part 5)

www.edgeofexistence.org/edgeblog/?p=103

[Melanie]

Is there a new survey planned for that species? Especially to get the first photographes of living specimens.

[Melanie]

Taxonomy [top]
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA MAMMALIA MONOTREMATA TACHYGLOSSIDAE

Scientific Name: Zaglossus attenboroughi
Species Authority
Intra-specific Authority: Flannery & Groves, 1998
Common Name/s: English – Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna, Attenborough's Echidna, Cyclops Long-beaked Echidna


Assessment Information [top]
Red List Category & Criteria: Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1
Year Assessed: 2008
Assessor/s Leary, T., Seri, L., Flannery, T., Wright, D., Hamilton, S., Helgen, K., Singadan, R., Menzies, J., Allison, A., James, R., Aplin, K., Salas, L. & Dickman, C.
Evaluator/s: Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km2, all individuals are in a single location, there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, and a decline in the number of mature individuals due to hunting.

Geographic Range [top]
Range Description: This species is known from one specimen collected in 1961 at 1,600 m asl, from a single mountain of Berg Rara in the Cyclops Mountains in extreme northern Papua Province, Indonesia. It has not been located in the adjacent mountain ranges of Torricelli and Bewani (there are fossil records from the Bewani range). It could be found in the Foja Range, which has not been adequately surveyed. An expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in May 2007 found evidence of the species (recent digging activity and burrows), and there was local knowledge of the species that implied its continued existence there, although no echidna was sighted (J. Baillie, in litt.). This expedition concluded that the species probably occurs also at lower elevations than previously thought; 166 to 1,600 m.
Countries: Native:
Indonesia

Population [top]
Population: This species has not been recorded since 1961. An expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in May 2007 found evidence of the species (recent digging activity and burrows), and there was local knowledge of the species that implied its continued existence there. It is thought to have been distributed more widely. It is a large animal that probably occurred at low density and would not have existed in such a small area naturally.
Population Trend: Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology: It is found in tropical montane moss forest. It is likely that this species lays eggs (given what is known of its congeners and from local reports) and the primary food is worms.
Systems: Terrestrial

Threats [top]
Major Threat(s): Hunting by local people continues to be a major threat (J. Baillie, in litt.). The habitat is also being degraded by logging and by the expansion of small-scale agriculture.

Conservation Actions [top]
Conservation Actions: This species is listed on Appendix II of CITES. The area from which the single specimen was collected has been declared a reserve (Flannery and Groves 1998). There is a need to enforce the protection of this area and conduct additional surveys in suitable habitat for remaining populations on Berg Rara and in the Foja Range. Further research is needed into the natural history of the species and into conservation measures to protect it.

Citation: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 06 October 2008.
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www.redlist.org/details/136322

[Melanie]

Jonathan E.M. Baillie , Samuel T. Turvey and Carly Waterman. 2009. Survival of Attenborough’s long-beaked Echidna Zaglossus attenboroughi in New Guinea. Oryx. 43(1); 146–148. DOI: 10.1017/S0030605309002269

www.esf.edu/efb/lomolino/courses/mammaldiversity/disc2/d.pdf

[surroundx]

Part echidna, part anteater and mole: Researchers confirm bizarre creature lives

A scientific expedition to a treacherous mountain range on the island of New Guinea has collected the first-ever photographic evidence confirming the survival of a bizarre, egg-laying mammal. The team also found dozens of undescribed species of insects, as well as newfound arachnids, amphibians and even a shrimp that dwells in trees.

This rediscovered mammal Zaglossus attenboroughi, known as Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna and named for Sir David, has “the quills of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole,” said James Kempton, a biologist at the University of Oxford who led the exploration to the Cyclops Mountains, in the Indonesia province of Papua. Most details about the life history of this critically endangered mammal, which is slightly smaller than a house cat, remain a total mystery.

For years, the echidna was feared extinct. The only prior scientific record of the species was a specimen collected in 1961. “So it is really valuable to understand that it still occurs in the Cyclops Mountains,” said Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute who wasn’t involved in the expedition. “To me, these are some of the most special animals on Earth.”

Read more: www.theage.com.au/world/asia/part-echidna-part-anteater-and-mole-researchers-confirm-bizarre-creature-lives-20231110-p5ej5c.html