Scientists hope to catch the most mysterious mammal on the planet

in #science6 years ago

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Biologists are closer than ever to finding a living specimen of the mysterious Zenkerella insignis in nature after they recently discovered three dead animals on the island of Bijco near the coast of Africa.

The mysterious rodent, which resembles a squirrel with an exceptionally fluffy tail, has eluded scientists for years.

"Zenquirela may be considered the most elusive Pokémon, which scientists have not yet managed to catch alive," said Eric Seffert of the University of Southern California.

"Probably only comes out in the middle of the night, diving in the jungles of Central Africa, and spends most of its time high on the trees where it is extremely difficult to see."

Often called "live fossil", the zenquerle does not seem to have changed much for its 49 million year history, though it is one of the planet's least known mammals.

Lastly, for the mercenary, it is claimed to have been seen twenty years ago. There are 11 copies in the world's museums, not counting the last three on the island of Bijco.

The Seyfert team has been able to investigate DNA samples from the rodent and has found that it is sufficiently different from any other known species to obtain a separate own classification.

Source: www.euroscientist.com , www.pixabay.com

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Interesting information, it would be nice if there would be more photos of this mammal. I guess its different than a flying squirel.

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