Mammalwatching.Com back online

In case anyone is wondering www.mammalwatching.com went down for 24 hours during the week – after a mix up over when my visa card expired.  Its now back online. 

 

cheers

 

Jon

Pygmy Tarsiers Re-discovered in Sulawesi

Long-lost ‘Furby-like’ Primate Discovered In Indonesia (November 19, 2008) — Anthropologists have discovered a group of primates not seen alive in 85 years. The pygmy tarsiers, furry Furby-like, or gremlin-looking, creatures about the size of a small mouse and weighing less than two ounces, have not been observed since they were last collected for a museum in 1921. … > full story

Colugo Split into Several Species

Species Diversity Of Enigmatic ‘Flying Lemurs’ Doubled By New Study (November 13, 2008) — Colugos, the closest living relatives of primates most notable for their ability to glide from tree to tree over considerable distances, are more diverse than had previously been believed, according to a new report in Current Biology. … > full story

Trip Report Scotland

Mike Richardson spent a week in Scotland and saw 16 mammal species including a Pine Marten and a probable Wild Cat. His trip report is at the bottom of http://mammalwatching.com/Palearctic/palearctuk.html

I am going to Bhutan a week from today so if anyone makes posts I apologise if I cannot approve them until I get back in early December

 

cheers

 

Jon

Pemba Flying Foxes Recovering

Critically Endangered Fruit Bat Make Dramatic Return From Brink Of Extinction (November 3, 2008) — A once critically endangered bat species, the ‘Pemba flying fox’, has made a dramatic return from the brink of extinction, according to new research. As recently as 1989, only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed on the tropical island of Pemba, off Tanzania. Its numbers have since soared to an astounding 22,000 bats in less than 20 years, the new research finds. … > full story

Opossum ID

opossum in Llanos, Colombia

I know this is a long shot, but I saw this opossum in a dead tree in the Llanos region of Colombia on a recent trip. Any ideas on species? If you look closely, you can see it has large fangs that protrude. The locals say it has a very dark body. I know it’s not a good picture but the opossum was secure in the tree.

Sulawesi Trip Report

Ignacio Yufera spent 3 weeks birding in Sulawesi. He saw a few great mammals too including a Babirusa – something I have always wanted to see.

 

See http://mammalwatching.com/Oriental/orientsulawesi.html

 

Jon

Wolverines in the Rockies

Wolverines roam the Rocky Mountains of the United States–but how many are there? It seems impossible to have anything but a chance encounter with one, and information on populations and home ranges is limited at best.

Camera traps may help researchers–and may show wolverines in new areas. This month, a camera trap photographed a wolverine in the Boise National Forest, north of Boise, Idaho. This one left some hairs at a “hair snare” set for fishers. Hopefully biologists will use such photos and hair samples to get a better handle on wolverine populations. Click here for the wolverine photo and more info. –Matt Miller