C. subspinosus, I presume?C. subspinosus, I presume? An unusual animal has beenrediscovered in the tropical forests of eastern Brazil, after being "lost" for more than30 years. The thin-spined porcupine porcupine, in zoology porcupine, member of either of two rodent families, characterized by having some of its hairs modified as bristles, spines, or quills. , Chaetomys subspinosus, had not been sighted by scientists for decades and was feared extinct until a Brazilian biologist sigted it in December. A local hunter led the biologist,Ilmar Bastos Santos, to a tree containing two of the nocturnal porcupines Noun 1. porcupines - meat patties rolled in rice and simmered in a tomato sauce porcupine ball meatball - ground meat formed into a ball and fried or simmered in broth , according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a report by the World Wildlife Fund. Santos's photos are only the second set ever taken of a live thin-spined porcupine. The first was taken in 1952. In addition to proving the species is not extinct, rediscoveryof the animal gives scientists more opportunity to solve some mysteries surrounding C. subspinosus. With hairs more like bristles than spines, the thin-spined porcupine may not even be a porcupine, but a member of the spiny rat family instead. Or it may have a unique niche between the porcupine and spiny spiny sharp spines protrude. spiny amaranth amaranthusspinosum. spiny anteater see echidna. spiny clotburr xanthiumspinosum. spiny emex see emex australis. rate familiies, says a report by Santos and others. World Wildlife Fund officials caution that the fact that theanimal is not extinct is no guarantee it will escape the spreading destruction of the tropical forest region where it lives. According to World Wildlife Fund Vice-President Russell A. Mittermeier, "the species will require special attention if it is to survive." The endangered forested area also is the only home of species like the maned sloth sloth (slōth, slôth), arboreal mammal found in Central and South America distantly related to armadillos and anteaters. Sloths live in tropical forests, where they sleep, eat, and travel through the trees suspended upside down, clinging to and golden-headed lion tamarin The Golden-headed Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas) is a lion tamarin, and just like the others, also endemic to Brazil. It is found only in the lowland and premontane tropical forest fragments in the state of Bahia, and therefore, it is considered to be an monkey. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion