Check out this blog, which is beautifully and simply entitled “Species New to Science.” It includes lots of wonderful abstracts to studies that reveal all sorts of newly discovered species.
Including the Annamite striped rabbit (Neolagus timminsi), a species of rabbit discovered in Vietnam and Laos in 2000:
Freaky, eh?
Rabbit fanciers would probably love to get their hands on that pattern, it’s very striking.
That’s one badass looking rabbit.
I’d be fascinated to hear the theories on the survival value of that pattern.
It’s a very cryptic pattern. Note how it breaks up the outline of the bunny’s body. No doubt it’s very difficult to pick them out from among the leaves and debris on the forest floor, especially in low light.
I was thinking the same thing. It has many of the visual hallmarks of certain vipers such as the Bushmaster or the Gaboon Viper, thus marking a major difference between a forest-dwelling species and a grassland-living species.
Saw a beautiful documentary last night concerning a British scientific expedition to New Guinea during which we were shown a large number of new species filmed in the rainforest literally as they were being discovered and being seen here for the very first time – while twenty miles away that very forest was being clear felled with species gone before mankind even knew they were there.