Isolated forest in Congo holds new species

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), has visited a forest in northeastern Congo, by Lake Tanganyika. Civil war has kept people away for about fifty years. Perhaps that explains why the area is rich in large mammals. The expedition discovered six new species, including two frogs and one bat. The forest itself, in the Matoshi-Kabogo region, has been isolated for about 10,000 years.

On the other end of the scale…

British field crickets, Gryllus campestris, are one of the most endangered species in England. At one time there were thought to be only 100 in the wild. The one pictured is from a captive breeding program.