A completely new family of rodents, a kind of rat has
been found in Laos. The animal has long whiskers, stubby legs and a
tail covered in dense hair and was on sale in a hunters’ market. Dr
Robert Timmins working with the Wildlife Conservation Society in
Thailand saw that it was probably unknown to science and brought it to
the attention of his colleagues. “It was for sale on a table
next to some vegetables,” said Dr Timmins. “I knew
immediately it was something I had never seen before.”
“To find something so distinct in this day and age is just
extraordinary. For all we know, this could be the last remaining mammal
family left to be discovered,” Dr Timmins said.