Species

You might think we'd have discovered of all the big animals by now, but Japanese scientists have found a previously-unknown whale species.

​It may not be a Bigfoot or a Loch Ness Monster, but a somewhat creepy new animal species HAS recently been discovered. Named Macrobdella mimicus, it's the first medicinal (human-blood-sucking) leech to be described in North America in over 40 years.

An expedition to the “Lost City of the Monkey God” in Honduras has revealed a trove of natural treasures. The pristine forests house an incredibly rich ecosystem, including species new to science, some unknown in the area, some that haven’t been seen in decades and others that were believed extinct.

Researchers from the California Academy of Science (CAS) have discovered a new species of fish that looks pretty hard to miss with its neon green, pink and yellow coloring.

A new exploration to the Atacama Trench off South America’s west coast has shed new light on one of the Earth’s deepest places, including video evidence of what appears to be three brand new species of marine life. ​

New animal species are constantly turning up in the deep oceans, thick jungles, or even dusty museum store rooms. Here’s our favorite new additions to the Tree of Life in 2017, as well as a couple of “Lazarus” creatures that were believed extinct but rediscovered this year.

An international team of scientists has identified a new species of orangutan, living in an isolated part of North Sumatra. Dubbed Pongo Tapanuliensis, comprehensive studies of its genomes and skull confirmed it as a distinct species. And unfortunately, it’s already critically endangered.

It turns out you don’t need to dig around in the dirt to make new dinosaur discoveries: the back rooms of museums hold just as many secrets. Paleontologists have reexamined controversial old skeletons and confirmed them to be a distinct genus – a discovery that was made, and contested, decades ago.

Solomon Islands locals have long spoken about giant rats that scurry around in trees and crack open coconuts, but it was never clear whether such a species really existed. Now, scientists have found the creatures, and confirmed that they are in fact a brand new species.

​While swanky tour buses and adoring fans are among the more obvious benefits to being a famous heavy metal musician, there's another benefit that's been appearing in the world of science lately: having flying and crawling creatures named after you.

The Hoff may be known for patrolling Los Angeles beaches, and now his namesake, a new type of hairy-chested "Hoff" crab is among six new species that have been discovered living in the bizarre landscape around hydrothermal vents deep in the Indian Ocean.

A new species of "micro-lion" belonging to the extinct marsupial Thylacoleonidae lion family has been discovered in Australia.