Tree hyrax from Taita Hills, Kenya.
Biologists may have discovered a new species of nocturnal mammal in the tropical forests of Taita Hills in Kenya.
Although the mammal, known as a tree hyrax, resembles a rabbit with short ears, its closest living relatives are actually elephants. The biologists managed to capture one surprised-looking creature in a night-time photo.
In a study published in the journal Diversity, researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, analyzed the calls or 'vocalisations' of three little-known tree-dwelling (arboreal) mammals: the tree hyrax — a species of Dendrohyrax — and two galagos, small lemur-like primates often called 'bush babies'.
While the calls from the galago species — Paragalago and Otolemur — are relatively uniform, those from the tree hyrax are more diverse. And when those vocalisations were compared to calls from related animals, it suggested this hyrax is a new species.
Hyraxes can produce loud screams that reach over 100 decibels, but the acoustic analysis revealed that the new hyrax also produces a characteristic call that's distinct from vocalisations made by other Dendrohyrax species, songs that the scientists describe as a 'strangled thwack'.
Calls made by three arboreal mammals.
The audio shows that each song consists of several syllables, which are combined and repeated in different ways to create a call that can last for more than 12 minutes.
According to Hanna Rosti, a PhD student who spent three months recording the vocalisations, "The singing animals are probably males attempting to attract females that are willing to mate."
