Two living mammals unknown to the world have been discovered by a team including researchers from Prince of Songkla University.
A team comprised of Thai, Laotian and English researchers discovered the two species along with with an unknown, ancient fossil in Thailand and Laos.
The first mammal discovered is the tiny Bala Tube-nosed bat, a bug-eating bat living in Bala Forest, which is a tropical rain forest in Narathiwat province. Its unique characteristic is gold fur on its back. The Bala Tube-nosed bat is only three centimeters long and has been named after the forest it lives in.
Another epic find was the Laotian Giant Flying Squirrel, which stretches over 107.5 centimeters long and weighs 1.8 kilograms. The flying creature was discovered in Bolikhamsai, Laos.
One addition to the discovery was an ancient fossil of a brown-stomach bat. The mammal was assumed to have lived in the Pleistocene Age or 16,350 years ago in Sadao district, Songkhla province. The team named the fossil “Chutamas Serotine” to honor their professor, Chuthamas.
The researchers will study these mammals and pass the information to the related organizations to find a way to protect the animals, Nation Channel reported.
