There is nothing as rare as a new carnivore.  Hence the excitement when a Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust group discovered a new creature dubbed a scurffy ferret, or the Durrell’s vontsiras, a cuddly little mollusk-eating weasel-type animal.  The critter was discovered in the Lac Alaotra region of Madagascar, the species has been spotted four times since 2004, but never captured and photographed this well until now.  This is the first new meat-eating mammal discovered in 24 years.

“We biologists are a bit like children,” said biologist John Fa.  “We like new things.  So a new species is something that really excites us.  The probability of finding a new herbivore is always greater, because there’re more of them.  Carnivores are much more specialized and usually found in low densities.”

I hate to say this about a scientific discovery, but he’s so cute!  I want one for a pet.  I’ve always wanted a pet beaver or something unusual, and this guy is like the perfect combination of pets with a cat’s size, a beaver’s fuzziness, and a ferret’s adorable sneakiness.

Tags: scruffy ferret, unusual animals, new species, Durrell’s vontsiras, Lac Alaotra, Madagascar, new animals, carnivores, rare animals, John Fa, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, biology, new creatures, cute animals

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