Search launched for 25 missing species

Scientists have launched a search for 25 species that are presumed to likely be extinct, but not definitely declared so yet.

Scientists launch a global search for 25 ‘lost’ species

 

This is absolutely brilliant. I'm really looking forward to seeing what these expeditions yield. Robin Moore was also responsible for the 2010 'Search for Lost Frogs' and in his book he outlines part of the selection process for potential candidates. By the look of things it seems they have quite a good balance of taxa from interesting areas around the world, and the commentsI've seen seem optimistic about re-discovering other 'lost' taxa too, as well as discovering new ones.

 

Agree with devilfish : sounds really intresting and exiting ! Hopefully they will have a 100 % succes-rate !

 

It's a pity they are not looking for thylacines or ivory billed woodpeckers though.

 

I thought people were already looking for Pink-headed Duck. I know I read an article a while back about a man who's basically devoted his life to it.

 

I feel like enough people have wasted their time looking for thylacines, which are quite conclusively extinct. Glad to see some much lesser-known organisms getting funded search efforts, like the New Zealand greater short-tailed bat and the Syr Darya sturgeon.

I found the Galapagos tortoise subspecies very surprising. There is a well-staffed research station in the Galapagos; how has nobody bothered to visit that island and check for living tortoises in the last century?

 

Erm, Fernandina has been well-surveyed and can even be visited by tourists. It's not even clear the subspecies existed, so I've no idea why anybody thinks it stands a chance of surviving.

 

The Sinu parakeet is quite a surprising choice as well. ProAves is in Colombia working a lot on their endangered parrots and they have experience with Pyrrhura species. They were unable to locate the species even though they have a good network on the ground.

 

Isn't there some proof that they maybe stil living in Papua New Guinea and really the chances of them finding thylacines is far better than finding a seahorse with only one specimen found and a quail last seen in the 19th century. Thinking with a clear mind and being very pessimistic about their success, I believe 60% percent is the highest rate of success for this expedition.

 

Yes, I'm similarly sceptical.

 

Search for the Pink-headed duck :

Search for the Lost Pink-headed Duck Gets Underway in Myanmar

 

The first of the 25 species has been rediscovered - the Jackson's climbing salamander has been found in Guatemala just months before an organised expedition was launched to find it. The salamander was last seen 42 years ago.

FOUND: Remarkable Salamander Rediscovery Heralds Early Success for Worldwide Quest to Find and Protect Lost Species

 

I've seen this news elsewhere on the site, but thought I would put it here as well because of its links to the project.

An amateur naturalist in West Papua has seen and photographed an animal that is almost certainly the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo. It was last seen when the type specimen was collected in 1928.

The naturalist who rediscovered the animal wants to return to the region next year with experts and camera traps to find more of the animals and has plans to apply for permits to bring back faecal samples, which experts have already offered to DNA match with the 1928 skeleton currently housed in London's Natural History Museum.

The article itself is included here:
Tree kangaroo thought to have gone extinct is captured on film for the first time in 90 YEARS – Brinkwire

The photos are included in this article:
http://www.ladbible.com/news/animal...f-rare-tree-kangaroo-thought-extinct-20180819

 

I love that LadBible has been linked to on ZooChat!

 

Well, Mongabay or any of the other more environmental news sources don't seem to have picked up the story for some reason

 

Good news, but my main question is whether there's a proper population or just a few individuals. Are they extremely rare or do they live in a barely studied area?

 

I would think both.