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Carnivorous Swamp Beast Discovered In Madagascar
crudmonkey writes "Researchers have identified a previously unknown species of carnivore lurking in one of the world's most endangered lakes. Durrell's vontsira, named in honor of the late conservationist and writer Gerald Durrell, was first photographed swimming in Madagascar's Lake Alaotra in 2004. Subsequent surveys confirmed the mongoose-like creature was indeed a new species. Durrell's vontsira is the first new carnivorous mammal discovered in Madagascar in 24 years. Little is known about the species, which is roughly the size of a cat."
I don't usually complain about the summaries (because I know they're all bad) but this one was a real disappointment to me. Carnivorous swamp beast?? I'm looking for this bad boy. But no, it's just a little cute furry guy, a little irate because someone is holding him by the throat. I would be irate too. OK, I know it's news, but such a disappointment.
Qxe4
Obviously it's a Rodent Of Unusual Size.
My company home page
it went extinct.
Durrell's vontsira is the first new carnivorous mammal discovered in Madagascar in 24 years.
Elsewhere in the article, twice, is this:
The first new carnivorous mammal to be discovered for 24 years
Was the last carnivorous mammal that was discovered, discovered 24 years ago in Madagascar? I don't know about anyone else, but I would infer from the qualifier "in Madagascar" that a carnivorous mammal was discovered less than 24 years ago somewhere else in the world.
what does it taste like?
The...'beast'...has most probably NEVER encountered humans before...and I'm sure if I were a small animal who has lived most of my quiet existence never crossing the path of a 20-fingered, land-dwelling giant and suddenly found myself being strangled, dangling in the air in front of 2+ of these foreigners and kidnapped from my perfectly-fine home and family; I'd be questioning who the beast really is.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -Albert Einstein
I hope they name it Jozin.
When asked why, the answer is almost always: "It's 2014".
for some reason you're assuming beast has a different meaning
It is coming right for us!
welcome our new flesh eating cat-bear looking overloards
See .... the lochness monster is not that improbable ...
TFA states that it's the first carnivorous mammal discovered in 24 years (presumably world-wide), not only the first in 24 years in Madagascar like in the summary. Which one is it?
for Mokele-mbembe.
Did they try wrapping towels around their heads to calm it down?
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Madagascar 4 the wild beast of the lake - a homecoming story.
On a long enough timeline. The survival rate for everyone drops to zero. Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, 1996
Reading. You fail it.
It's not a "new species" – it might be previously unknown to us, though.
Minus the ears.
For those who didn't get the reference above to Jozin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4aqM_wu6Ns
To me, it looks like an African Dassie, which like cockroaches, will *never* go extinct. However, maybe it is the illusive Debianicus Ice Weaselius?
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Ok... what the heck is an endangered lake? Aren't all lakes different and therefore "the last just like it", therefore endangered? If there's only one left of any species of animal that animal would be endangered, so wouldn't you say that every lake is endangered simply because it's the last and only of it's kind? Am I missing something?
I imagine that whatever this is, it must be Old Greg.
He doesn't like people playin' in his waters. He's gonna hurt you, he likes you, what do you think of him? Don't lie to him boy!
He knows what you're thinking, he's Old Greg, he's a scaly man fish!
This is my footer. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
> Obviously it's a Rodent Of Unusual Size.
The most obvious feature defining rodents are their teeth.
The most obvious feature of the newly discovered animal to see in the picture(s) are its teeth which are about as non rodent as an animal's teeth can be.
After much deep and profound brain things inside my head, I have decided to ignore your point.
Therefore, your heinous comment will be stricken from the record. Does anyone else have the heebiedibigibies? No? Good. So shut up.
How can you have the heebie jeebies for Durrell's vontsira? He's so cute, and plushy!
If this is the size of a cat (even roughly), that man has really huge hands.
Ni!
they haven't closed the ports yet.
Stuff that matters? Are you kidding? What's next? Filing weather forecasts?
You were warned! We told you! You wouldnt listen! how many more time swill you ingore us wen the aliens come!!!!
For what it's worth, Durrell wrote a number of fun books about Zoology and his explorations of the natural world. I'd recommend them as good beach reading or for young people interested in animals or natural sciences.
I wonder who will be the first to go on record as having eaten this beast.
Naturopathic Medicine for Holistic Health and Wellness
But when I see a nick name like this: "phantomfive", I expect to see this bad boy but what we normally observe behind such impressive name on the interwebs is something like this.
Did I get that right?
You can't handle the truth.
Burns at the salanoia durrelli's touch!!!!
looks like our local mongooses ( which im not sure are unique to our island. )
$ unzip, strip, touch, finger, grep, mount, fsck, more, yes,fsck,fsck,fsck,umount, sleep
Dang. Reading the summary, I was all excited until they ruined it at the end by revealing that it was only "the size of a cat." Mondays are filled with disappointment.
Ask me about my sig!
they are talking about cats overseas which weigh 6 to 10 lbs not those supersize 20 lb cats that live in the usa.
Im not talking about the superfat overfed cats in the US im talking about the generally larger breeds here in the US. The domestic
cat breeds in Africa and asia tend to be quite a bit smaller and slender.
When the article says that animal is as large as a cat, they mean a smaller african domestic cat.
It lives only in Madagascar, so no matter how nasty it is, it will be extinct in ten years.
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
to support your local cryptozoologist.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
Jimmy Carter was attacked by a scarier-looking swamp beast than that!
We have a close-up of a feature of the animals jaw we call the "durellitzer" after the late Gerard Durrell. *shudder* poor man.
What would Richard Feynman do, if he were here right now? He'd do some math and he'd follow through!
I'm still amazed at how we are still discovering new species.
"Carnivorous swamp beast"... Oh, come on! I was expecting something close to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal and all I go is a groundhog with better dental hygiene and a temper...
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
New Carnivorous Beast Discovered? In Madagascar? SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING!