>> Here’s a crazy stat: 18,000 new species were discovered/identified in 2013. Here’s

a crazier thought associated with that stat: species are crapping out and going extinct

at a faster rate than they are being discovered. That sucks. The International Institute for

Species Exploration agrees that that sucks and in an effort to raise a little “hey

look at our amazing, diverse world, please don’t take it for granted awareness”,

they’ve released a Top Ten New Species Discovered By Scientists Last Year list. So, lets gently

part the thick foliage and explore this list…together. In no particular order, we’ll start with

the Domed Land Snail. We covered this transparent shelled little guy back in September, RIP

Elliott Morgan, and it thrives deep in the Lukina Jama-Trojama caves of western Croatia,

kicking it in complete darkness. That’s why it has no eyes. Ghost snail.

>> Next up, the Kaweesak’s Dragon Tree. This 40 foot tall beauty with sword shaped

leaves and striking crème colored flowers can be find in the limestone mountains of

Thailand and Burma. It’s already endangered as there are only 2,500 believed to be in

existence. Speaking of existence, scientists were baffled

as to how the ANDRILL Anemone exists in the harsh conditions that are the underside of

a glacier in Antarctica. This is the first anemone discovered that actually lives in

ice. They drill their tiny bodies into the underside of frigid glaciers and then dangle

their adorable little tentacles into the icy waters. So cool. Get it? Cool. Shut up, Joe.

>> Let’s get freaky and check out these tiny monstrosities that look like nightmares

when magnified. This new Skeleton Shrimp (Liropus minusculus)Discovered in a cave in Santa Catalina,

off the coast of Southern California, rocks a transparent body and looks like a boss from

Xexyz. That’s a really obscure Nintendo reference. And that there, is the Tinkerbell

Fariyfly, which we covered back in April of 2013. RIP Elliott Morgan, may your heavenly

path be paved with Corgis. The Tinkerbell Fairyfly is tiny. And gross. And tiny. And

found in Costa Rica. And gross. And tiny. And attacks other insects eggs. And is tiny.

And gross. Cute name though.  

>> Speaking of cute, here’s a new bacteria (Tersicoccus phoenicis). These “clean room

microbes” are concerning to scientists because they were found in two different, super sterilized

rooms separated by 2,500 miles. These rooms are where spacecraft are assembled and these

rooms are supposed to be free of contaminants so as to not pollute space or other planets

with Earth stuff. They weren’t, cause these little guys were there, withstanding an extreme

lack of moisture, high and low pH levels, hydrogen peroxide and UV light. Out of this

world? Hopefully not.  

>> Speaking of this world, here’s other stuff discovered on it. The Orange Penicillium.

That’s a fungus discovered in Tunisia named after the Royal Dutch Highness the Prince

of Orange. That’s a carnivorous, single-celled Amoeboid from the Mediterranean Sea that gathers

sponge fragments, creating a shell around its tiny body that traps miniscule, unfortunate

invertebrates for num nums. And that’s a Leaf-Tailed gecko doing gecko things in the

Melville Range of northeastern Australia. It looks like a leaf so as to survive the

terrifying circle of life.  

>> And finally, the most popular new species identified in 2013 is the first carnivorous

mammal discovered in the Western Hemisphere in the last 35 years. Olinguito is its name

and being nocturnal, meat-eating, balls of fur and cute is its game. It plays that game

in the cloud forests of the Andes mountains and deforestation threatens its very existence.

Go humans. Click here to watch Lee Newton melt into herself when we covered the Olinguito

last year. These ten wonders are only a tiny sliver of

the 18,000 discovered every year, and their identification is important not just because

of um…AWESOME, but because human effects on this earth are exponentially increasing

the extinction rate. Which is umm… bad.

>> Guys, which new creature fascinates you the most? Anosublikeascribatate after you’re

done letting me know in the comments down below and help spread the word by sharing

this video. My names Joe Bereta and in the words of the great Olinguito… I am so frickin’

adorable.

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