Papua New Guinea's "Lost World" Found

While it’s no Will Ferrell movie, Papua New Guinea is home to something pretty freaking amazing: a lost “world.” Complete with giant rats, frogs with teeth and other brand spanking new creatures to human knowledge, and described as “a pristine jungle habitat,” it’s quite possibly the most amazing discovery this year.

The South Pacific “world” is in a volcanic crater on Mount Bosavi, remote and, up until now, unknown to humans. The volcano has remained dormant for 200,000 years, allowing plenty of time for the growth and development of some amazing wildlife.

More than 40 new species were found by the team of scientists, which included explorers from Papua New Guinea, the United States and Britain. And given that Papua New Guinea’s rainforests are being destroyed at a rate of almost 4% annually, they were quite lucky findings.

The scientists found grunting fish, little bear-like animals, and a slew of other creatures during their 5-week expedition—which is, by the way, increasingly sounding more and more like my dreams after a dose of Ambien.

Some of the extraordinary creatures found in the extinct volcano include:

The Bosavi Wooly Rat—This animal, who was fearless in the face of humans, may be the biggest rat ever found on Earth.

The Striped Possum—This little guy looks decidedly cuter than the variety we see smashed on the side of the road during mating season, though I’m betting if there were trash cans on Mount Bosavi, he’d be into them in no time.

Black and Yellow Noctuid Caterpillars—These fellows look like interpretive dancers dressed in black with splashes of yellow, almost unreal-looking—and definitely very chic.

The Pygmy Parrot—A bird smaller than the size of half of your hand, it’s on the list of cutest tiny animals ever, sure to be a hit with the preschool crowd.

The Fruit Dove—A gorgeous red-headed bird with bright green plumage and a white chest, it’s one of the most beautiful animals encountered in this scientific expedition.

Wicked-weird hairy caterpillars, iridescent beetles, jungle spiders easily disguised as lichen, three new varieties of fish, sixteen different species of frog and a new species of bat were also discovered during the trip.

It really does sound like something out of a dream; in fact, the very entrance of the Mageni cave, with its dense foliage and clear falls, looks like a mystical portal into El Dorado or Shangri-La. The results of this exploration are yet another justification to leave the rainforest alone, already; who knows what we’ll find next?