A new heaven of unknown biodiversity

A team of Mexican and Peruvian biologists found eight new mammals during an expiration in northern Peru, scientists have announced.

The eight mammals include a new species of night monkey, which remains unnamed as yet. The finding is particularly notable as night monkeys are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and endangered by the Peruvian government.

Compared to the other two species of night monkey in the area, close to the border of Ecuador, this one has a smaller skull and more uniform colour.

The biologists, who were exploring Peru's Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary in 2009-2011, also found the unnamed common shrew opossum, the enigmatic porcupine and the unnamed small-eared shrew, during their expedition.

The national sanctuary's cloud forests provide shelter to at least 85 species of mammals, 326 species of birds and 23 species of reptiles and amphibians. These numbers are thought to grow as explorers delve deeper into its 70,000 acres.

The area has been described as a "new heaven of unknown biodiversity".

Expedition co-leader, Gerardo Ceballos, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said: "the habitat is very valuable, even without knowing the species that are there."