A rock mouse has been photographed in Laos – a creature believed by scientists to be the last survivor of an ancient group of rodents.
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| The kha-nyou has been discovered. Photo: BBC |
The kha-nyou (local name) was caught in a trap set by an expedition team led by retired Florida State University expert David Redfield last May. The photo shows this gentle creature, which has fur, is about the size of a squirrel, and has a waddling gait reminiscent of a duck.
Experts suggest that the kha-nyou may be a descendant of a rodent family that previous studies had estimated to have gone extinct over 11 million years ago.
The animal was taken close to the village of Doy, near the Thai border, and released back into the forest after being photographed and filmed for research purposes.
Chinese Evidence
The animal has been scientifically named Laonastes aenigmamus.
Laonastes aenigmamus first came to the attention of international researchers last year in a wildlife market – with deceased specimens. Based on differences in skull, teeth, bones, and body characteristics along with DNA analysis, scientists initially classified it as a new rodent family, closely related to species found in Africa and South America rather than Asia.
However, after the discovery of fossils of a long-extinct rodent species in China last summer, scientists compared it to the kha-nyou and found striking similarities. Consequently, they believe that the rock mouse in Laos belongs to the same group as the extinct rodent family in China, known as Diatomyidae.
T. An
