New mouse found in Cyprus
2006-10-13 10:59
Nicosia - Wildlife experts believe they
have found Europe's first new terrestrial mammal species in
years on the island of Cyprus, and it's a humble mouse.
The Mus cypriacus has a larger head, teeth and a longer tail
than its peer, the Mus musculous, the common house mouse.
"Based on our DNA analysis we believe it has been around for
perhaps half a million years," said Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis,
a wildlife biologist at the Cypriot Ministry of Interior.
It was discovered during research into the feeding habits of
barn owls. Its lower jawbone did not match those of other mice,
said Hadjisterkotis.
"The discovery is a first for Cyprus. As far as mammals in
the rest of Europe are concerned, just about everything else had
been discovered," said Hadjisterkotis.
Thomas Cucchi of the University of Durham in Britain told
the Times newspaper: "New mammal species are mainly discovered
in hotspots of biodiversity like South East Asia and it was
generally believed that every species of mammal in Europe had
been identified.
"This is why the discovery of a new species of mouse on
Cyprus was so unexpected and exiting."
- Reuters