![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275609/tarantula_outlines.640_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275610/tarantula.640_0_1.png)
hairyblue tarantula
NewandBlue
Everyyear,approximately18,000 newspeciesarediscovered.Thatmeansscientistsworldwideareencounteringupto50newspeciesevery day.
ScientistAndrewSnydercouldn’tseeathingashestumbledalongtheforestfloor.DarknessbathedthebranchesoftheGuyanarainforest,whichthenewmoon’slightcouldnotpenetrate.Therainforestwas alive.Unseenrustles,clicks,andscreamsfilledthenight.Snyderturnedonhisflashlightandsawabrilliantflashofblue.Hefixedthebeamon arottingstumpandfocusedontheblue.Thestumpwascrawlingwithadozenhuge,bluespiders.Hewaslookingatanever‑before‑seenspecies:hairyblue tarantulas!
Youmightthinkthattheworld’snewdiscoverieswouldbemostlymicrobesandinsects.Theyarebeingdiscoveredallthetime.Butthey’renottheonlythingsoutthere.Big,colorful,andevendazzlingnewspeciesseemtobeturningupeverywherethese days.
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275611/salamander_outlines.512_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275612/salamander.512_0_1.png)
patch‑nosed salamander
HidinginPlain Sight
Somenewspeciesarerightunderournoses.AscientistattheRoyalBotanicGardensinLondon,forexample,discoveredthreeunknownspeciesoffungusinapackageofdriedmushroomsfromthegrocery store.
Thepatch‑nosedsalamanderwasdiscoverednearacreekinGeorgiain2007,andtheAtlanticCoastleopardfrogwasfirstidentifiedonStatenIsland,NewYork,in 2008.
WhyNow?
Morespeciesarebeingdiscoverednowbecausemorescientistsarelookingattheworldindifferent ways.
Humansaremakingmoreroadsandcuttingdownforests.Theyareexpandingintowildplacesthathaveneverbeforebeenexplored.Scientistsarepayingattentiontohowthesewildplacesarechanging,andtheyarecomingacrossnewspeciesthathaveneverbeenseen before.
Scientistsareusingnew,moderntoolslikeremote‑controlsubmersiblesanddeep‑seacameras.Theseallowexplorerstosearchtheworld’sextremenooksandcranniesthatwereonceimpossibletoreach.NewspeciesliketheIndonesianpsychedelicfrogfish,theyeticrab,andthesix‑gilledsharkhaveemergedfromthe depths.
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275613/frogfish.640_0_1.jpg)
Indonesianpsychedelic frogfish
Mismatch
SometimesanewspeciescanbefoundbylookingatDNA.ScientistsattheNationalZooinWashington,D.C.,werefrustratedbyapairoftheirresidentolinguitos.Theseraccoon‑likecreatureswerenotproducing offspring.
Aftertestsweredonetoseewhattheproblemwas,theylookedattheanimals’DNA.Itturnsoutthatthetwoanimalswerenotthesamespecies!Onewasanolinguitoandtheotherturnedouttobeacompletelydifferentspeciescalledan olingo.
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275614/olingo.640_0_1.jpg)
olingo
![](/nationalgeographic/adventurer_may_2019/new_and_blue_and_hiding_in_plain_sight_and_why_now_and_mismatch/275615/olinguito.640_0_1.jpg)
olinguito