14 DAY TRIAL // A study recently published in Zootaxa details the discovery of a new species of giant mole rat.
The researchers who stumbled upon this new species explain that, according to their investigations, these mole rats currently inhabit parts of Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
Mongabay reports that wildlife experts first became aware of the existence of these mole rats back in 2002.
At that time, what drew the researchers’ attention was the fact that the rats were considerably smaller than others of their kind.
The experts assumed that they were dealing with a new species and carried out several tests which proved them right.
The species is now known to the scientific community as Fukomys vandewoestijneae (or Caroline's mole rat, if you prefer).
Apart from being a tad smaller than other giant mole rats, this new species has a distinct skull shape, specialists say.