Drum Roll Please - The top 10 New Species of 2012

Just Yesterday, I was informed that a in Africa. 

Today, I stumbled across Telegraph.co.uk's interactive article on the top 10 new species discovered in 2012. Pity that this article wasn't published later because it would have probably included Lesula (Cercopithecus Lomamiensis).

Without further adeiu, here is the list:

1. The Sneezing Monkey, Rhinopithecus strykeri, was discovered in the high mountains of Burma. This species is critically endangered and sports a white beard. The most interesting thing about this monkey is that it sneezes when it rains.
2. Coming in at number 2 is Sazima's Tarantula (Pterinopeima sazimai). This large spider has a striking, iridescent blye body. It was discovered in South America inhabiting tabletop mountains in a remote part of Eastern Brazil.
3. The Devil's Worm, Halicephalobus mephisto, is now the deepest living multicellular terrestrial organism known to science. Many microorganisms live in deep, dark environments, but this is the first multicellular organism known to live in such a deep place. The worm was discovered living 8/10ths of a mile underground in a South African gold mine where the temperatures can reach 99 degrees. This little guy only reaches a length of half a millimeter. The species name, mephisto, caomes from a demon in the Faust legend neamed Mephistopheles.
4. The Night-Blooming Orchid, Bulbophyllum nocturnum, was discovered in Papua New Guinea. The flowers of this beautiful orchid open at about 10ish then close early in the next morning. This is most likely to attract a certain type of pollinator.
5. The Bonair Banded Box Jelly, Tamoya ohboya, is a venomous and strikingly colorful jellyfish discovered near the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire. The species name, ohboya, was given because it is thought that someone would exclaim "oh boy!" if ever stung - no fooling.
6. The Small Attack Wasp, Kollasmosoma sentum, actually injects its eggs into unsuspecting ants. The ant provides food to the growing larvae growing inside of the ant's own body!
7. The Spongebob Squarepants Mushroom (I sware I'm not making this up), Spongiforma squarepantsii, is actually named after the famous cartoon sponge. This fungi was found growing on the ground in Lambir Hills National Park in Northern Borneo.
8. The Walking Cactus, Diania cactiformis, actually isn't a new species at all in the sense we have been talking about. It is, however, a newly discovered fossil of an extinct marine creature that was an ancient ancestor of modern day insects, arachnids, and crustaceans that lived approximately 520 million years ago.
9. A new species of Giant Millipede, Crurifarcimen vagans, is so big that it looks like a sausage. Gross!
10. Last but definitely not least is the Nepalese Poppy, Maconopsis atumnalis. This yellow puppy blooms in the autumn monsoon season in the Himalayas. This flower was discovered after trekking many miles into the Himalayan wilderness.

It is amazing that we are still finding species in nature even with the elevated levels of extinction because of habitat destruction and global climate change.

This list is important because it tells us that hope is not lost. We do have the ability to help conserve the habitats of these amazing species.

Think about it!

Be sure to check out the actually article to see the pictures of these amazing creatures!

Thanks for reading.