A team of scientists searching caves and mining tunnels in Mount Nimba, Guinea, West Africa, has discovered a new species of bat. The findings were published in the journal American Museum Novites.

The new bat that the researchers have identified attracts attention because it has an orange coat and some black details. The species was first spotted in 2018 by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History and the Bat Conservation International Organization.

New item got name Myotis nimbensis, Meaning “D Nimba”, reference to the discovery site.

The discovery was made while the team was looking for another type of bat, a round leaf Hipposideros lamotte, Listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered. However, they found another animal that was very different from what they were looking for.

Scientists say the animals are also endangered. They are found only in the galleries of this mountain range in Guinea, places that are likely to disappear in a short time.

“It is very rare to find a new mammal. It’s been a dream of mine since childhood, ”Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, told The Independent. “In an age of extinction, a discovery like this offers a glimpse of hope,” he added.

The team collected a lot of data, such as morphometric data from the Museum of Natural History (such as its size and shape) and genetic samples that need to be compared to other organisms.

Bat Conservation International is working with the local mining company Society des Mines de Ferdinar Guinea (SMFG) to build new and more powerful tunnels and to prevent the extinction of these bats.

* Intern R7 Under the supervision of Pablo Marx