“strikingly unusual” new mammal has been discovered in the tree forests of Peru. The large rodent, which has been described by its finders as a “handsome novelty”, looks similar to a squirrel and yet is most closely related to spiny rats.It is a nocturnal tree-climbing rodent with long dense fur, a broad blocky head, and a thickly furred tail. A blackish crest of fur on its crown, nape and shoulders add to its distinctive appearance.The new species, which has been named Isothrix barbarabrownae, was found by an international team of field researchers in Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains in southern Peru. The Manu is home to more species of mammals and birds than any equivalently sized area in the world, experts claim.“Preliminary DNA analyses suggest that its nearest relatives, all restricted to the lowlands, may have arisen from Andean ancestors,” says Bruce Patterson, curator of mammals at The Field Museum in Chicago, US, who was involved in the study. “The newly discovered species casts a striking new light on the evolution of an entire group of arboreal rodents.”Journal reference: Mastozoologia Neotropical (vol 13, p 175)