08/16/2026
Get to know one of the newest and most fascinating discoveries in the animal kingdom: The Sangay shrew opossum (Caenolestes sangay)! 🌿✨
Inhabiting the rugged, misty eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador—specifically within Sangay National Park—this incredible species wasn’t even scientifically described until 2013. Like other South American shrew opossums, it stands out as a pouchless marsupial.
Primarily nocturnal by nature, it spends the dark hours foraging on a diet that consists mostly of insects. Because it is a relatively recently described species, researchers are still uncovering the many secrets this tiny critter holds.
Isn't it amazing that new mammals are still waiting to be discovered in the deep wilderness?
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(Photo: jorgebrito, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist)