Humans have been around for so long - millions of years - that
you would think we'd have discovered every species on the planet.
Not true, according to scientists. They say 10
million species are still waiting to be discovered.
Secretive species
Every year, scientists make a list of their favourite new
discoveries. Here are three of 2011's top 10 coolest new
species.
Glow in the dark mushroom
Eternal light fungus growing on
a rotting branch
These tiny mushrooms have gel-covered stems that emit a bright
yellowish-green glow - bioluminescence. Scientists
call it the 'eternal light' mushroom.
Spinning spider
Left: giant web made by a
Darwin's bark spider. Right: Female Darwin's bark spider
feeding.
Darwin's bank spiders make webs that are 25
metres across - that's huge! The silk in their web is
twice as strong as any other spider's silk.
Batfish
Louisiana pancake
batfish
Is it a bat? Is it a frog? Nope, it's a
batfish! The Louisiana pancake batfish looks like
a walking bat that hops about the seafloor on thick arm-like fins.
Not pretty, but it's a good way to get around!
To see all of 2011's top 10 new species, go to BBC In
Pictures.