New Monitor

Usually when you hear of new species being found, they're bitty little bugs or out of the way fish. Rare is the new species a large one, a mega-fauna like this six foot monitor lizard.

Researchers discovered it in the Sierra Madre mountains in the north of the The Philippines. True, the locals have known about them all along, but only recently have biologists gotten their hands on them. Varanus bitatawa eats fruit exclusively, and they're very reclusive, which is the only reason biologists can think of for why they've remained unknown to the science. They stick to their forests and never cross open ground. That's my kind of giant lizard--shy and out of sight.

Thanks for the link, Tom

Photo source: Joseph Brown via BBC