Charming rarity: animals that are almost impossible to meet (9 photos)

Do you see a gopher? And he is. But this animal is far from a leader in camouflage. There are creatures that are not extinct species, but the chances of meeting them in the wild are minimal.





They're really good at hiding.



Pez Graso, which literally translates to “fat fish,” was last seen in Colombia in 1957. The individual was found in a high mountain lake. And the species of catfish itself, of which only five individuals were recorded, is endangered. Why? Scientists have not found an answer to this question.





The Togo mouse was found in 1890. All two individuals of these cute creatures living in West Africa have been registered. Rare mice feed on insects. Local hunters believe that the cause of the disappearance of Togo and other species of small mammals was the activity of poachers.



The cute creature was described from ancient remains. Outwardly, it resembles a rodent like a guinea pig, and the dwarf hutia lived in Cuba. She was last seen in 1937. In captivity they reproduce with difficulty and produce only one young. It is believed that the reasons for the disappearance of the hutia could be fires, competition with other species and human activity.



A modest bird called the southern cocoa was seen relatively recently, in 2007. This bird, also known as the orange-striped crow, is listed in the Red Book. Zoologists express confidence that if we meet the bird again, there is every chance of restoring the population. As was the case with similar species - Kakapo, Takahe, Black Robin and Chatham Taiko.



This is such a rare and amazing creature that it has only been seen once: a blind salamander was accidentally found by workers in 1951 while working in the bed of the Blanco River. Four individuals were found. After this, the salamander was not found anywhere else.



Fagilda's harvest spider was discovered in 1931 near a Portuguese village. Remarkably, two females were found, but males were never seen. 10 years ago, the mystery of the spider was solved: it chose an underground habitat. There is indirect evidence that these spiders live to this day. A significant decrease in the population could be influenced by fires, urban and agricultural development.

They are actively looking for not only living creatures, but also plants and mushrooms. Like, for example, the Great Puma mushroom, which was first described in 1988. Found in the forests of South America and is considered not only endemic, but also monotypic, that is, one of a kind.



The Pernambuco holly is a Brazilian endemic. The only specimen was discovered almost two centuries ago on the coast of South America. It was lost due to deforestation and active development of agriculture.



Attenborough's long-beaked echidna is an incredibly ancient creature, a representative of the Jurassic era. This is the tiniest representative of the long-beaked echidnas, and therefore the most vulnerable. The study of the species took place on the basis of a single individual discovered in 1961 during the study of Cyclops Mountain.

It cannot be stated unequivocally that species that have not been encountered for a long time have finally disappeared from the face of the Earth. But still, rare representatives of flora and fauna need to be monitored especially carefully in order to preserve the species diversity of our beautiful planet.