Discovered 3 species of precious animals from the original ... time

It is unbelievable that animals that live in Cape Melville can survive for millions of years in the same area and are not extinct. It is beyond imagination.

Scientists at James Cook University (Australia) conducted an expedition to the far north of the country and discovered three vertebrate species, which have been isolated for millions of years.

Tropical biologist Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and the National Geographic film crew is dropped on the rugged Cape Melville Mountains on Cape York Peninsula (the peninsula is the farthest north of Queensland state, Australia). from helicopters earlier this year.

Image of three newly discovered vertebrate species in Australia.

Scientists were shocked when they repeatedly discovered new species that had never been known, which existed for millions of years in an area that was not extinct.

The discovery consists of an exotic leaf-tailed gecko , a short , yellow- legged lizard ball , a yellow, brown-spotted frog, living in worn rock slots. These are all unknown species so far.

Just a few days after arriving, the team discovered a host of new species and many other interesting discoveries.

Leaf gecko images are found in Cape Melville

Leaf-tailed gecko is the most important discovery. It has a "primitive" appearance, 20cm long. This creature bears an ancient mark from the time the rainforest covered Australia. The leaf-tailed gecko has very large eyes and a slender, long body that is very different from its relatives and is named Saltuarius Eximius .

"When I saw the gecko, I knew it was a new species," Hoskin said .

Images of frogs living in rock slots in Cape Melville

The gecko sat motionless, his head bent and waiting to ambush the passing insects and spiders.

The short-legged lizard also inhabits the wet, rocky tropical forest on the plateau and is very different from its relatives - found in the rainforest in the south.

Scientists also discovered a frog living in a small rock. In the dry season, it lives deep in the labyrinth of rocks - where cool and humid conditions help females lay eggs in wet cracks in the rock. Without water, tadpoles grow in eggs and hatch the complete frog. When the rainy season begins, frogs appear on the rock surface to feed and breed during the rainy season.

Images of short-ball lizards in Cape Melville

Tim Laman, National Geographic photographer and Harvard University (USA) joined Hoskin in the expedition, saying he was surprised to know that there are still unexplored places like this one.

"People used to think of Australia as not having much to explore. But the interesting thing is that the country still has places like Cape Melville with a vast world to explore," Laman said.

"I can't believe that animals that live in Cape Melville can survive for millions of years in the same area and are not extinct. It's unimaginable , " Hoskin said.

"The peak of the Cape Melville Mountains is a completely unfamiliar world. This is the discovery of our lives and I still feel surprised and excited , " Hoskin said.

This mountain range is almost impossible to traverse, where millions of black granite stones are as big as houses, piled up hundreds of meters high, eroded after being formed millions of years ago.

According to National Geographic, the team plans to return to Cape Melville in the next few months to look for new species, including snails, spiders and even small mammals.

The findings are published in detail on the latest issue of Zootaxa magazine.