A Bosavi woolly rat, found in the crater of an extinct volcano in Papua New Guinea. (BBC)
Rats and spiders and frogs, oh my!
A team of scientists from the United States, Great Britain and Papua New Guinea have discovered more than 40 previously unidentified species in the Mount Bosavi crater, an extinct volcano in the highlands of Papua New Guinea that scientists are calling a "mind-blowing" hoard
No humans have ever settled in the remote crater, but the Bosavi woolly rat — a vegetarian rodent that measures almost three feet in length — calls the crater home.
Dr. George McGavin, head scientist for the BBC Natural History Unit, said the rodent is thought to live nowhere else in the world and appeared to have no fear of humans.
"It just sat next to me nibbling on a piece of leaf. It won't have seen a human before," McGavin said. "The crater of Bosavi really is the lost world."
Along with the three-pound rat, scientists say they have discovered many new creatures in the lush rainforest habitat, including the world's smallest parrot, a frog with fangs, a fish that grunts and a very hairy caterpillar.
Filmmakers from the BBC have accompanied the scientists throughout the expedition and will be presenting the treasure trove of new species in a documentary series which begins Tuesday, named Lost Land of the Volcano.
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