Jonathan Silva (Massachusetts Board Game Manufacturer)

So I want to start with clouded tiger cats.

Mostly because they're really cute, but they're also just this great reminder that there are still these big charismatic species out there just waiting to be discovered. What do they look like? So they're about the size of a house cat, but they look kind of like little leopards. And scientists thought that there were only two species of them in South America, but in 2009...

Mostly because they're really cute, but they're also just this great reminder that there are still these big charismatic species out there just waiting to be discovered. What do they look like? So they're about the size of a house cat, but they look kind of like little leopards. And scientists thought that there were only two species of them in South America, but in 2009...

Mostly because they're really cute, but they're also just this great reminder that there are still these big charismatic species out there just waiting to be discovered. What do they look like? So they're about the size of a house cat, but they look kind of like little leopards. And scientists thought that there were only two species of them in South America, but in 2009...

This biologist named Teddo de Oliveira, who's like the expert on tiger cats, got an email that piqued his interest.

This biologist named Teddo de Oliveira, who's like the expert on tiger cats, got an email that piqued his interest.

This biologist named Teddo de Oliveira, who's like the expert on tiger cats, got an email that piqued his interest.

Yeah, so he's looked at a lot of tiger cats, and these ones seem to just be a little different because they had slightly different spots, and their fur seemed thicker. And then on the video, they looked like they were moving different. And so he had a hunch, but it took him and like 40 other scientists over a decade to actually prove that this was in fact a new species.

Yeah, so he's looked at a lot of tiger cats, and these ones seem to just be a little different because they had slightly different spots, and their fur seemed thicker. And then on the video, they looked like they were moving different. And so he had a hunch, but it took him and like 40 other scientists over a decade to actually prove that this was in fact a new species.

Yeah, so he's looked at a lot of tiger cats, and these ones seem to just be a little different because they had slightly different spots, and their fur seemed thicker. And then on the video, they looked like they were moving different. And so he had a hunch, but it took him and like 40 other scientists over a decade to actually prove that this was in fact a new species.

And so it just shows it can take a really long time to go from an observation that you've got a hunch about to describing a new species and putting it on the books. Wow.

And so it just shows it can take a really long time to go from an observation that you've got a hunch about to describing a new species and putting it on the books. Wow.

And so it just shows it can take a really long time to go from an observation that you've got a hunch about to describing a new species and putting it on the books. Wow.

Yeah, yeah. I spoke with another biologist named Hugh Gabriel, who was an undergrad when he got on the path to naming a new species of frog in Madagascar.

Yeah, yeah. I spoke with another biologist named Hugh Gabriel, who was an undergrad when he got on the path to naming a new species of frog in Madagascar.

Yeah, yeah. I spoke with another biologist named Hugh Gabriel, who was an undergrad when he got on the path to naming a new species of frog in Madagascar.

He told me that these frogs were hidden within the leaves of these trees and they just looked a bit smaller and their color was kind of off, sort of a coppery bronze. And so he wrote to the author of that guidebook who agreed that these frogs did actually seem a little different and they collaborated.

He told me that these frogs were hidden within the leaves of these trees and they just looked a bit smaller and their color was kind of off, sort of a coppery bronze. And so he wrote to the author of that guidebook who agreed that these frogs did actually seem a little different and they collaborated.

He told me that these frogs were hidden within the leaves of these trees and they just looked a bit smaller and their color was kind of off, sort of a coppery bronze. And so he wrote to the author of that guidebook who agreed that these frogs did actually seem a little different and they collaborated.

Yeah, he actually discovered three new species or described them. And all of these frogs spend their entire lives in these trees. They lay their eggs, they hatch, they eat little spiders, all within the tiny pools of water that collect between the leaves. And this kind of lifestyle is unusual for frogs and pretty cool.