Regina Barber

In all, the team recorded 2,046 species, 27 of which were previously unknown in the scientific world. Today on the show, preserving Peru. We take a look at the species the researchers found in the Altamayo and their importance to the Oahu who live there. Plus, my personal favorite, the blob-headed catfish. I'm Regina Barber, and you're listening to Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR.

So this expedition all started with Conservation International trying to understand the local habitat in this area of Peru to either protect what was there or, if needed, work to restore parts of the habitat so that all of the wildlife could continue to move around easily and healthily. To do that, they really had to understand the ecosystem, what's there, how it moves, how it lives.

So this expedition all started with Conservation International trying to understand the local habitat in this area of Peru to either protect what was there or, if needed, work to restore parts of the habitat so that all of the wildlife could continue to move around easily and healthily. To do that, they really had to understand the ecosystem, what's there, how it moves, how it lives.

So this expedition all started with Conservation International trying to understand the local habitat in this area of Peru to either protect what was there or, if needed, work to restore parts of the habitat so that all of the wildlife could continue to move around easily and healthily. To do that, they really had to understand the ecosystem, what's there, how it moves, how it lives.

And that's how Tron, plus the Peruvian researchers and their Awa Hu guides, ended up starting this assessment.

And that's how Tron, plus the Peruvian researchers and their Awa Hu guides, ended up starting this assessment.

And that's how Tron, plus the Peruvian researchers and their Awa Hu guides, ended up starting this assessment.

Diego Durullani is an anthropologist with Conservation International. His job was to help the researchers work alongside the people living with the land, who already know the landscape. He said he was only there for a few days of the expedition and followed Tron during that time.

Diego Durullani is an anthropologist with Conservation International. His job was to help the researchers work alongside the people living with the land, who already know the landscape. He said he was only there for a few days of the expedition and followed Tron during that time.

Diego Durullani is an anthropologist with Conservation International. His job was to help the researchers work alongside the people living with the land, who already know the landscape. He said he was only there for a few days of the expedition and followed Tron during that time.

So he stayed put as the team continued up, photographing some of the species the team found, and he even had a favorite finding. But he didn't get a seat in person.

So he stayed put as the team continued up, photographing some of the species the team found, and he even had a favorite finding. But he didn't get a seat in person.

So he stayed put as the team continued up, photographing some of the species the team found, and he even had a favorite finding. But he didn't get a seat in person.

The rat Diego's referring to is actually a mouse, a swimming mouse that Tron said belonged to a group of semi-aquatic rodents.

The rat Diego's referring to is actually a mouse, a swimming mouse that Tron said belonged to a group of semi-aquatic rodents.

The rat Diego's referring to is actually a mouse, a swimming mouse that Tron said belonged to a group of semi-aquatic rodents.

And that wasn't the only new male. The team documented three more species that were new to science. A squirrel, a bat, a spiny mouse. On top of that, there were eight new fish species. One of them was my personal favorite from the study, the blob-headed catfish. It had like a body of a catfish. It was gray, spiny fins, the tail like you would expect to see.

And that wasn't the only new male. The team documented three more species that were new to science. A squirrel, a bat, a spiny mouse. On top of that, there were eight new fish species. One of them was my personal favorite from the study, the blob-headed catfish. It had like a body of a catfish. It was gray, spiny fins, the tail like you would expect to see.

And that wasn't the only new male. The team documented three more species that were new to science. A squirrel, a bat, a spiny mouse. On top of that, there were eight new fish species. One of them was my personal favorite from the study, the blob-headed catfish. It had like a body of a catfish. It was gray, spiny fins, the tail like you would expect to see.

But then the head, it just transitions into this cartoonish, swollen squidward nose. But the interesting thing is that blob-headed fish wasn't a new discovery for everyone. Like, it definitely wasn't new to Yulisa Tiwihuahay, an indigenous woman on the team.