A big-eared bat which was thought to be extinct has been found in a forest in Papua New Guinea, highlighting the nation’s unique biodiversity.
Until the discovery, the bat, or Pharotis imogene, had not been seen in 120 years.
"The species was presumed extinct," University of Queensland researcher Luke Leung said.
Two University of Queensland students caught the female bat in mid-2012 while conducting field work in the Abau coastal district of PNG's Central Province.
It did not match any bat known to exist, and was later determined to be a species not seen since the first and only specimens were collected by an Italian scientist in 1890.
Mr Leung said further study needed to be done to establish whether the animal was one of a small number of mammals endemic to PNG's south-eastern peninsula region or whether it occurred more widely.
"Many of the coastal lowland habitats throughout PNG are among the most threatened in the country due to clearing for logging and agriculture," he said.
"And more field surveys of local bat populations could assess the conservation status of the species and inform future strategies to ensure their preservation."
The bat, which has ears the size of its head, is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as critically endangered (possibly extinct).
Catherine Hughes, who was an honours student when she and another student captured the bat, said the discovery demonstrated the unique biodiversity of PNG.
"There's places in PNG which haven't even been travelled to yet by researchers," she told AFP.
"The variety of habitats and ecologies in PNG is just crazy so you can imagine all these species which are tucked away in there and haven't been found yet."