IFLScience on MSN

There may be twice as many vertebrate species on Earth as thought, thanks to hidden cryptic species

We’re only in the early stages of 2026, and one massive change from last year may have already occurred: there may actually ...

Whoops, Scientists May Have Severely Miscalculated the Number of Species on Earth

A new study focused on cryptic species—animals that look the same but are genetically different—found that they’re more widespread among vertebrates than we previously thought.

Hiding in plain sight: Discovery of cryptic species could double the number of vertebrates

There may be twice as many vertebrates on the planet as previous estimates claimed, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. That's ...

A Century of Mistaken Identity: The “Prettiest” New Species Discovered in 2025

Sometimes, a creature unknown to science hides in plain sight without anyone realizing its significance. In the case of one ...
The Cool Down on MSN

Trail camera captures 'cryptic' species spotted deep in national forest: 'We used a sweet lure'

Their strategy paid off. Trail camera captures 'cryptic' species spotted deep in national forest: 'We used … a sweet lure' first appeared on The Cool Down.
Tri-City Herald

‘Cryptic’ creature — able to alter its coloring — found in forest. It’s a new species

Scientists found a “cryptic” animal able to alter its coloring in a forest of Peru and discovered a new species, a study said. Photo from Hans Luiggi via Unsplash Perched in a forest of Peru, a ...
Sacramento Bee

Pregnant creature — with gold eyes — found on Australia island. It’s a new species

Scientists found a “cryptic” animal with gold eyes and discovered a new species, a study said. Photo shows a representative area of Kangaroo Island. Photo from Athithan Vignakaran via Unsplash On an ...
Miami Herald

‘Cryptic’ creatures, animal hiding as poop as three more new species discoveries

In two national parks in Vietnam, new species were found blending in with tree trunks. Constant J, Pham T-H, Nguyen HTT (2025) ZooKeys The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and ...