Scientists have found five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia. They had to go on multiple missions to the animals’ forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time. They found that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species.

Dr. Melissa Hawkins, one of the lead researchers from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, said that this discovery shows how diverse life on Earth is. She said that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like mammals, there is still a lot we don’t know. Dr. Hawkins also said that finding animals like these can help us understand and protect rainforests.

The new hedgehog species are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia. Before this discovery, we only knew about two species, but now we know about seven. These small mammals have fur instead of spines, like the hedgehogs we’re used to. Dr. Arlo Hinckley, also from the Smithsonian, said that this discovery is important because South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world.

Finding new species can be hard, especially when they’re small and live in dense forests. The scientists found differences in their genes and physical features, like the shape of their heads and teeth. They named one of the new species Hylomys macarong, which means “vampire” in Vietnamese because it has long fangs. The researchers also looked at specimens in museums from Asia, Europe, and the US. They found two of the new species in these collections.

Dr. Hawkins said that looking at specimens in museums is like time traveling. It helped them get enough genetic material to confirm that the three other species were actually different from each other. Each Hylomys species lives in a slightly different habitat, with some in lowland forests and others in higher areas. Dr. Hinckley compared finding these animals to finding a Picasso painting in an art gallery or an archaeological site in a city. He said that protecting these habitats is important and can bring in more money.

The discovery of these new hedgehog species has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. This shows that scientists are always exploring and finding new things.

Original news source: Five new soft-furred hedgehog species discovered (BBC)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article together and summarize the main points in a few sentences.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summaries with the class.
5. Encourage discussion and ask for any additional insights or questions.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Ask each group to come up with a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think it is important to discover new species?” or “What do you think can be done to protect rainforests?”
3. After the groups have created their questions, have them circulate around the class and ask other groups for their opinions.
4. Encourage students to engage in meaningful discussions and respect different viewpoints.
5. After a designated amount of time, have each group share some of the interesting responses they received.

– Keyword Hangman

Instructions:
1. Write a series of keywords from the article on the board, leaving out a few letters.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Have one person from each team come to the board and try to guess the missing letters to complete the word.
4. If the person guesses a correct letter, write it in the correct spot. If they guess incorrectly, draw a body part of a hangman.
5. The team that correctly guesses the most words wins.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Instruct each group to discuss the pros and cons of discovering new species and the impact it has on rainforest conservation.
3. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their thoughts and discuss as a class.
4. Encourage students to consider different perspectives and think critically about the topic.

– Future Predictions

Instructions:
1. Instruct each student to imagine they are a scientist studying biodiversity in South East Asia.
2. Ask the students to write a short paragraph predicting what they think future discoveries of new species will reveal about the region.
3. After a designated amount of time, have students share their predictions with a partner or small group.
4. Encourage discussion and ask students to support their predictions with reasons based on the information from the article.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How many new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia?
2. What did the scientists have to do to study the animals?
3. What did the scientists discover about the animals in the museums?
4. According to Dr. Hawkins, what does this discovery show about life on Earth?
5. Why is finding animals like these important for rainforest protection?
6. What is the name of the group the new hedgehog species belong to?
7. Why is the discovery of these new species important for South East Asia?
8. How did the scientists determine that the three other species were different from each other?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists have found five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia. They had to go on multiple missions to the (1)______’ forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time. They found that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species.

Dr. Melissa Hawkins, one of the lead (2)______ from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural (3)______, said that this discovery (4)______ how diverse life on Earth is. She said that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like (5)______, there is still a lot we don’t know. Dr. Hawkins also said that finding animals like these can help us understand and protect rainforests.

The new hedgehog (6)______ are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia. Before this (7)______, we only knew about two species, but now we know about seven. These small mammals have fur instead of (8)______, like the hedgehogs we’re used to. Dr. Arlo Hinckley, also from the Smithsonian, said that this discovery is important because South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world.

Finding new species can be hard, especially when they’re small and live in (9)______ forests. The scientists found differences in their genes and physical (10)______, like the (11)______ of their heads and teeth. They named one of the new species Hylomys macarong, which (12)______ “vampire” in Vietnamese because it has long fangs. The researchers also looked at specimens in museums from Asia, Europe, and the US. They found two of the new species in these collections.

Dr. Hawkins said that looking at specimens in museums is like time traveling. It helped them get enough genetic material to confirm that the three other species were actually (13)______ from each other. Each Hylomys species lives in a slightly different habitat, with some in (14)______ forests and others in higher areas. Dr. Hinckley compared finding these animals to finding a Picasso (15)______ in an art gallery or an archaeological site in a city. He said that protecting these habitats is important and can bring in more money.

The discovery of these new (16)______ species has been published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. This shows that scientists are always exploring and finding new things.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a soft-furred hedgehog?
2. How would you feel if you discovered a new species of animal?
3. Do you like studying about animals? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to protect rainforests? Why or why not?
5. What is deforestation and why is it a problem?
6. How do scientists study animals that live in dense forests?
7. Why do you think the scientists named one of the new species “vampire”?
8. What do you think it means to “time travel” when looking at specimens in museums?
9. How do you think protecting habitats can bring in more money?
10. Have you ever discovered something new or unexpected? What was it?
11. Do you think there are still many undiscovered species in the world? Why or why not?
12. How do you think finding new species can help us better understand the world?
13. Have you ever been to a rainforest? If so, what was it like?
14. Would you like to be a scientist who discovers new species? Why or why not?
15. What other types of animals do you think might be living in the rainforests of South East Asia?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. species
2. missions
3. specimens
4. diverse
5. mammals
6. deforestation
7. dense
8. genes
9. physical
10. fangs
11. collections
12. habitat
13. archaeological
14. gallery
15. exploring

Meanings:
(A) A room or building where art is displayed for people to see
(B) Warm-blooded animals that usually have fur or hair and give birth to live young
(C) Related to the body or its appearance
(D) Traveling through or searching an area to discover something new
(E) The natural environment where a plant or animal lives
(F) Examples or samples of something, often used for study or display
(G) Having a lot of different kinds or forms
(H) Related to ancient history or the study of human history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts
(I) Special trips or tasks that are carried out with a specific goal
(J) Groups of items or objects gathered together, often in a museum or library
(K) Different kinds or types of animals or plants
(L) Thick; closely packed together, making it hard to move through
(M) Long, sharp teeth
(N) The act of cutting down or clearing away trees from a forest
(O) The parts of an organism’s DNA that determine its traits
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How many new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia?
(a) Two
(b) Five
(c) Seven
(d) Ten

2. How did scientists study the new hedgehog species?
(a) By going on missions to their forest homes and studying museum specimens
(b) By observing them in zoos
(c) By conducting experiments in a laboratory
(d) By using satellite imagery

3. What did the scientists discover about the animals in the museums?
(a) They were all the same species
(b) Two of them were new to science
(c) They were all extinct species
(d) They were not related to the new hedgehog species

4. According to Dr. Melissa Hawkins, what does this discovery show?
(a) How well we understand mammals
(b) How deforestation affects rainforests
(c) How many species are found in South East Asia
(d) How diverse life on Earth is

5. What is the name of the group that the new hedgehog species belong to?
(a) Soft-furred hedgehogs
(b) Spiny hedgehogs
(c) South East Asian hedgehogs
(d) Hylomys

6. Why is the discovery of these new hedgehog species important?
(a) They have fur instead of spines
(b) They live in dense forests
(c) South East Asia has high rates of deforestation
(d) They are small mammals

7. How did the scientists determine that the three other species were different from each other?
(a) By analyzing their genes and physical features
(b) By observing their behavior in the wild
(c) By comparing them to other known species
(d) By conducting experiments in a laboratory

8. Where was the discovery of these new hedgehog species published?
(a) National Geographic magazine
(b) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History newsletter
(c) Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
(d) Journal of Hedgehog Research

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. They did not examine specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time.
2. Dr. Hawkins also believes that finding and studying these animals can help us better understand and protect rainforests.
3. Three other animals, which were thought to be the same species, were actually different enough to be their own species.
4. These new hedgehog species are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia.
5. Dr. Melissa Hawkins, a lead researcher, does not believe this discovery highlights the incredible diversity of life on Earth.
6. None of the animals in the museums were previously unknown to science.
7. Scientists have discovered five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia.
8. The scientists did not have to go on multiple missions to study these animals in their forest homes.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did scientists find in South East Asia?
2. How did the scientists study the new hedgehog species?
3. Why is this discovery important?
4. How did the scientists determine that the three other animals were actually different species?
5. Where was the discovery of the new hedgehog species published?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How many new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia?
Five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia.

2. What did the scientists have to do to study the animals?
The scientists had to go on multiple missions to the animals’ forest homes to study them. They also looked at specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time.

3. What did the scientists discover about the animals in the museums?
The scientists discovered that two of the animals in the museums were new to science. They also found that three other animals, which were thought to be different types of one species, were actually different enough to be their own species.

4. According to Dr. Hawkins, what does this discovery show about life on Earth?
According to Dr. Hawkins, this discovery shows how diverse life on Earth is. It also shows that even in groups of animals that we know a lot about, like mammals, there is still a lot we don’t know.

5. Why is finding animals like these important for rainforest protection?
Finding animals like these is important for rainforest protection because it helps us understand and protect rainforests. It shows us the biodiversity of these habitats and highlights the need to conserve them.

6. What is the name of the group the new hedgehog species belong to?
The new hedgehog species belong to a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia.

7. Why is the discovery of these new species important for South East Asia?
The discovery of these new species is important for South East Asia because it highlights the biodiversity of the region. It also emphasizes the need to protect these habitats, especially since South East Asia has the highest rates of deforestation in the world.

8. How did the scientists determine that the three other species were different from each other?
The scientists determined that the three other species were different from each other by analyzing their genes and physical features, such as the shape of their heads and teeth. These differences in genetic material and physical characteristics confirmed that they were distinct species.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) animals
(2) researchers
(3) History
(4) shows
(5) mammals
(6) species
(7) discovery
(8) spines
(9) dense
(10) features
(11) shape
(12) means
(13) different
(14) lowland
(15) painting
(16) hedgehog
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. species
Answer: (K) Different kinds or types of animals or plants

2. missions
Answer: (I) Special trips or tasks that are carried out with a specific goal

3. specimens
Answer: (F) Examples or samples of something, often used for study or display

4. diverse
Answer: (G) Having a lot of different kinds or forms

5. mammals
Answer: (B) Warm-blooded animals that usually have fur or hair and give birth to live young

6. deforestation
Answer: (N) The act of cutting down or clearing away trees from a forest

7. dense
Answer: (L) Thick; closely packed together, making it hard to move through

8. genes
Answer: (O) The parts of an organism’s DNA that determine its traits

9. physical
Answer: (C) Related to the body or its appearance

10. fangs
Answer: (M) Long, sharp teeth

11. collections
Answer: (J) Groups of items or objects gathered together, often in a museum or library

12. habitat
Answer: (E) The natural environment where a plant or animal lives

13. archaeological
Answer: (H) Related to ancient history or the study of human history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts

14. gallery
Answer: (A) A room or building where art is displayed for people to see

15. exploring
Answer: (D) Traveling through or searching an area to discover something new
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How many new species of soft-furred hedgehogs were found in South East Asia?
Answer: (b) Five

2. How did scientists study the new hedgehog species?
Answer: (a) By going on missions to their forest homes and studying museum specimens

3. What did the scientists discover about the animals in the museums?
Answer: (b) Two of them were new to science

4. According to Dr. Melissa Hawkins, what does this discovery show?
Answer: (d) How diverse life on Earth is

5. What is the name of the group that the new hedgehog species belong to?
Answer: (d) Hylomys

6. Why is the discovery of these new hedgehog species important?
Answer: (c) South East Asia has high rates of deforestation

7. How did the scientists determine that the three other species were different from each other?
Answer: (a) By analyzing their genes and physical features

8. Where was the discovery of these new hedgehog species published?
Answer: (c) Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. They did not examine specimens that had been kept in museums for a long time. (Answer: False)
2. Dr. Hawkins also believes that finding and studying these animals can help us better understand and protect rainforests. (Answer: True)
3. Three other animals, which were thought to be the same species, were actually different enough to be their own species. (Answer: True)
4. These new hedgehog species are part of a group called Hylomys, which live in South East Asia. (Answer: True)
5. Dr. Melissa Hawkins, a lead researcher, does not believe this discovery highlights the incredible diversity of life on Earth. (Answer: False)
6. None of the animals in the museums were previously unknown to science. (Answer: False)
7. Scientists have discovered five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs in South East Asia. (Answer: True)
8. The scientists did not have to go on multiple missions to study these animals in their forest homes. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧