© Lizzie Noble 
©Lizzie Noble 
©Lizzie Noble 
Habitat: only found in the Sierra Nevadas of Colombia 
Status: Critically Endangered 
Aw, little ginger rat! Where have you been hiding for OVER A CENTURY?! Jesus. 
This is the Red-crested tree rat who made a suave appearance on a handrail while two volunteers, Lizzie Noble and Simon McKeown while they were relaxing after a hard day of conservation work in El Dorado Nature Reserve in Colombia, South America. 
This fiery little critter is about 18 inches long – about the same size as a guinea pig. Though, it’s characteristic black and white tail and striking red fur makes it unique among other rodents. 
So happy to have this little guy “back” in the world! Hopefully with some push to keep its habitat protected, they can begin to flourish once again. 
…I just really want to know where it was hiding!!