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Greelings Discovered in Sheldrick Forest, Wilton NHDateline: Wilton, NH A new species has been discovered in the old growth forests of New Hampshire. "We think it may be a mammal," said Zeno-zoologist Elaine Isaak, of Curious Characters. "It's quite exciting, people just don't expect to find something new in New Hampshire. It will take some weeks or months of observation to discover what type of critter we really have here." A Greeling is about 18 to 24 inches high, an appears to be bi-pedal. Their bodies are covered with a short brown hair, while the tip of their tail, and head are covered with a longer, bushy red-brown hair. A most unique feature is the antler like structures on the head. Fortunately, Isaak was able to obtain pictures of this unique creature. The discovery of new mammals seems to be common this year. Three new forms of deer were discovered in remote regions of Laos (Natural History, April 1997; p14). "Of course, the Greelings may be something entirely different," explained Isaak. "In the last 10 years we have discovered animals like those who are dependent on a hydrogen-sulfide environment near volcanic vents in the sea floor. While Wilton, is not quite that unusual, the limited knowledge we have about Greelings indicate they are at least as strange." Elaine discovered these unique creatures while walking in Wilton's Sheldrick Forest. "At first, I thought it might be the Easter Bunny, or some other seasonal creature. This is early spring, so you see animals that are just getting out and about after the snow. But careful observation indicates that it is quite something different from your normal spring fauna. The discovery was serendipitous, I just happened to be looking at this fallen log, and there was this animal. It did not take an expert observer to realize this was something new. When you walk in the woods it's not uncommon to see various signs of animals, tracks, pellets, fur, feathers each of which can tell us something about the beast. While the marks on the local trees are rather unique, I had not associated them with any particular animal. It was the trademark that made it obvious that Greelings were different, and it greatly simplified identifying the name of the critter. Although the phylum, class, order, and genus are unclear." Isaak is an alumni of Rhode Island School of Design, where discovery and development of unique species and objects is relatively common. The title "Zeno-zoologist" is honorary, reflecting her diverse expertise in whimsical creations, which are the core business of Curious Characters, a new business in Wilton. More information about Greelings can be found at http://www.tellink.net/~curious/Default.html as it becomes available. "Greeling" is a trademark of Curious Characters |
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