Seil Collins, reporter (Image: Lizzie Noble/ProAves) After 113
years in hiding, the red crested tree rat (Santamartamys
rufodorsalis) has appeared once again and posed for its first
ever photographs. The small mammal, not seen since 1898 despite
several organised searches, turned up in front of two volunteers
at the El Dorado Nature Reserve in northern Colombia on the
morning of 4 May. The species is distinguishable by its mane of
reddish fur around its neck and its black and white tail. The
greatest danger to its survival is the presence of feral cats
that prey on native fauna. As a result, it's likely that the
red-crested tree rat will now be designated as "Critically
Endangered" under the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Threatened Species. "The discovery
marks the beginning of a major effort to save the red-crested
tree rat," said Paul Salaman, director of conservation at the
World Land Trust - US, who confirmed the identity of the
species. "This heralds the start of a g