The Hog-Nosed Shrew Rat, which possesses morphological features that are believed to be new to science, was found by a team of scientists from the Museum Victoria in Australia, Louisiana State University in the United States and the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense in the Netherlands. The bizarre looking creature, which bears a strong resemblance to species of the Bandicoot family, was uncovered within the isolated montane forests of Mount Dako on the island of Sulawesi. Much of Sulawesi’s unique wildlife remains shrouded in mystery, as it’s unlike the fauna of either Asia or Australasia.

It was first observed during an expedition to the region in 2013, when it was caught in a mammal trap; and due to its distinctive appearance, was immediately thought to be new to science. The study’s findings have been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Mammalogy. The discovery is particularly significant, as it marks not only a new species of mammal, but also a new genus. It’s understood to be carnivorous, with a primary diet consisting of beetle larvae, earthworms and other invertebrates.