--- title: Meet the Newest Mammal Known to Science: The Hog-Nosed Rat description: A new species of rat has been discovered on an Indonesian island. It has a pig-like nose and other unusual features canonical: https://time.com/4062462/hog-nosed-rat-hyorhinomys-stuempkei/ author: Mark Rivett-Carnac article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-06T09:26:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:21.665Z article:section: Science og:title: Meet the Newly Discovered Hog-Nosed Rat og:description: Researchers found it on Sulawesi island, Indonesia. og:url: https://time.com/4062462/hog-nosed-rat-hyorhinomys-stuempkei/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte176ca8ec6ba42eb/698866fca988ca7a736b4ae3/hognose03c-museumvictoria.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: HogNose03c.MuseumVictoria og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Meet the Newly Discovered Hog-Nosed Rat twitter:description: Researchers found it on Sulawesi island, Indonesia. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte176ca8ec6ba42eb/698866fca988ca7a736b4ae3/hognose03c-museumvictoria.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A New Mammal Has Just Been Discovered and It's Called the Hog-Nosed Rat > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](https://time.com/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Oct 6, 2015 9:26 AM UTC  This newly discovered species of rat is called Hyorhinomys stuempkei, or the hog-nosed rat This newly discovered species of rat is called Hyorhinomys stuempkei, or the hog-nosed rat Museum Victoria by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](https://time.com/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Oct 6, 2015 9:26 AM UTC It seems a little unfair to call anything in this world a hog-nosed rat, even when that thing is a rat with, well, a piglike nose. Unfortunately for _Hyorhinomys stuempkei_, a new species of rat [discovered](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34451265) in Indonesia, that is its name and the zoology books are sealed. The unusual mammal has features uncommon in other rats and was discovered on Sulawesi island by researchers from Australia, Indonesia and the U.S., according to the BBC. “Obviously its nostrils which resemble a hog’s, are very unique. But it also has a long face and larger ears for a rat of its size and lower teeth which are more in common with shrew rats,” Museum Victoria’s mammal curator Kevin Rowe told the BBC. “It also has pubic hairs that are very long and extended, which we see in other Australian mammals,” he said. It took Rowe, who specializes in rodent evolution, six weeks to reach the remote area of the forest where the rat was discovered. He says very little is known about the rats. But one thing is fairly certain: they’re unlikely to become stars in any cute animal videos. \[[_BBC_](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34451265)\] ### 26 of LIFE’s Best Animal Covers  February 8, 1937 LIFE Magazine cover (photo by Charles J. Belden). 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LIFE Magazine  LIFE magazine cover of 01-30-1970 w. pic of snow monkey of Japan in water, by Co Rentmeester. 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