Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) is a Madagascan mammal in the family Eupleridae of the order Carnivora. It is most closely related to the brown-tailed mongoose (Salanoia concolor), with which it forms the genus Salanoia. The two are genetically similar, but morphologically distinct, leading scientists to recognize them as separate species. The animal was first known to science after an individual was observed in 2004, and S. durrelli was described as a new species in 2010. A small, reddish-brown carnivore, Salanoia durrelli is characterized by broad feet with prominent pads, reddish-buff underparts, and broad, robust teeth, among other differences from the brown-tailed mongoose. In the only two weighed specimens, the body masses were 600 and 675 g (21.2 and 23.8 oz). S. durrelli is a marsh-dwelling animal that may feed on crustaceans and mollusks. It is found only in the Lac Alaotra area, a threatened ecosystem, and may also be endangered by competition with introduced species.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durrell%27s_vontsira

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1775:

Thomas Gage, the governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, offered a general pardon to colonists who remained loyal to Britain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gage

1914:

As part of the Ottoman Empire's policies of ethnic cleansing, Turkish irregulars (examples pictured) began a six-day massacre of the predominantly Greek town of Phocaea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Phocaea

1963:

African-American civil-rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medgar_Evers

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

tokamak: (nuclear physics) A torus-shaped chamber used in nuclear fusion research in which a plasma is magnetically confined. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tokamak

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The heart of a virtuous person has settled down and he does not rush about at things. A person of little merit is not at peace but walks about making trouble and is in conflict with all.   --Yamamoto Tsunetomo https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yamamoto_Tsunetomo