Top 10 surprising new species discovered

In 2013 alone, 18,000 new species were discovered on our planet. The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE), driven by the State University of New York, has published a list of the most incredible species.

This list, created in 2008, is designed to raise awareness on the richness of the planet's biodiversity and the threats to it. It is estimated that there are still 10 million unknown species, five times more than mankind has classified. Would you like to know 10 of these surprising new species of animals?

This friendly looking mammal is one of the most interesting discoveries in 2013. Christened as olinguito (‘Bassaricyon neblina’), it lives in the forests of the Andes and its appearance is like a cross between a small bear and a domestic cat.

This is the only species of anemones (‘Edwardsiella andrillae’) that can live under the ice. Last year they were discovered under the Antarctic ice caps. Their resistance to such temperatures has left the science community fascinated.

These small snails (‘Zospeum tholossum’) lack pigmentation making their shell see-through, which gives them a "ghostly" appearance. They have been discovered in caves in Croatia, and live in the depths of the ocean where the sun's rays can't penetrate. They are even slower than ground snails, travelling just a few centimeters per week.

This gecko (‘Saltuarius eximius’), with a wide tail, slender body and larger eyes than other species, is able to make itself practically invisible to the human eye, since its mottled coloring allows it to perfectly blend in with its surroundings. It has been discovered in the isolated jungles of Melville, in Australia.

This small fairyfly, which is impressive when placed under the microscope, was discovered in the lush forests of Costa Rica. It is so small that scientists call it 'Tinkerbella nana', like the eternal sidekick of Peter Pan. It barely measures 250 micrometers, the millionth part of a meter.

An ant with a patch? Yes, that's how this unusual animal (‘Cardiocondyla pirata’) was when it was discovered in a tropical forest of the Philippines. Scientists believe that what seems like a patch is actually a way of distracting predators.

Discovered on the Indonesian island of Lombok, this beautiful owl (‘Otus jolandae’) had gone unnoticed until its discovery. It lives in the forests near the Rinjani volcano of that same island. Beautiful, isn't it?

The cocoa frog (‘Hypsiboas’), thus named due to its brown colored skin, is one of the 60 species found in the tropical forest of the South East of Surinam. One of the researchers that discovered it mentioned that they found it in one of the purest ecosystems they had ever seen.

They have been given this name because their pectoral and pelvic fins seem to touch the ground while they swim. The species (‘Hemiscyllium halmahera’) was discovered in Indonesia and can measure up to 70 centimeters in length

This frog from Borneo (‘Ceratophrys cornuta’) was one of the thousands of species recorded during a recent biodiversity study of mount Kinabalu, in North Borneo. As you can see, it got its name from the small protrusions on its head that look like small horns.

Sources: International Institute for Species Exploration, Live Science