York scientists discover 'happy' bat

An unusual breed of fruit bat - previously nicknamed ‘Yoda’ due to its resemblance to the Star Wars Jedi Master - has now officially been registered as a new species.

Discovered in a remote rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the bat’s unusual features immediately saw it affectionately referred to as the ‘Yoda bat’.

However, after thorough research examining literature and some 3000 specimens in 18 museums around the world, a University of York researcher has now formally distinguished and registered the new species.

The happy tube-nosed fruit bat’s formal name, Nyctimene wrightae sp. nov., is named after the conservationist Dr Deb Wright, who devoted 20 years to building conservation programmes and long-term scientific capacity in Papua New Guinea.