The modern cataloguing of animal species that populate our planet began almost three centuries ago with Carl Nilsson Linnaeus, known simply as Linnaeus, yet perhaps an equal amount of time will not suffice to complete it. It seems, in fact, that not even two tenths of all living organisms have been catalogued. Every year, thanks to fieldwork carried out in the most remote corners of the globe and cutting-edge studies in laboratories, dozens of new species are added to the already colourful and hypnotic kaleidoscope that is life on Earth. Amphibians, reptiles, insects, and also mammals large and small — here are some of the most interesting animals discovered in 2014.

Andinobates geminisae

In the impenetrable green of the Panamanian rainforest, Abel Batista and Marcos Ponce, researchers at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí, discovered a new species of poison dart frog. These small, brightly coloured, venomous amphibians take their name from the fact that South American indigenous peoples used the poison produced by their skin to tip their arrows. The new species, named Andinobates geminisae in honour of Marcos Ponce's wife, Gemini Vargas, was found at altitude in the Bethlehem river basin, in an area of pristine forest.

Paroedura hordiesi

Madagascar has always been a mysterious and prolific land, a true paradise for zoologists. Last November, researchers discovered a new species of gecko, confined to a small area in the northern part of the island. The reptile's habitat is under threat, and the authors of the discovery immediately called for it to be classified as "critically endangered" on the Iucn Red List.

Inia araguaiaensis

Being a large mammal, this Brazilian cetacean is perhaps the most significant animal discovered in 2014. Through DNA analysis it was classified as a distinct species from the other two species of river dolphin found in Amazonia. It is the first new river dolphin species to be identified since 1918. The dolphin was sighted in the Araguaia river in Brazil, and the total population is estimated at around one thousand individuals.

Myotis midastactus

In a little-known area of Bolivia, Ricardo Moratelli, a scientist at the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, catalogued six new species of bat. Among these, the Myotis midastactus stands out, taking its name — a tribute to King Midas — from its splendid golden coat. This chiropteran is distinguished not only by its unmistakable fur, but also by a long tail and highly developed, pointed ears.

Farlowella yarigui

It is about five centimetres long and lives on the beds of mountain streams in Colombia, sheltering among submerged vegetation. We are talking about a new species of catfish discovered in Yariguies National Park, in the Magdalena river basin. The discovery is particularly significant because Farlowella is the only catfish of this type found in South America west of the Andes; its closest relatives live in Venezuela. Despite its small size, the animal is a tough proposition for predators, being covered in an armour of bony plates.

Ampulex dementor

Insects do not usually manage to endear themselves to humans, and this new species of wasp will find it even harder, taking its name from one of the most fearsome creatures in the magical world of Harry Potter, the Dementor. The fictional being sucks the emotions and soul from its victims; similarly, the insect is capable of turning cockroaches into "zombies". Female wasps seek out cockroaches to parasitise, sting them into submission, and lay their eggs inside their bodies. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the cockroach's body until they reach maturity.

Bassaricyon neblina

To appreciate the significance of this animal's discovery, it is enough to say that it is the first new carnivorous mammal to be described in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years. The Olinguito is a species of raccoon with arboreal habits that lives exclusively in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Macroscelides micus

2014 saw the discovery of several mammals, among them a very small animal with an astonishing relative: a very large one. It is a new species of elephant shrew, discovered in a remote region of Namibia by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences. Genetically and morphologically, the little creature is more closely related to elephants than to shrews.

Scytalopus gonzagai

The forests of South America are an extraordinary treasure trove of biodiversity, all the more reason to preserve them. In a forest in Brazil, in the south of Bahia, an international team of ornithologists led by Dr Mark Bornschein discovered a new bird species. It is a small passerine belonging to the family Rhinocryptidae, 12 centimetres long, and characterised by a uniform grey plumage.

Mesoplodon hotaula

We have seen how jungles and deserts can still yield surprises, but the true frontier that continues to conceal mysteries, monsters and magic is the ocean. From there comes the last animal on our list — no less than a new whale. The discovery was made by analysing the remains of seven cetaceans that over the past fifty years had washed ashore on tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The new species belongs to the family of beaked whales, a group of animals similar to sperm whales that live in deep oceanic waters and about which we know very little. Observing these mammals is particularly difficult owing to their ability to remain submerged for very long periods.