Scientists were in for a surprise after discovering the mummified remains of 13 mice in a very unexpected location - the tops of the 20,000ft Andean volcanoes.
It’s early 2019, and biologist Jay Storz is struggling to breathe. He has just made it to the top of Llullaillaco, a Chilean volcano about three-quarters the height of Mount Everest, in search of a rumour.
Up this high, the air is thin, so there isn’t much oxygen and every step is an effort. Storz’s colleague, Mario Perez Mamani, spots movement among the rocks and Storz springs into action. He makes a successful grab and sits back, smiling. In his fist is the highest-dwelling animal in the world: A yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (
Biologists Jay Storz and Mario Perez Mamani capture a yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse.