San Quintin kangaroo rat

How did this wee rodent manage to survive extinction? It’s a mystery. By 1994, it was thought to be completely annihilated, as no one had seen a single one of these critters since 1986. But in 2008, four of these adorable rats were accidentally re-discovered by researchers in Baja, California, Mexico.

The good news: Now that we know they’re still among the living, scientists can get to work devising a conservation plan for them.