World's Sharebook 

From 1999 to 2010, WWF discovered 615 new species in Madagascar, including: 41 mammals, 61 reptiles, 69 amphibians, 42 invertebrates, 17 fish, and 385 plants. These new discoveries reinforce Madagascar’s standing as one of the Earth’s richest tropical habitats.

WWF works to establish protected areas and empower local communities to live in harmony with the wildlife that surrounds them. The new discoveries bring light to the amazing life in Madagascar, but are a harsh reminder of what will be lost if habitats are not protected.

See more species and read the report >

A bird-eating fanged frog, a gecko that looks like it's from another planet and a bird that would rather walk than fly, are among the 163 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year that are now at risk of extinction due to climate change, says a new report launched by WWF ahead of UN climate talks in Bangkok.

Learn more and read the report at http://www.worldwildlife.org/close-encounters

Photo: © Thomas Ziegler / WWF Greater Mekong

The Cat Ba leopard gecko (Goniurosaurus catbaensis) is found exclusively in Cat Ba Island National Park in northern Vietnam. This species was one of the many new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia during 2008.

Aug 10, 2009: A new WWF report reveals more than 350 new species - such as the world's smallest deer, a "flying frog" and a 100 million-year old gecko - that have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change.

> Read more and view a slideshow of some of the new species discoveries!

A female Gumprecht's green pitviper (Trimeresurus gumprechti)
© Piyawan Niyomwan

According to a new report by WWF and partners, over 1,000 species have been newly discovered in the Greater Mekong in the past decade. That’s an average of two per week--making this one of the most prolific rates of discovery in the world. Findings include 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, 4 birds, 4 turtles, 2 salamanders and a toad.

- Watch a video about Mekong
- Download the report
- Read the press release

 “Dragon millipede”
(Desmoxytes purpurosea)
Scientists suggest that the bright color is a warning to predators of the millipede’s toxicity.
© Somsak Panha