208 Species Discovered

In just one year 208 species were discovered in the Mekong region, which includes Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. The new species include a monkey, five carnivorous plants, a self-cloning lizard, and a leaf warbler. The snub-nosed monkey was discovered in remote Myanmar mountains. The self-cloning lizard species was found in Vietnam – and all are female. The carnivorous plants were found across the Mekong region and they can devour lizards, rodents and birds. Of the 208 new discoveries 145 plants, but many of them are already in danger of destruction and potentially extinction due to human activities. For example, recently the Javan Rhino in Vietnam was declared extinct due to poaching.

“The region’s treasure trove of biodiversity will be lost if governments fail to invest in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity, which is so fundamental to ensuring long-term sustainability in the face of global environmental change,” said Stuart Chapman, a WWF representative. (Source: WWF-Panda)

What is equally important to conservation efforts is addressing human overpopulation, but for some reason it receives far less coverage in the press, and low awareness preserves the problem. Recently the human population reached seven billion and will continue growing. The effect on the world’s biodiversity is predictable as habitat loss is one of the main factors in loss of species. If humans keep converting wild land into residential and commercial developments, more and more species will be lost forever.

Some of these new animal discoveries, might be followed too soon by announcements of sudden declines or even extinctions. The World Wildlife Fund is working with local governments to protect the remaining wild habitats and their biodiversity.

Image Credit: WWF Cambodia

Read more: Nature, Nature & Wildlife, Wildlife

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Kenneth D.

11:20AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

Good news. Proves we do not know it all and have a duty of care

send a green star

Muriel S.

11:15AM PST on Jan 6, 2012

I just wish there were more pictures. Interesting piece of news but as soon as new species are discovered, the impact of man on their habitat tends to be too heavy to give the species safe future prospects.

KARLOLINA G.

4:47AM PST on Jan 5, 2012

Good news on this cold wintery day. Warms my heart. Thank you.

Marianna B M.

5:39AM PST on Dec 16, 2011

nice

Jingli Z.

11:07PM PST on Dec 15, 2011

Nice to know.. But I m sure there re more species going extinct even before they re discovered..

Mara C.

7:10PM PST on Dec 15, 2011

Wish there were photos!

Naomi M.

11:52AM PST on Dec 15, 2011

awesome news, thank you

Kathy P.

9:58AM PST on Dec 15, 2011

best news I've heard all day

Ellen M.

10:56PM PST on Dec 14, 2011

I hope these truly are "new species", as that might suggest they have evolved despite humans, and will be able to cope with the mess we leave behind when we're the ones gone extinct!