163 NEW SPECIES FOUND IN MEKONG, IN 2008

Wow…there is still magic while other extinct!

A leopard-like gecko and a fanged frog are among 163 new species discovered last year in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced Friday. But in its report, "Close Encounters," the environmental group also said that the species are at risk of extinction because of climate change. One of the new species, a tiger-striped pitviper (Cryptelytrops honsonensis), is shown here. They are endemic to Hon Son Island in Rach Gia Bay in the Kien Giang Province of southern Vietnam.

This photo shows one of the more unusual new species discovered in Mekong in 2008: the Khorat big-mouthed frog. The frog (Limnonectes megastomias) has only been found in three isolated and remote locations in a protected area in Thailand. It's fangs protrude from its bottom jawbone and it is known as an opportunistic eater, waiting for prey in streams. It also eats other frogs and insects.

It's easy to see how this lizard got its name. With its cat-like eyes and marbled pattern, it certainly looks like the leopard for which it was named. The Cat Ba leopard gecko (Goniurosaurus catbaensis) is found only in Cat Ba Island National Park in northern Vietnam. Scientists believe the species should be classified as a rare and endangered species.

 


This is another view of the Khorat big-mouthed fanged frog. Scientists believe the frog uses the fangs in combat with other males, as well as to catch prey.

WWF says this wild banana (Musa rubinea) is only known to occur in the Nujiang, Cangyan County in the western Chinese province of Yunnan on the border with Myanmar. Because of its beauty, it is used as an ornamental species in horticulture.

The WWF calls this new species "the reluctant flyer." The Nonggang babbler (Stachyris nonggangensis) was observed walking longer distances than flying. It appeared to use its wings when frightened. It was discovered in the karst rainforest of the Nonggang Natural Reserve, in southern China near the Vietnamese border.

This brightly-colored fish, Odessa barb (Puntius padamya), was located in the wild for the first time in Myanmar in 2008. It first appeared in the aquarium trade in Odessa, Ukraine, for which it was named. The species is named after the Burmese word for ruby (padamya) in reference to the bright red color of males.

 

 

This rough-coated tree frog (Philautus quyeti) was discovered in Vietnam's Truong Son mountain range.

 

 

 

 

This is another view of the wild banana (Musa rubinea) from the western Chinese province of Yunnan.