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Good News At Christmas From South East Asia

22nd December, 2008

WWF Report Many New Species in South East Asia

Over a thousand new species, equal to two a week, have been discovered in the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia in just the last decade, according to WWF’s report First Contact in the Greater Mekong.

Among the 1068 species newly identified by science between 1997 and 2007 were the world’s largest huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima), with a leg span of 30 centimetres, and the startlingly hot pink coloured cyanide-producing “dragon millipede” (Desmoxytes purpurosea).

While most species were discovered in the largely unexplored jungles and wetlands, some were first found in more surprising places. The Laotian rock rat (Laonastes aenigmamus) , for example, thought to be extinct 11 million years ago, was first encountered by scientists in a local food market, while the Siamese Peninsula pitviper snake (Trimeresurus fucatus) was found slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

“This region is like what I read about as a child in the stories of Charles Darwin,” said Dr Thomas Ziegler, Curator at the Cologne Zoo. “It is a great feeling being in an unexplored area and to document its biodiversity for the first time… both enigmatic and beautiful,” he said.

The region comprises the six countries through which the Mekong River flows including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan. The 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. It is estimated thousands of new invertebrate species were also discovered during this period, further highlighting the region’s immense biodiversity.

Stuart Chapman, Director of WWF’s Greater Mekong Programme, said: “We thought discoveries of this scale were confined to the history books. This reaffirms the Greater Mekong’s place on the world map of conservation priorities.”

“To help protect the biological diversity of the region whilst also providing for livelihoods and alleviating poverty, economic development and environmental protection must go hand-in-hand”, said Chapman. “What is urgently needed is a formal, cross-border agreement by the governments of Greater Mekong”.

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