Flying frog among 353 new Himalayan species: WWF
A flying frog, the world’s smallest deer and the first new monkey to
be found in over a century are among 350 new species discovered in the
eastern Himalayas in the past decade, the WWF said Monday.
But the environmental group said the vital habitats of the mountain
range were facing growing pressures from unsustainable development in
the region, which
Large brown primate with short tail |
A flying Frog |
spans Nepal, China, India, Bhutan and Myanmar.
In a report released here Monday, it said climate change,
deforestation, overgrazing by domestic livestock and illegal poaching
and wildlife trading threatened one of the biologically richest areas of
the planet.
South Asia
“In the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave
of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasing demand
for commodities,” said the report, “The Eastern Himalayas Where Worlds
Collide.”
“Only 25 percent of the original habitats in the region remain
intact. For the unique species of the Eastern Himalayas, this means that
today 163 are considered globally threatened,” it said.
The WWF said 353 new species were discovered in the region between
1998 and 2008, among them a red-footed tree frog known as a “flying
frog” because its large webbed feet allow it to glide when falling.
Another new species was a kind of caecilian, a limbless amphibian
that resembles a giant earthworm and lives underground a significant
discovery because caecilians are among the planet’s least-studied
creatures.
World’s smallest Deer |
Other highlights were the world’s smallest deer a miniature muntjac
standing just 60-80 centimetres (25-30 inches) tall that was found in
northern Myanmar and the first new monkey species to be discovered in
over a century.
Highest-Dwelling
The WWF said the new species of macaque was one of the
highest-dwelling monkeys in the world, living in India’s Arunachal
Pradesh state at between 1,600 and 3,500 metres (5,000 and 11,500 feet)
above sea level.
Among the 242 new plant varieties discovered was an ultramarine blue
flower found by two intrepid Chinese botanists who descended into a
gorge in Tibet that is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in places.
The WWF described the rare bloom as “dramatic in both colour and
form” and said its colour changed with the temperature, making it
particularly remarkable.
AFP |