A bat with nightmarish fangs (Hypsugo dolichodon), the world'ssecond longest insect (Phryganistria heusii yentuensis) and acolour-changing thorny frog (Graciaxal lumarius) were among the 70 newspecies found in Vietnam in 2014, according to a report from the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The 70 species represent more than half of the 139 species found in the Greater Mekong region.
Intotal, 90 plants, 23 reptiles, 16 amphibians, nine fish, and one mammalwere discovered in the Greater Mekong and detailed in the annualreport, Magical Mekong, issued by WWF-Vietnam on June 4 to celebrate its20 anniversary in Vietnam.
They include a crocodile newt(Tylototriton shanorum) in Myanmar whose breeding habitat is underthreat, a "soul-sucking" dementor wasp (Sirindhornia chaipattana) fromThailand, a stealthy wolf snake (Lycodon zoosvictoriae) from Cambodiaand the world's 10,000th reptile (Cyrtodactylus vilaphong) discovered inLaos.
This brings the total new species discovered in theGreater Mekong, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand andVietnam, to 2,216 between 1997 and 2014 – an average of three newspecies a week.
"We are excited to be able to say that Vietnamis rich in biodiversity and home to a diverse array of species, some ofwhich are unique to Vietnam – with many still to be discovered," saidDr. Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director for WWF-Vietnam.
"Vietnam'srich and globally important ecosystems are truly the gift that keeps ongiving. We should, therefore, protect them together for the nextgenerations," he said.
The world's second-largest insect, a stickinsect that measures 54 cm, was found less than one kilometre away froma village in northern Vietnam.
"We've only skimmed the surfaceof new discoveries in the Greater Mekong," said Carlos Drews, WWFDirector Global Species Programme. "However, while species are beingdiscovered, intense pressures are taking a terrible toll on the region'sspecies. One wonders how many species have disappeared before they wereeven discovered."
Such pressures include a proposed new bordercrossing and road in Cambodia's Mondulkiri Protected Forest, twounsustainable dams in Laos, rising deforestation rates, and continuedillegal poaching.
A commitment to protecting key wildlife habitatis also crucial, with countries cooperating across borders to makesustainable decisions on issues such as where to construct largeinfrastructure, like roads and dams.
"In our next five-yearstrategy, WWF-Vietnam will work to ensure effective conservation,sustainable management and climate change resilience in the country. Wewill aim to expand our work to provide key environmental strategies andcontribute to conservation and sustainable development," Thinh said.-VNA
The 70 species represent more than half of the 139 species found in the Greater Mekong region.
Intotal, 90 plants, 23 reptiles, 16 amphibians, nine fish, and one mammalwere discovered in the Greater Mekong and detailed in the annualreport, Magical Mekong, issued by WWF-Vietnam on June 4 to celebrate its20 anniversary in Vietnam.
They include a crocodile newt(Tylototriton shanorum) in Myanmar whose breeding habitat is underthreat, a "soul-sucking" dementor wasp (Sirindhornia chaipattana) fromThailand, a stealthy wolf snake (Lycodon zoosvictoriae) from Cambodiaand the world's 10,000th reptile (Cyrtodactylus vilaphong) discovered inLaos.
This brings the total new species discovered in theGreater Mekong, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand andVietnam, to 2,216 between 1997 and 2014 – an average of three newspecies a week.
"We are excited to be able to say that Vietnamis rich in biodiversity and home to a diverse array of species, some ofwhich are unique to Vietnam – with many still to be discovered," saidDr. Van Ngoc Thinh, Country Director for WWF-Vietnam.
"Vietnam'srich and globally important ecosystems are truly the gift that keeps ongiving. We should, therefore, protect them together for the nextgenerations," he said.
The world's second-largest insect, a stickinsect that measures 54 cm, was found less than one kilometre away froma village in northern Vietnam.
"We've only skimmed the surfaceof new discoveries in the Greater Mekong," said Carlos Drews, WWFDirector Global Species Programme. "However, while species are beingdiscovered, intense pressures are taking a terrible toll on the region'sspecies. One wonders how many species have disappeared before they wereeven discovered."
Such pressures include a proposed new bordercrossing and road in Cambodia's Mondulkiri Protected Forest, twounsustainable dams in Laos, rising deforestation rates, and continuedillegal poaching.
A commitment to protecting key wildlife habitatis also crucial, with countries cooperating across borders to makesustainable decisions on issues such as where to construct largeinfrastructure, like roads and dams.
"In our next five-yearstrategy, WWF-Vietnam will work to ensure effective conservation,sustainable management and climate change resilience in the country. Wewill aim to expand our work to provide key environmental strategies andcontribute to conservation and sustainable development," Thinh said.-VNA
