Psychedelic gecko, "Elvis" monkey in new Mekong finds
Dec 12 (Reuters)
A wildly-coloured gecko, a fish that looks like a gherkin, and a
monkey with an Elvis-like hairstyle are among the more than 200 new
species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year, environmental
group WWF said on Monday. The area's diversity is so astonishing that a
new species is found every two days, but regional cooperation and
decision-making must take centre stage to preserve its richness, the
group added. The dangers posed to local wildlife were highlighted
earlier this year, when WWF said that Vietnam's Javan rhinos have been
poached into extinction.
"While the 2010 discoveries are new to science, many are already
destined for the dinner table, struggling to survive in shrinking
habitats and at risk of extinction," said Stuart Chapman, Conservation
Director of WWF Greater Mekong, in a statement.
Among the new species highlighted in the report "Wild Mekong" is a
gecko with bright orange legs, a yellow neck, and a blue-gray body with
yellow bars on its bright orange sides, discovered on an island in
southern Vietnam.
Then there is a black and white snub-nosed monkey whose head sports
an Elvis-like hairstyle, found in Myanmar's mountainous Kachin state.
Locals say the animal can be spotted with its head between its knees in
rainy weather as it tries to keep rain from running into its upturned
nose.
Other featured creatures among the 208 new finds include a lizard
that reproduces via cloning without the need for male lizards, a fish
that resembles a gherkin, and five species of carnivorous pitcher plant,
some of which lure in and consume rats and even birds.
"Mekong governments have to stop thinking about biodiversity
protection as a cost and recognise it as an investment to ensure
long-term stability," Chapman said.
"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."
Despite restrictions, trade in wildlife remains an active threat to a
range of endangered animals in the region, with some hunted because body
parts - such as rhinoceros horns - are coveted ingredients in
traditional Asian medicine.
Others, such as Mekong dolphins, face threats from fishing gear such
as gill nets and illegal fishing methods, prompting the WWF in August to
warn that one dolphin population in the river was at high risk of
extinction. The Greater Mekong region covers Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.
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