Over 300 Bizarre New Species Discovered in Greater Mekong

To mark the World Environment Day, around 300 mysterious new species from the Greater Mekong region were revealed by the WWF.

A  new report by the World Wildlife Fund lists 367 news species, which  includes a giant flying squirrel, a skydiving gecko, a fish that mates head-to-head, an eyeless cave dwelling spiders and many more.  A two-year exploration of the Greater Mekong region, from 2011-2013, yielded 367 new species that includes 290 plants, 24 fish and 21 amphibians.

"The species discoveries affirm the Greater Mekong as one of the world's richest and most biodiverse regions," said Dr Thomas Gray, manager of WWF-Greater Mekong's Species Programme. "If we're to prevent these new species disappearing into extinction, and to keep alive the hope of finding other fascinating creatures in years to come, it's critical that governments invest in conservation and green growth strategies." 

Since 1997, nearly 2077 new species have been described by scientists from the Greater Mekong area, the regions that spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China's South-western Yunnan Province.

The flying squirrel was identified based on a single animal that was collected from a bush meat market. The Laotian giant flying squirrel's red and white fur is what separated it from the rest. They similarly found the Cambodian Tailorbird in 2009 during a routine expedition for avian flu tests.

In the list of the bizarre species is the transparent fish that has a very complex anatomy.  The fish, Phallostethus cuulong, has its sex organs behind the mouth and mates head to head.  Another is Helen's Flying Frog that was seen in Vietnam. The big green frog uses its large webbed hands and feet to escape predators by flying across treetops.  They glide down to breed in rain pools.

"Kaeng Krachan National Park is within one of the least explored areas in Southeast Asia - a transboundary wilderness with adjacent areas in Myanmar," added Dr. Gray. "It's the beating heart for species recovery in Thailand and Myanmar, hosting one of the world's most significant tiger populations. Discovering new species here confirm the importance of conservation efforts by WWF and partners in this awe-inspiring place."