Greater Mekong treasure trove of new species
15 December 2008
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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Editor's notes
The report, First Contact in the Greater Mekong, along with further information including high resolution photographs, audio interviews and species footage can be downloaded from http://www.divshare.com/folder/443367-922
WWF is collaborating with many research institutions in the region that has resulted in the discovery of new species. One WWF scientist, Dr. Chavalit Vidthayanon, has discovered 8 new fish species which are included in this report.
WWF is working with governments and industry of the six Greater Mekong nations to conserve and sustainably manage 600,000 km2 of trans-boundary forest and freshwater habitats in this unique and rapidly changing land.
The Greater Mekong grouping of countries is committed to increasing cooperation for accelerated economic development, as facilitated by the Asian Development Bank. Economic activity and associated investments in infrastructure development is concentrated along three "economic corridors" that crisscross the region and has the potential both to lift the region's rural populations out of poverty but also to exacerbate existing threats, ultimately depleting the natural resource base upon which long-term development of the region depends. WWF believes that Greater Mekong nations hold the key to both economic development and ensuring the integrity of conservation landscapes remains intact.
Sixteen of WWF’s Global 200 eco-regions, critical landscapes of international biological importance, are found in the Greater Mekong. These landscapes are home to an estimated 20,000 species of plant, 1,200 bird species, 800 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 430 mammal species, including Asian elephants, tigers and one of only two populations of the critically endangered Javan rhino in the world. In addition to rare Irrawaddy dolphins, the Mekong River basin is estimated to house at least 1,300 species of fish, including the Mekong giant catfish, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. By length, the Mekong is the richest waterway for biodiversity on the planet, fostering more species per unit area than the Amazon. Many of the species are endemic to the region.
The way we live is leading to environmental threats such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, water shortages and the collapse of fisheries. WWF’s One Planet Future Campaign is working to help people live a good quality of life within the earth’s capacity. For more information visit www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet
For further information, please contact:
Sophie McCallum, tel: 01483 412387, m: 07909 930034, email: smccallum@wwf.org.uk
