Devil bat, singing frog and more amazing new species
- Published
This dazzling miniature fish is one of 126 new species identified in the Mekong region of south-east Asia. It's called boraras naevus and is just 2cm long! Its name comes from the large dark blotch on its golden body (naevus is Latin for blemish).
A new WWF report called Extra Terrestrial focuses on extraordinary discoveries made by scientists in 2011 in the Mekong region, which spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern province of Yunnan in China. This striking ruby-eyed pit viper is one of 21 new reptile species that were spotted.
The Beelzebub's tube-nosed bat is a demonic-looking creature whose name means devil! It lives in tropical forests, which are facing severe threats from humans, according to conservation charity WWF.
This new species of "singing" tree frog has a complex call that makes it sound more like a bird than a frog! Most male frogs attract females with croaks, but Quang’s tree frog spins a different tune of clicks, whistles and chirps each time!
The unusual black and white eyes on this frog has led to the nickname of "yin-yang" frog!
This slimy creature is a "walking" catfish that can wriggle across land using its fins to stay upright. It was discovered in freshwater streams on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc.
Many plants were also discovered, including the Thick-spiked Coelogyne orchid. WWF is calling for more conservation work to be done in the Mekong region, so the wide range of species found there can be protected.