New species discovered in Amazon rainforest
- Published
At least 441 new species of animals and plants have been discovered over the past four years in the Amazon rainforest in South America. These include the Caqueta titi monkey, one of about 20 species of titi monkey which live in the Amazon. Their babies have an unusual trait - when they feel happy they purr towards each other!
With so many species discovered it averages at about two new species being found each week! Wildlife charity WWF says: "The more scientists look, the more they find." This gonatodes timidus lizard was another discovery, but it's quite a shy creature and tends to avoid being seen by humans.
But the WWF wants to highlight the threats of deforestation to the Amazon and say more needs to be done to save the animals and plants found there. This thumbnail-sized frog is already thought to be highly endangered. Its Latin name Allobates amissibilis means “that may be lost” because it thrives in an area that the WWF says could soon be opened to tourism making it hard for the creature to survive.
It wasn't just animal species that were discovered. A new species of passion flower was also found in 2013. Passion flowers are evergreen plants with exotic looking flowers, often accompanied by brightly coloured fruits.
This herbivorous fish Tometes camunani lives in rocky rapids where its main source of food - a type of river weed - is found. But the WWF says damming projects and mining are threatening the health and flow of the fish's river habitat.
Many of the new discoveries are thought to only live in small parts of the Amazon rainforest. This new fish species Apistogramma cinilabra is thought to be unique to one small lake in the Loreto region of Peru located in the Amazon rainforest.