Star Trek newt, wild banana among 163 new species discovered in southeast Asia

The World Wildlife Fund has announced the discovery of 163 new species in the Greater Mekong delta— a region of Southeast Asia that include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

Among the newly announced discoveries is a newt that looks like a Klingon from Star Trek, and a brightly colored snake nicknamed “Ziggy Stardust” for the way it reminded researchers of David Bowie’s flamboyant alter-ego.

The new species represent the most recent discoveries from a region that is popular for its biodiversity, with more than 2,400 new species discovered there since 1997, according to the WWF.

Massive Genetic Diversity Discovered

In a statement, the WWF said recent discoveries included 9 amphibians, 11 fish, 3 mammals 14 reptiles and 126 plants. Despite this good news for biodiversity, the Greater Mekong is increasingly being threatened by human activity, the WWF noted.

“The region is under unprecedented development pressure, threatening the survival of the natural landscapes that make it so unique,” the conservation group said.

The WWF said dams being either built or proposed in Laos and Thailand respectively are major threats to the region’s biodiversity. Conservationists in the region also need to be worried about poaching and the multi-billion dollar illegal wildlife trade.

“Hundreds of snares can be set in a single night in the region’s dense forests and they do not discriminate among species,” the WWF said. “Many collectors are willing to pay thousands of dollars for the rarest, most unique and endangered species.”

WWF’s most recent Living Planet Report proposed several solutions to growing biodiversity threats around the world. First and foremost, the report said, it is essential to focus on the protection of the ecosystems that host threatened species.

Alexandre Teynié, one of the researchers who discovered new species in the Greater Mekong, said preserving species is important to the “heritage of humanity.”

“If we are able to protect these vital landscapes and the biodiversity they hold, then we can ensure that generations to come will be able to make their own new discoveries and add to our collective understanding of the world around us,” Teynié said.

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Pictured: Rainbow-headed snake (Parafimbrios lao).  (Image credit:. Photo by Alexandre Teynié.)

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