BANGKOK — A gecko with leopard-like spots and a fanged frog that eats birds are among 163 species discovered last year in the Mekong River region of Southeast Asia, an environmental group said Friday.
WWF International said that scientists in 2008 discovered 100 plants, 28 fish, 18 reptiles, 14 amphibians, two mammals and one bird species in the region. That works out to be about three species a week and is in addition to the 1,000 species catalogued there from 1997 to 2007, the group said.
“After millennia in hiding, these species are now finally in the spotlight, and there are clearly more waiting to be discovered,” said Stuart Chapman, director of the WWF Greater Mekong Program.
Researchers working for WWF warned that the effects of climate change threaten the habitat that supports these species. That is on top of traditional threats — poaching, pollution and habitat destruction.
Among the stars in the new list is a fanged frog in eastern Thailand. Given the scientific name Limnonectes megastomias, the frog lies in wait along streams for prey, including birds and insects.
Another unusual discovery was the Cat Ba leopard gecko found on Cat Ba Island in northern Vietnam. Named Goniurosaurus catbaensis, it has large, orange-brown catlike eyes and leopard spots down the length of its yellowish-brown body.
Experts said several factors contributed to the surge in discoveries of new species, including better access to regions that have seen decades of war and political unrest and more spending by governments on research.
