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Did you know that over 350 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas in the last ten years? A recent World Wide Fund For Nature report tells us that the figure includes “242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, 2 birds, 2 mammals, and at least 61 new invertebrates.”
Many of them are endemic to the region, some to rather unusual limits: one species of frog has only been found in a single tree hollow on the banks of the Dihing, in Arunuchal Pradesh. Among the other discoveries, a wee bright green frog that uses its long red webbed feet to glide when falling, and the world’s smallest deer, the leaf deer, which stands around 60cms tall.
The report goes into detail about the endangered biodiversity of the area, and includes a complete listing of the species found in the last decade. You can download it on this page on the WWF site
It’s a feast for the eye and food for thought.
