Ravi Singh, CEO of WWF-India and chair of the WWF Living Himalayas Initiative, expressed in a statement about his delight describing the home of a staggering number of new species comprising a few of the most fascinating fauna that keeps surprising the world with the nature and pace of species discovery.
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According to environmentalists, between 1998 and 2008 at least 354 new species were discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, which is home to more than 10,000 plant species, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 types of freshwater fish. Because of its belligerent behavior and also because of its way of reproductions, the fish was nicknamed “Fishzilla”. According to the report, snub-nosed monkeys were seen to tuck their heads between knees when it rains, a strategy they have engineered to minimize rainwater entering their noses.
Vibrant blue dwarf “walking” snakehead fish was discovered in the Lefraguri swamp, West Bengal.
Rhinopithecus strykeri or “snub-nosed” monkey was among the 211 species found.
All of these newly discovered species may sound like great news to anyone who appreciates biodiversity, but the WWF report also highlights the many threats facing the east Himalayas. Yes, you read that right: there’s a fish that can walk and live for several days out of the water; in the Himalayas. “Incredibly, this snakehead fish is able to breath atmospheric air and can even survive on land for up to four days”.
In its report WWF has warned of the dangers posed to an already fragile ecosystem in the region by climate change, rising population, deforestation, pollution and industrial development. Other discoveries include a bird named the spotted wren-babbler, a striking blue-eyed frog and a lance-headed pit viper snake with an ornate yellow, red and orange pattern on its back.
211 new species were discovered in the Himalayas, the World Wildlife Fund claimed.
“The challenge is to preserve our threatened ecosystems before these species, and others yet unknown are lost”, said Sami Tornikoski leader of the WWF Living Himalayas Initiative. At the moment, only 25% of the Eastern Himalayas have intact wild habitats due to human development.
“Despite the fact that it was found in high numbers in a small stream, it is yet hard to distinguish whether this unique species is endemic to a single ecosystem within Myanmar, or spread throughout the region as a whole”, the conservation report says.
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For a list of all the species, and a more elaborate look at their attributes, read the WWF report here.
