Eastern Himalayas reveals abundance of new species (CNN)

(CNN) -- Over 350 new species including the world's smallest deer, a "flying frog" and a 100 million-year old gecko have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change.

A decade of research carried out by scientists for the WWF in remote mountain areas brought discoveries such as a bright green frog that uses its red and long webbed feet to glide in the air.

The WWF report, "The Eastern Himalayas -- Where Worlds Collide," details discoveries made by scientists from various organizations between 1998 and 2008 in a region reaching across Bhutan and northeast India to the far north of Myanmar as well as Nepal and southern parts of Tibet in China.

"The good news of this explosion in species discoveries is tempered by the increasing threats to the Himalayas' cultural and biological diversity," Jon Miceler, Director of WWF's Eastern Himalayas Program, said in a press statement.

"This rugged and remarkable landscape is already seeing direct, measurable impacts from climate change and risks being lost forever."
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/08/11/eco.himalayas.newspecies/index.html




Neat pix, viewable only with Flash (boo hiss).