A rainbow-headed snake, a dragon-like lizard and a newt that looks like a Klingon from Star Trek are just three of the 163 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2015.

New Species Discoveries in 2015

Tylototriton anguliceps

As the Mekong River snakes its way through Southeast Asia, it passes through some of the most biodiverse land on earth. From its origins in China’s Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau to Southern Vietnam where it empties into the South China Sea, the river acts as the backbone of a region where the wildlife is as diverse as the 300 million people that call it home.1

2015 was another incredible year of discovery in the Greater Mekong. A rainbow-headed snake, a dragon-like lizard and a newt that looks like a Klingon from Star Trek were among the 163 new species that were found crawling in caves, flying through rainforest canopies and growing deep within remote jungles. In all, 9 amphibians, 11 fish, 14 reptiles, 126 plants and 3 mammals were described for the first time.

Naturally, scientists flock to the Greater Mekong every year to study these incredible ecosystems and to hopefully make new discoveries. Between 1997 and 2015 there have been 2,409 new species described here,2 adding to the over 430 mammal species, 800 reptiles and amphibians, 1,200 birds, 1,100 fish and 20,000 plant species already known to science. With an average of two new species being identified every week3, there’s no telling what is waiting to be found.

But it’s not all good news for wildlife in this part of the world. The region is under unprecedented development pressure, threatening the survival of the natural landscapes that make it so unique. Construction is well underway on the Don Sahong Dam in Laos, a project that could have disastrous effects on the last Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins and the millions of people depending on the river’s fisheries.4 The dolphin population in Laos was declared functionally extinct in 2016, mostly due to gillnet fishing.5 In Thailand, the proposed Mae Wong dam, presented as a solution to water management issues in Nakhon Sawan province, has the potential to irreparably damage one of Thailand’s most important forest and wetland ecosystems, which also happens to be a critically important tiger habitat.6

The Dawei Road project in Myanmar and Thailand is planned to cut through the Dawna Tenasserim Landscape, one of Southeast Asia’s largest, most intact forest ecosystems.7

Even more direct threats to these species are poaching for bushmeat 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.8 Many collectors are willing to pay thousands of dollars for the rarest, most unique and endangered species.

WWF’s most recent Living Planet Report found that by 2020, global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles could have declined by two thirds in just 50 years. The report shows how people are overpowering the planet for the first time in Earth’s history, threatening iconic species, including those in the Greater Mekong region, such as the Irrawaddy Dolphin and tiger.9The solutions proposed in the Living Planet Report echo the sentiments of the scientists who discovered these species: we must recognize the importance of global biodiversity and prioritize the protection of the ecosystems in which these threatened species live.

These snakes, lizards and bats are more than just new species, they serve as reminders that there is still much left to be explored on our planet. Alexandre Teynié, one of the discoverers of the snake species Parafimbrios lao, described the importance of these discoveries, saying “it is a small stepping stone to the living heritage of humanity. A small but bright spot for understanding the history of populations, the evolution of life, and a sense of humility before our ignorance.”10 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.