Mysterious Mekong: NEw species discoveries 2012-2013

Between 2012 and 2013, 367 new species were discovered in the Greater Mekong region, including 290 plants, 24 fish, 21 amphibians, 28 reptiles, 1 bird, and 3 mammals. The report details specific discoveries such as the Cambodian Tailorbird, the Laotian giant flying squirrel, and the eyeless huntsman spider. It argues that the region is one of the five most threatened biodiversity hotspots globally, facing pressures from unsustainable infrastructure, extractive activities, agricultural expansion, and an illicit wildlife trade valued at at least 16 billion US dollars annually. Between 1973 and 2009, the region lost 42.4 million hectares of forest, or 30 per cent of its cover. WWF advocates for a transition to a green economy and regional collaboration, such as the Core Environment Program-Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (CEP-BCI), to safeguard natural capital and ensure the well-being of over 70 million people.

• A total of 367 new species were discovered in the Greater Mekong region during 2012 and 2013, consisting of 290 plants, 24 fish, 21 amphibians, 28 reptiles, 1 bird, and 3 mammals.
• The Greater Mekong is identified as one of the five most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world, with ecosystems degraded by unsustainable development, agricultural expansion, and the illegal wildlife trade.
• The illicit wildlife trade in the region is estimated to be worth at least 16 billion US dollars every year.
• Significant deforestation occurred in the Greater Mekong countries between 1973 and 2009, with a loss of 42.4 million hectares, representing 30 per cent of the forest cover.
• The Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk), discovered in 2013, is a small grey bird with an orange-red head tuft found in the floodplain of the Mekong river on the outskirts of Phnom Penh; it is listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN.
• The Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis) was described in 2013 based on a single individual found in a bush meat market in Bolikhamxai Province, Laos.
• The first eyeless huntsman spider in the world, Sinopoda scurion, was discovered in a cave in Laos, with its lack of eyes attributed to a permanent absence of daylight.
• Helen’s Flying Frog (Rhacophorus helenae), a large green frog capable of gliding up to 15 metres, was discovered in southern Vietnam and is threatened by habitat loss in lowland forests.
• The 'Zorro'-masked water snake (Homalopsis mereljcoxi) is the most exploited species of its genus in the Greater Mekong, particularly targeted by the novelty leather industry and harvested at Tonle Sap in Cambodia.
• The Carbon & Biodiversity Project (CarBi) in the Annamite Mountains, spanning Laos and Vietnam, covers over 200,000 hectares of forest to combat deforestation and illegal logging.

APA

WWF International (2014). Mysterious Mekong: NEw species discoveries 2012-2013. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/357/4okhfwi1kj_greater_mekong_species_report_final.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Mysterious Mekong: NEw species discoveries 2012-2013. 2014. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/357/4okhfwi1kj_greater_mekong_species_report_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Mysterious Mekong: NEw species discoveries 2012-2013 |date=2014 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/357/4okhfwi1kj_greater_mekong_species_report_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2014mysterious, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Mysterious Mekong: NEw species discoveries 2012-2013}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/357/4okhfwi1kj_greater_mekong_species_report_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }