‘Sneezing’ monkey among new species

A report by the WWF on wildlife in Nepal, Bhutan, the far north of Burma, southern Tibet and north-eastern India has revealed discoveries in the past five years including 133 plants, 26 species of fish, 10 new amphibians, one reptile, one bird and one mammal.

The discoveries include a striking blue-eyed frog, a lance-headed pit viper snake with an ornate pattern that could pass for a piece of jeweller, and the snub-nosed monkey from northern Burma, who is easy to find when it was raining because it often got rainwater in its upturned nose, causing it to sneeze.

The report warns of the threats facing the newly-discovered species, with just a quarter of the original habitats in the region still intact and hundreds of plants and animals considered to be threatened.

Heather Sohl, WWF-UK’s chief adviser of species, said: “These discoveries show that there is still a huge amount to learn about the species that share our world.

“It is a stark reminder that if we don’t act now to protect these fragile ecosystems, untold natural riches could be lost forever.”