Madagascar’s 600 new-found species threatened by logging

But many of the newly discovered plants and creatures are under threat, particularly from the destruction of Madagascar’s forests, the conservation charity WWF warned.

The Treasure Island: New biodiversity in Madagascar report from WWF compiles scientific discoveries made on the African island between 1999 and 2010, revealing that experts identified more than 615 new species in that time.

Among the new finds were 41 mammals, alongside 385 plants, 69 amphibians, 61 reptiles, 17 fish and 42 invertebrates.

Key discoveries include a 10cm long (4in) Berthe’s mouse lemur, found in 2000, which is the world’s smallest known primate, and the Tahina palm, a huge fan palm which flowers once in a lifetime.

Researchers also found the Komac’s golden orb spider which spins golden webs that can be more than 1 metre (3ft) across, and the colour-changing gecko.

Madagascar has lost more than a million hectares of forest in the past 20 years, much to the global trade in illegal timber, putting these species habitat at risk.