A flying frog, the world’s smallest deer and the first new monkey to be found in over a century are among 353 new species discovered in the eastern Himalayas in the past decade, according to the WWF.
But the environmental group said the vital habitats of the mountain range were facing growing pressures from unsustainable development in the region, which spans Nepal, China, India, Bhutan and Myanmar.
In a recently released report, it said climate change, deforestation, overgrazing by domestic livestock, illegal poaching and wildlife trading threatened one of the biologically richest areas of the planet.
“In the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for commodities,” said the report, “The Eastern Himalayas — Where Worlds Collide.”
“Only 25 percent of the original habitats in the region remain intact. For the unique species of the eastern Himalayas, this means that today 163 are considered globally threatened,” it said.
The WWF said 353 new species were discovered in the region between 1998 and 2008, among them a red-footed tree frog known as a flying frog because its large webbed feet allow it to glide when falling.
Another new species was a kind of caecilian, a limbless amphibian that resembles a giant earthworm and lives underground — a significant discovery because caecilians are among the planet’s least-studied creatures.
Other highlights were the world’s smallest deer — a miniature muntjac standing just 60-80cm tall that was found in northern Myanmar — and the first new monkey species to be discovered in over a century.
The WWF said the new species of macaque was one of the highest-dwelling monkeys in the world, living in India’s Arunachal Pradesh state at between 1,600m and 3,500m above sea level.
“This enormous cultural and biological diversity underscores the fragile nature of an environment which risks being lost forever unless the impacts of climate change are reversed,” said Tariq Aziz, leader of the WWF’s Living Himalayas Network Initiative.(AFP)
世界自然基金會（WWF）表示，過去十年來在東喜瑪拉雅山脈發現了三百五十三種新物種，其中包括一種會飛的青蛙、全世界最迷你的鹿，和百年來首次發現的新猴種。
但該環境保護組織表示，山區極為重要的動植物棲息地正面臨該區無法永續發展的龐大壓力，喜馬拉雅山區涵蓋尼泊爾、中國、印度、不丹和緬甸等國。
最新發表的一篇報告指出，氣候變遷、濫墾濫伐、家畜的過度放牧，和非法獵捕及野生動物買賣，已對這個地球上生態最豐富的地區之一造成影響。
《東喜馬拉雅山──兩個世界的撞擊》報告中指出：「近半個世紀以來，南亞此區面臨人口成長和商品需求增加所帶來的壓力。」
報告指出：「該地區僅有兩成五的原生棲息地仍維持原貌。對東喜馬拉雅山的獨特物種而言，這表示目前有一百六十三種正瀕臨全球滅絕的威脅。」
WWF表示，這三百五十三種新物種是在一九九八年至二ＯＯ八年間發現，其中一種紅腳蹼蛙被稱為飛蛙，因為牠腳上的大蹼可使其在墜落時滑行。
另一種新物種是一種蚓螈，這種無肢的兩棲動物就像巨型蚯蚓，住在地底；這個發現具有重大意義，因為蚓螈是全世界最少人研究的生物之一。
其他重要發現有全世界最迷你的鹿，這種高僅六十到八十公分的小型麂是在緬甸北部發現；還有百年來第一次發現的新猴種。
WWF說，該新物種屬於獼猴，是全世界居住在最高海拔的猴子，牠們生長在印度的阿魯納查省，該地海拔約一千六百公尺至三千五百公尺間。
WWF生機無限喜馬拉雅山計畫負責人塔瑞克．阿濟茲說：「這裡大量的文化及生態多樣性，更突顯了環境的脆弱本質，除非氣候變遷的影響能出現逆轉，否則我們可能會永遠失去它。」
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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