Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Lost World Of Frogs
Laos is turning out to be the lost world of frogs. A study conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society over the past 2 years, assisted by the American Museum of Natural History and Russian Academy of Sciences, has thrown up six new frog species. Details about latest three species have been published in the recent issue of Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Herpetologists. In recent years Laos has thrown up surprises like Laotian rock rat, which is the lone living member of an ancient mammal family, to the Annamite striped rabbit and saola, a type of forest antelope. Nine new amphibians have also been discovered
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
This IS exciting news. From time to time I have read that scientists like to use frogs as key indicators of the general health of the environment, as a lack of balance or the presence of toxins in an environment can often be readily seen in their effects on frogs.
Is there something special about Laos that has protected these species? Have they simply been less disturbed than in other habitats around the world?
Laos is the least densely populated country in Asia With a high level of biodiversity.It also has some of the best forest areas remaining in Southeast Asia.The area has not been fully explored in the past.We can certainly expect more surprises from Laos.
Post a Comment