208 New Species Discovered Last Year

The Mekong River region of Southeast Asia, a biodiverse region, is threatened by deforestation, habitat loss, overdevelopment and climate change.

Yet researchers were still able to find 208 new species there.

Out of the new species, some of the coolest were a "psychedelic gecko" and a nose-less monkey with an Elvis style hair-do.

A researcher said:

"While this species, sporting an Elvis-like hairstyle, is new to science, the local people of Myanmar know it well."

These new species are from around the same area as where the last Javan rhino went extinct in Vietnam.

"This is a region of extraordinary richness in terms of biodiversity but also one that is extremely fragile. It's losing biodiversity at a tragic rate."

C'mon people. Doesn't anyone remember "Save the rainforest?"

[Image via AP Images.]

Tags: 208, climate change, deforestation, gecko, habitat loss, monkey, myanmar, new species, overdevelopment, vietnam