This is a National Geographic video on the new discoveries in Ecuador.
From New Scientist:
Meet the amphibian only its mother could loveMore, including photos, are here. And here.* 00:01 16 June 2009 by Catherine Brahic
A bug-eyed salamander that looks like ET and a see-through frog are among the weirder species that were discovered by conservation biologists in a far-flung corner of Ecuador.
They were discovered in the Cordillera del Cóndor, an outlier of the main Andean chain which rises to a maximum elevation of about 2900 metres and marks part of the international border between Ecuador and Peru. Because of its geographical seclusion from the rest of the Andes, the Cordillera is thought to be home to many unique species that have evolved in isolation.
Peru and Ecuador fought over the region for more than 160 years and only agreed on the exact location of their border in 1998.
Hoping to encourage the Ecuadorian government to increase the protection of flora and fauna in the area, Conservation International, Fundación Arcoiris and the Catholic University of Ecuador sent teams of biologists to the cordillera to survey its wildlife.
They discovered a number of species which they believe are new to science, including a bug-eyed salamander, a tiny, endangered poison arrow frog, a colourful, polka-dotted lizard and a number of bizarre-looking crickets.
They also found a number of endangered species including Hyalinobatrachium pellucidum, a glass or crystal frog that has translucent skin.
A plant that pretends to be ill has been found growing in the rainforests of Ecuador: here.
A new report on one of the world’s bird biodiversity hotspots in Peru finds that most of the species at greatest risk there currently have little or no protected habitat. Conservation groups now plan to use the report to guide land protection efforts in the region.
“American Bird Conservancy and ECOAN are committed to conserving threatened species and their habitats in Peru, including the Marvelous Spatuletail, an amazing hummingbird found only in Peru, and the rare Long-whiskered Owlet,” said study co-author Hugo Arnal, American Bird Conservancy’s Director of International Sustainable Conservation.
http://www.chatterbirds.com/news.aspx
Comment by Administrator — August 8, 2009 @ 5:04 pm