New wildlife discovered in Vietnam: 26-09-2007
Several new species of animals and plants have been found in the tropical forests of central Vietnam by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scientists.
The forests in Vietnam's Annamites Mountain Range are also known as the "Green Corridor". It has been discovered to be home to a new species of snake, two new species of butterfly, five new species of orchid and three new species of plants.
Additionally, ten other plant species have been found which are still under investigation by scientists, but are also believed to be new species.
Dr Chris Dickinson, WWF's chief conservation scientist in the Green Corridor said: "Discoveries of so many new species are rare and occur only in very special places like the Green Corridor.
"Several large mammal species were discovered in the 1990s in the same forests so these latest discoveries may be just the tip of the iceberg."
The evolution of so many unique species may be due to the fact that the Annamites rainforests have remained undisturbed for thousands of years, allowing the unique progress of the wildlife species.
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