Manaus – Annete Runge - According to the latest research results of the WWF, scientists have discovered 441 new species during several expeditions in different regions of the Amazon rainforests between 2010 and 2013. 258 so far unknown plants, 84 fish species, 58 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 18 birds and one mammal: the caquetá titi ape.
Some odd discoveries, such as the black lizard Cercosaura Hypnoides, whose tail is speckled with red, flame looking spots, were made. The thumbnail-sized frog Allobates amissibilis and the seldom fish Apistogramma cinilabra astonished scientists not only with its appearance but also in regards to the environment it lives in. The fish is, unlike other species, capable to survive in waters with very low oxygen levels.
The most beautiful of all lately discovered plants is the pink-blossomed Sobralia Imavieirae.
All these new discoveries are just another proof of the uniqueness and the beauty of the Amazon rainforest, according to the WWF the region with the world’s highest biodiversity.
However, agricultural activities and the construction of new hydroelectric power stations are destructing the living environment of many species and therefore threatening their existence.