Ol' Blue Eyes
This 1.8-inch (4.7-centimeter) long frog dwells in leaf litter near streams in its native India. The amphibian has striking blue eyes with vertical black pupils, almost like a cat.
Noseless Monkey, Blue-Eyed Frog Among 200 New Himalaya Discoveries
New amphibians, plants, fish, and more have come to light in the remote East Himalaya region just since 2009.
A fish that walks, a snub-nosed monkey that sneezes in the rain, and a frog with eyes like turquoise have all come to light recently from the Eastern Himalaya, according to a new report by the nonprofit group WWF. (See a flying frog, amber gecko, and more creatures previously found in the region.)
Released Monday, Hidden Himalayas: Asia’s Wonderland describes the discoveries of more than 200 species, including 133 plants, 39 invertebrates, 26 fish, 10 amphibians, a reptile, a bird, and a mammal between 2009 and 2014. That's 34 species a year unearthed in a region spanning Bhutan, northeastern India, Nepal, northern Myanmar (Burma), and southern parts of Tibet.
“I am excited that the region—home to a staggering number of species including some of the most charismatic fauna—continues to surprise the world with the nature and pace of species discovery,” says Ravi Singh, CEO of WWF-India.
But the organization also warns that human development is threatening much of the region's environment, with only 25 percent of its original habitat intact.
Take a look through our gallery for some of the Himalaya's newest kids on the block.
