WWF discovers sneezing monkey, walking fish and unicorn among 211 new species in Himalayas
The “walking” fish and a monkey that sneezes when it rains are among the 211 species discovered in an ecologically rich area of north eastern Himalayas. The complete details of the ecological diversity of the area has been revealed in a report recently released by the conservation group, The World Wildlife Fund, or WWF.
WWF has prepared a list of wildlife discovered by researchers across Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and north east India. With the help of the compiled survey, the organisation intends to raise awareness about the threats being faced by the ecologically diverse region of the Himalayas.
The report, prepared by WWF, includes details of species discovered between 2009 and 2014. It comprises 133 species of plants, 10 species of amphibians, 26 species of fish, one bird, one reptile and one mammal.
The list of species also constitutes blue-coloured "walking snakehead fish" that is capable to breathing in air. In addition, WWF explains that the fish can survive on land for four days and can cover a distance of up to 400 metres by slithering over land.
In addition to the walking fish, the list names ornate red, yellow and orange pit viper as one of the recently discovered species. Freshwater dracula fish and snub-nosed monkey are also among the list.
The snub-nosed monkey was discovered in the remote forests of Myanmar. The locals say that it was easy to find the monkey during rains. The rainwaters get in the upturned nose of the monkeys causing it to sneeze. The monkeys, therefore, spend their rainy days sticking their head between their knees.
"These discoveries show that there is still a huge amount to learn about the species that share our world," said Heather Sohl of WWF, in a statement.
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