Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the - WWF

GREATER 

MEKONG 

REPORT 

Wild Mekong 

New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and 

waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers

Written by Christian Thompson (the green room) 

www.greenroomenvironmental.com, with contributions from 

Nick Cox, Kyle Hemes, Stuart Chapman, Sarah Bladen (WWF). 

Designed by Torva Thompson (the green room) 

Front cover photo: New monkey species, Rhinopithecus strykeri © 

Martin Aveling/Fauna & Flora International. 

Published in December 2011 by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature 

(Formerly World Wildlife Fund). Any reproduction in full or in part 

must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as 

the copyright owner. 

© Text 2011 WWF 

All rights reserved 

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced 

independent conservation organizations, with over 

5 million supporters and a global Network active in 

more than 100 countries. 

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s 

natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in 

harmony with nature, by: conserving the world’s biological 

diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is 

sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and 

wasteful consumption.

208 SPECIES 

DISCOVERED IN 2010 

IN THE GREATER 

MEKONG 

EXECUTIVE 

SUMMARY 

© Martin Aveling/Fauna & Flora International 

A new monkey, a self-cloning skink, five 

carnivorous plants, and a unique leaf warbler 

are among the 208 species newly described by 

science in the Greater Mekong region during 

2010. In total 145 plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish, 7 

amphibians, 2 mammals and 1 bird have been 

discovered in the last year. 

This rate of discovery marks Asia’s land of rivers as one of the last frontiers for new 

species discoveries on our planet. 

The Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia through which the Mekong river flows 

comprises the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China 

(including Yunnan province). The region is home to some of the planet’s most 

endangered and charismatic wild species including tiger, Asian elephant, Mekong 

dolphin and Mekong giant catfish, in addition to hundreds of newly discovered species. 

Between 1997 and 2009 an incredible 1,376 species were discovered by science across 

this region alone 1,2,3 . 

However, while these discoveries highlight the unique biodiversity of the Greater 

Mekong they also reveal the fragility of this region’s diverse species and habitats. The 

plight of the wild tiger, whose numbers have dropped by a dramatic 70 percent in a little 

over a decade, and the extinction of the Javan rhino in Vietnam during 2010 are urgent 

reminders that biodiversity is still being lost at an alarming rate from man-made 

pressures. 

Rapid, unsustainable development and climate change impacts are profoundly affecting 

biodiversity and ecosystem services and consequently the millions of people who 

depend on them. The Greater Mekong region is warming and experiencing more 

extreme floods, droughts and storms as a result of shifting rainfall patterns. These 

changes are exacerbating agricultural expansion and unsustainable infrastructure 

pressures on natural ecosystems and the services they provide. 

Today the Greater Mekong region is an integral part of one of the top five most 

threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world 4 . 

The central importance of the region’s shared natural resources cannot be overstated. 

The economic and social development of the Greater Mekong depends on the continued 

productivity of its inter-connected ecological systems. Only intact, healthy, and diverse 

natural ecosystems can provide the resilience to ensuing climate change while ensuring 

continued access to water, energy, food, commodities, and livelihoods for over 300 

million people. 

Sound regulatory frameworks implemented via harmonized policies across the Greater 

Mekong will help the region’s countries adequately address complex, challenging, 

regional-scale issues like habitat loss and fragmentation, unsustainable natural resource 

use, and climate change. Addressing these challenges requires stronger regional 

collaboration at the broader, ecosystem scale; countries cannot effectively solve these 

problems thinking only within their own borders. Regional collaboration needs high 

levels of political support. It also needs to be formalized through a regional agreement 

that is supported by an effective institutional framework mechanism. Only this can 

ensure future security for the millions of people that rely upon the Greater Mekong 

system. 

Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers 1

Spectacular Khone Falls, Laos, in the Mekong river ecoregion. Throughout its journey, from the 

Himalayas to the Delta, the Mekong river takes on many forms: active, extreme and truly epic. 

© WWF-Cambodia

NEW 

EXTRAORDINARY 

SPECIES OF THE 

MEKONG REGION 

‘ELVIS’ 

MONKEY 

WITH 

NO NOSE 

(Rhinopithecus strykeri) 

+ 2 in 2010 

TWO NEW MAMMAL 

SPECIES WERE DISCOVERED 

IN THE GREATER MEKONG 

IN 2010 

The Greater Mekong region has yielded 145 

plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish, 7 amphibians, 2 

mammals and 1 bird in just the last year. A 

closer look at the new discoveries reveal... 

‘The King’ is alive it seems. While this species, sporting an 

Elvis-like hairstyle, is new to science 5 , the local people of 

Myanmar know it well. Scientists first learned of 

“Snubby” - as they nicknamed the species - from hunters 

in Myanmar’s forested, remote, and mountainous 

(Himalayan) Kachin state in early 2010. 

Locals claim that the black and white monkey is very easy 

to find when it is raining because the monkeys often get 

rainwater in their upturned noses causing them to sneeze. 

To avoid this evolutionary inconvenience, snub-nosed 

monkeys spend rainy days sitting with their heads tucked 

between their knees. 

Only recently encountered by a team of conservationists I , little is known about the 

monkey’s behaviour in the wild, its distribution range, or its value to local communities. 

Not surprisingly, this species is likely to be classified as critically endangered due to its 

restricted range and significant hunting pressures. The illustration below is the only 

representation of a scientifically observed specimen to this date. 

The species is one of two mammals discovered in the region in the past year. 

I Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) 

4 Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers 

© Martin Aveling/Fauna & Flora International

‘GHERKIN’ 

FISH 

(Schistura udomritthiruji) 


TWENTY-FIVE NEW FISH SPECIES 

WERE DISCOVERED IN THE 

GREATER MEKONG IN 2010 

A loach that looks like a 

gherkin was officially 

described in Southern 

Thailand 6 . This particular 

new species, one of 25 new 

fish discoveries in 2010, 

is only known to be found 

in two clear gravel-bed 

streams flowing into the 

Andaman Sea between 

Takua Pa and Ranong. 

Discovered and described 

by loach experts Jörg 

Bohlen and Vendula 

Šlechtová, the new species 

was named after Thai 

aquarist and fish exporter 

Kamphol Udomritthiruj. 

Based on the best available 

data, experts estimate that 

the Greater Mekong region 

is a permanent home to 

about 850 freshwater 

fish II , with an approximate 

total of 1,100 including 

the coastal and marine 

‘visitors’ (from the South 

China Sea that seasonally 

frequent the Mekong river 

and its tributaries) 7 . This 

figure includes some of the 

most amazing freshwater 

fish species found 

anywhere in the world 

today, such as the Mekong 

giant catfish (that can 

reach up to 350kg, 3m in 

length) and Giant 

freshwater stingray (up 

to 600kg, 5m in length, 

with a 2.4m disc width). 

Over 300 new fish species 

have been discovered in 

the region since 1997 - it 

is truly Asia’s land of 

rivers. 

The Greater Mekong region is a permanent 

home to about 850 freshwater fish, with an 

approximate total of 1,100 including the 

coastal and marine ‘visitors’ 7. 

II A total that includes some species that have yet to be officially described by scientists. 

Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers 5 

© Jörg Bohlen

SELF-CLONING 

LIZARD: 

NEW BUT NOT 

UNKNOWN 

(Leiolepis ngovantrii) 


TWENTY-EIGHT NEW REPTILES 

WERE DISCOVERED IN THE 


A staggering array of reptile 

diversity was also newly 

discovered in 2010 - 28 

reptiles in total including 

the newfound Leiolepis 

ngovantrii 8 - an all-female 

species that reproduces via 

cloning, without the need 

for male lizards. Dr. Lee 

Grismer’s Vietnamese 

colleague Ngo Van Tri of 

the Vietnam Academy of 

Science and Technology 

found live lizards for sale in 

a restaurant in Ba 

Ria-Vung Tau Province. 

Noting that the reptiles all 

looked strangely similar, 

Ngo sent pictures to 

Grismer and his son Jesse 

Grismer, a herpetology 

doctoral student at the 

University of Kansas. 

“In this part of southern 

Vietnam, restaurants have 

been serving this 

undescribed species, and 

we just stumbled across it”, 

said Dr. Lee Grismer. 

The team of experts 

suspected that they may 

be looking at an all-female 

species. Knowing that the 

lizard likely belonged to the 

Leiolepis genus, in which 

male and female lizards 

have distinct colour 

differences - no males could 

be identified. Scientists 

examined almost 70 of the 

lizards - and all turned out 

to be females. 

The new-found reptile also 

had rows of enlarged scales 

on its arms as well as 

lamellae (bone layers) 

under its toes that set it 


apart from other species. 

The lizard’s home, the Binh 

Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature 

Reserve, sits between scrub 

woodland and coastal sand 

dunes. 

Being all female, the newly 

discovered species may 

already be at a 

disadvantage because of 

its lack of genetic diversity. 

Even though it doesn’t 

seem to be rare in the wild, 

low levels of genetic 

diversity could compromise 

the robustness of the 

species, making it less 

resilient to changes in the 

climate and habitat over 

time. 

© L. Lee Grismer

A “WOLF” 

SNAKE 

(Lycodon synaptor) 

Among the new reptile 

discoveries is the wolf 

snake, Lycodon synaptor 9 

or Boehme’s wolf snake, 

from Dongchuan, a 

mountainous region of 

Yunnan Province, China. 

The black snake with white 

bands is a member of the 

Colubridae family, the 

largest family of snakes 

classified by science. There 

are more than 40 species 

of Asian wolf Snakes in 

the genus Lycodon. Wolf 

snakes are so-called 

because of their large fangs 

in both jaws. 

Wolf snakes are often 

nocturnal 10 , can grow to 

lengths of about 50 cm (20 

inches), and prey chiefly 

on frogs, geckos, and other 

lizards. 


© Zhang Liang, South China Institute of Endangered Animals, Guangzhou, China

SPECTACULAR 

ORCHID FIND 

(Dendrobium daklakense) 


ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE 

NEW PLANTS WERE 

DISCOVERED IN THE 


145 plants were discovered 

in the Greater Mekong in 

2010. A beautiful orchid, 

with thick glossy white 

and orange flowers, was 

newly identified after being 

collected by a local plant 

hunter and handed to 

orchid experts at Kew 

Botanical Gardens in 

London, England 11 . Known 

to locals as one of the most 

striking species, this orchid 

was first discovered in a 

remote area in the Dak Lak 

province of Vietnam. 

Scientists are working 

toward tracking the actual 

origin of this elegant 

species and its current 

conservation status. 

The forests of the Greater 

Mekong harbour a rich 

variety of flowering plants. 

Orchids are the prime 

example of this plant 

diversity: 16 new orchid 

species from the Greater 

Mekong were officially 

described in 2010. These 

endemic III plants all have 

limited distributions, 

highlighting their 

vulnerability to forest loss 

and habitat change. 

Scientists estimate that 

around 70 species of orchid 

that once existed in the 

forests of nearby 

Indonesia have become 

extinct because of illegal 

logging activity 12 . 

It is remarkable that such a distinct and 

showy species could have escaped detection 

until recently. 

Dr Andre Schuiteman, 

orchid expert at Kew Gardens, London, 

England. 

III Endemic refers to a species that is exclusively native to a specific place and found nowhere else. For 

example, the kiwi is a bird endemic to New Zealand. 


© Duong Toan

LIMESTONE 

LEAF- 

WARBLER 

DISCOVERED 

IN LAOS 

(Phylloscopus calciatilis) 


ONE NEW BIRD SPECIES 

WAS DISCOVERED IN THE 


In January 2010, a small, 

distinctive bird living in 

the rocky forests of the 

Annamite mountain range 

in Laos and Vietnam was 

described for the first time. 

Named the “limestone leaf 

warbler” because it breeds 

in Laos’ limestone karst 

environments - a region 

known for unusual 

wildlife 13 - it is similar to 

other warblers in this area 

of Southeast Asia, except 

for its distinct 

vocalizations and slight 

morphological differences. 

The tiny bird is greenisholive 

with a yellow breast 

and striped crown. It has 

a loud and unique call, 

which is what first alerted 

the researchers that the 

bird may be new to 

science. 

Scientists presume there 

are many limestone leaf 

warblers in this region, but 

its habitat isn’t without 

threats. Many parts of the 

species’ native forests have 

been cleared as a result of 

wood collection. NGOs are 

continuing to work with 

the Lao Government in an 

effort to reduce the threats 

to wildlife in this region. 


© Ulf Johansson/Swedish Museum of Natural History

PSYCHEDELIC 

GECKO 

(Cnemaspis psychedelica) 

WWF treats 

priority species as 

“ecologically, economically and 

culturally important 

species”. We are 

working to ensure such species 

can live and thrive in their natural 

habitats. 

A new psychedelic gecko 

species was discovered this 

past year on Hon Khoai 

Island, Ca Mau Province, 

Ngoc Hien District, 18 km 

off the southern tip of the 

Ca Mu Peninsula in 

southern Vietnam 14 . 

The new species is unique 

in that it displays a 

remarkable psychedelic 

pattern of bright orange 

appendages; a dense, 

yellow neck overlying thick, 

black, lines; and a blue-gray 

body bearing yellow bars on 

its bright-orange sides. It 

also differs from all other 

species of Cnemaspis in 

size. 

Cnemaspis psychedelica is 

the third endemic species of 

Cnemaspis from Vietnam 

and brings the total number 

of species in Vietnam to six. 

Its occurrence on one of 

92 islands in Rach Gia Bay 

highlights the necessity for 

further surveys of these 

little known islands 

according to scientists, who 

are just beginning to reveal 

the surprising degree of 

endemism and diversity in 

the area. This further 

emphasises that the full 

extent of the Greater 

Mekong’s biological 

diversity remains unknown 

to science. 


Cnemaspis psychedelica is 

known only from the tiny 

(roughly 8 km 2 ) Hon Khoai 

Island. The island reaches 

approximately 320m at its 

highest point, with thick 

forest cover sloping gently 

down to a mangrove-lined 

coast. Scattered across the 

lowlands of the island are 

small to massive boulders 

that provide the habitat for 

Cnemaspis psychedelica. 

Some 75 species from the 

Cnemaspis are now found 

across Asia. 

© L. Lee Grismer

FIVE SPECIES 

OF 

CARNIVOROUS 

PITCHER 

PLANT 

The new plant discoveries 

in the region cover an 

eclectic mix of species, 

including 16 orchids, 9 

palms, 8 species of ginger, 

7 species from the rose 

family, 4 members of the 

coffee family, 4 nettles, 

2 species from the beech 

family, 1 fern and 

numerous other flowering 

plants. 

Perhaps the most 

interesting are the five 

species of pitcher plants 

discovered. Four are from 

Thailand and one was 

found in Cambodia. 

As carnivorous plants, 

pitchers eat pretty much 

anything they can 

entice into their 

cavernous bellies. Some 

species of Nepenthes can 

grow to a maximum height 

of 100 cm with vines 

exceeding 25 cm high. 

Botanical experts say that 

they can actually lure in 

and consume small rats, 

mice, lizards and even 

birds. 

Nepenthes andamana is 

from Phang Nga Province, 

Thailand 15 , where it grows 

at sea level in coastal 

savannah and grassland 

habitats. Nepenthes chang 

is from the Banthad 

Mountains of central 

Thailand 16 , where it grows 

at elevations of 300–600m 

above sea level. 

Nepenthes andamana 

© Marcello Catalano 

Nepenthes holdenii is 

known to exist on two 

peaks in the Cardamom 

Mountains of western 

Cambodia 17 , where it 

grows at elevations of 

600–800 m above sea 

level. Nepenthes kerrii was 

found in Tarutao National 

Marine Park in southern 

Thailand 18 , at elevations 

of 400–500 m above sea 

level. Nepenthes suratensis 

was discovered in Surat 

Thani Province, Thailand 19 , 

where it grows at sea level 

in coastal savannah and 

grassland habitats. All 

are endemic with limited 

distributions. 

Nepenthes holdenii 


© François Mey

NEW FROG 

SPECIES 

(Amolops akhaorum) 


SEVEN NEW AMPHIBIAN 

SPECIES WERE DISCOVERED 

IN THE GREATER MEKONG 

IN 2010 

Seven new frog species 

from the Greater Mekong 

region were discovered in 

2010, including three from 

Laos, three from Vietnam 

and one from Thailand. The 

species Amolops 

akhaorum was found in 

Luang Namtha Province, 

Nam Ha National Protected 

Area, northwestern Laos 20 . 

The new discoveries are 

particularly welcome as 

amphibians worldwide are 

in decline. A few years ago 

more than 500 concerned 

scientists from over 60 

nations contributed to the 

Global Amphibian 

Assessment. They analysed 

the distribution and 

conservation status of all 

5,743 known amphibian 

species at the time. 

Amphibians include frogs 

and toads, salamanders, 

and caecilians. 

Amphibians are widely 

regarded as “canaries in 

the coal mine,” since their 

highly permeable skin is 

more immediately sensitive 

to changes in the 

environment, including 

changes to freshwater and 

air quality. “Amphibians 

are one of nature’s best 

indicators of overall 

environmental health,” said 

Russell A. Mittermeier, 

president of Conservation 

International. “Their catastrophic 

decline serves as 

a warning that we are in a 

period of significant 

environmental 

degradation.” 

IV At the time of the assessment, 427 species were considered Critically Endangered (CR), 761 were 

Endangered (EN), and 668 were Vulnerable (VU). 


According to the IUCN Red 

List of Threatened Species, 

at least 1,856 amphibian 

species are threatened with 

extinction IV , representing 

32 percent of all amphibian 

species. By comparison, 

only 12 percent of all bird 

species and 23 percent of 

all mammal species are 

threatened. 

At least nine species of 

amphibian have gone 

extinct since 1980, when 

the most dramatic declines 

began. Another 113 species 

have not been reported in 

the wild in recent years, 

and are considered possibly 

extinct. 

© Bryan Stuart

VIBRANTLY- 

SPOTTED 

NEWT 

SPECIES 

(Tylototriton notialis) 

A new species of newt 

was discovered in Laos in 

2010 21 . The new species is 

particularly significant as it 

represents the first record 

of a species from the genus 

Tylototriton from Laos, 

and is the southernmost 

known member of the 

Tylototriton asperrimus 

group in the world. The 

Latin name for the species, 

notialis meaning 

“southern”, refers to this. 

The genus also occurs in 

adjacent parts of Thailand, 

China, and Vietnam. 

The new species was 

discovered in Khammouan 

Province, Laos, Nakai-Nam 

Theun National Protected 

Area, Nam On river 

catchment. 

Distinct rib nodules and 

unique vibrant orange 

dots distinguish Laos’ 

population of the newly 

discovered species from 

other members of the T. 

asperrimus group. The 

species is known only from 

the location at which it was 

discovered. 

Scientists fear that over- 

harvesting for traditional 

medicine and the 

international pet trade may 

put the species at 

heightened risk 22 . The 

formal description of other 

Asian salamandrids in the 

past (Laotrian laoensis; 

Stuart and Papenfuss 

2002) has inadvertently 

led to exploitation for the 

international pet trade 23 . 

Hopefully the Theun 

National Protected Area, 

one of Laos’ largest and 

best-funded national 

protected areas 24 , will 

afford this endemic species 

some protection. 


© Bryan Stuart 

© Adam Cathro

GREATER MEKONG, 

GREAT FUTURE? 

A REGION HANGING 

IN THE BALANCE 

The Mekong is at a crossroads. Governments 

can decide whether to follow the current path 

towards a brown economy or take an alternative 

path towards greener, more sustainable 

economic development. 

The central importance of the region’s shared natural 

resources cannot be overstated. The economic and social 

development of the Greater Mekong region depends on the 

continued productivity of its inter-connected ecological 

systems. Only intact, healthy, and diverse natural 

ecosystems can provide resilience to ensuing climate 

change while ensuring continued access to water, energy, 

food, commodities and livelihoods for over 300 million 

people. 

One important step the governments of the region can take is to transition into a “green 

economy”. The concept of a green economy is a fundamentally new model for sustainable 

development that takes into account the global economic benefits of biodiversity more 

than ever before. It represents a major economic transformation 25 and a paradigm shift in 

how we think about sustainable economic development. 

It is already happening in the Greater Mekong region, but not fast enough. Governments 

must step up their investments into green sectors, create the necessary national regulatory 

frameworks, and implement these via policies across the Greater Mekong. Only this can 

allow the region’s countries to address complex, regional-scale issues like habitat loss and 

fragmentation, unsustainable natural resource use, and climate change. 

Addressing these challenges requires stronger regional collaboration at the broader, 

ecosystem scale; countries cannot effectively solve these problems thinking only within 

their own borders. Regional collaboration needs high levels of political support. It also 

needs to be formalized through a regional agreement that is supported by integrated, 

effective policy. Such an agreement should seek to bring countries closer together around 

a common vision for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural 

resources. It should seek to achieve a balance between conserving what is unquestionably 

some of the world’s most important biodiversity and ensuring that natural resources are 

used sustainably to support economic development. 

WWF is actively involved in helping the countries of the Greater Mekong region progress 

towards a green economy, one that values ecosystems and the services they provide to the 

millions of people in the region. Through approaches such as sustainable hydropower, 

landscape and species conservation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable financing 

mechanisms, WWF will continue to develop and support programmes in the region that 

help secure a brighter future for the region’s biodiversity, including its rich array of 

species – those that we already know, and those still waiting to be discovered. 

14 Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers

Cleared forest in ĐaKrông district, Quang Tri province, Vietnam. 

Habitat destruction and fragmentation is a key threat 

to the remaining species in the Greater Mekong. 


© WWF Vietnam

The mighty Mekong river flowing through flooded forest in Cambodia. 

© Gordon Congdon

APPENDIX 

At a glance, by country... 

Cambodia 7 

China 53 

(Yunnan) 

Laos 13 

Myanmar 29 

Thailand 61 

Vietnam 59 

Note: The sum of the above figures 

does not equal the total number of 

new species discovered, as some 

species have a distribution 

spanning more than one country. 

PLANTS 

Greater Mekong 

new species 2010 

Species Scientist(s) Location 

Acer pseudowilsonii Chen Thailand 

Aconitum jin-muratae Kadota & Nob.Tanaka Myanmar 

Adiantum membranifolium Linds. & Suksathan Thailand 

Alocasia jiewhoei V.D.Nguyen Cambodia 

Anoectochilus malipoensis Chen & Shui Yunnan 

Areca songthanhensis Hend., Ban & Thanh Vietnam 

Argostemma victorianum Nob.Tanaka Myanmar 

Arisaema brucei Li, Li & Murata Yunnan 

Arisaema linearifolium Gusman & Yin Yunnan 

Arisaema quinquelobatum Li & Murata Yunnan 

Arisaema rubrirhizomatum Li & Murata Yunnan 

Arundinella kokutensis Teerawat. & Sungkaew Thailand 

Begonia kachinensis Nob.Tanaka Myanmar 

Begonia pteridiformis Phutthai Thailand 

Begonia vietnamensis Nguyen & Peng Vietnam 

Boehmeria leptostachya Friis & Wilmot-Dear Thailand/Yunnan 

Boehmeria listeri Friis & Wilmot-Dear Myanmar 

Brachycorythis neglecta Pedersen Thailand 

Breynia carnosa Welzen & Pruesapan Thailand 

Breynia lithophila Welzen & Pruesapan Thailand 

Breynia repens Welzen & Pruesapan Thailand 

Calamus parvulus Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Calamus seriatus Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Calamus yentuensis Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Camellia luteocerata Orel Vietnam 

Camellia maiana Orel Vietnam 

Canscora bidoupensis Hul Vietnam 

Castanopsis jinpingensis Li & Chen Yunnan 

Caulokaempferia chayaniana Tiyaw. Thailand 

Ceratopteris oblongiloba Masuyama & Watano Thailand/Cambodia 

Chimonocalamus peregrinus Yi & Ma Vietnam 

Chirita auriculata Li & Zhu Yunnan 

Chroniochilus sinicus Chen & Liu Yunnan 

Clematis pseudopterantha Kadota & Nob.Tanaka Myanmar 

Coelogyne alboaurantia Elis.George & George Thailand 

Cremanthodium latilobum Chen Yunnan 

Croton fluviatilis Esser Thailand 

Cryptocoryne loeiensis Bastm., Idei & Jacobsen Thailand 

Cryptocoryne mekongensis Idei, Bastm. & Jacobsen Laos 

Curcuma pambrosima Škorničk. & Lý Vietnam 

Curcuma vitellina Škorničk. & Tran Vietnam 

Daemonorops brevicaulis Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Daemonorops ocreata Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Damrongia cyanantha Triboun Thailand 

Dendrobium daklakense Tich, Schuit. & Verm. Vietnam 

Dendrobium koyamae Nob.Tanaka, Yukawa & Murata Myanmar 

Dendrobium roseiodorum Sathap., Yukawa & Seelanan Vietnam 

Doritis natmataungensis Yukawa, Nob.Tanaka & Murata Myanmar 

Elatostema funingense Wang Yunnan 

Epirixanthes compressa Pendry Thailand 

Exacum darae Hul Thailand/Cambodia 

Galium kunmingense Ehrend. Yunnan 

Galium rupifragum Ehrend. Yunnan 

Gentiana spathulisepala Ho & Liu Yunnan 

Globba ranongensis Picheans. & Tiyaw. Thailand 

Habenaria calcicola Aver. Vietnam 

Hedychium longipetalum Hu & Liu Yunnan 

Hedychium menghaiense Hu & Liu Yunnan 

Heterostemma xuansonense Tran & Kim Vietnam 

Hoya rotundiflora Rodda & Simonsson Myanmar 

Impatiens oblongipetala Liu & Cong Yunnan 

Kaempferia lopburiensis Picheans. Thailand 

Larsenianthus wardianus Kress, Thet Htun & Bordelon Myanmar 

18 Wild Mekong: New species in 2010 from the forests, wetlands and waters of the Greater Mekong, Asia’s land of rivers


Licuala dakrongensis Hend., Ban & Thanh Vietnam 

Ligularia qiaojiaensis Chen & Dong Yunnan 

Liparis guangxiensis Feng & Jin Yunnan 

Litostigma crystallinum Shui & Chen Yunnan 

Manglietia sapaensis Xia & Vu Vietnam 

Melocalamus blaoensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Melocalamus cucphuongensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Melocalamus kbangensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Melocalamus pacoensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Melocalamus truongsonensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Melocalamus yenbaiensis Nguyen & Tran Vietnam 

Microtropis daweishanensis Lin & Zhang Yunnan 

Microtropis longicarpa Lin & Zhang Yunnan 

Miscanthus villosus Liu & Peng Yunnan 

Mnesithea thailandica Traiperm & Boonkerd Thailand 

Mucuna hirtipetala Wilmot-Dear & Sha Yunnan 

Mucuna incurvata Wilmot-Dear & Sha Yunnan 

Muhlenbergia fasciculata Phan Myanmar 

Mycetia basiflora Puff Thailand 

Nepenthes andamana Catal. Thailand 

Nepenthes chang Catal. Thailand 

Nepenthes holdenii Mey Cambodia 

Nepenthes kerrii Catal. & Kruetr. Thailand 

Nepenthes suratensis Catal. Thailand 

Nervilia gracilis Aver. Vietnam 

Orchidantha stercorea Tran & Škorničk Vietnam 

Ostryopsis intermedia Tian & Liu Yunnan 

Paphiopedilum canhii Aver. & Gruss Vietnam 

Pedicularis obliquigaleata Yu & Wang Yunnan 

Peristylus phuwuanensis Kurzweil Thailand 

Peristylus rigidus Kurzweil Thailand 

Petrocosmea bicolor Middleton & Triboun Thailand 

Petrocosmea pubescens Middleton & Triboun Thailand 

Petrocosmea shilinensis Shui & Zhao Yunnan 

Phaius hekouensis Tsukaya, Nakaj. & Wu Yunnan 

Phyllagathis nanakorniana Wangwasit, Norsaengsri Thailand 

& Cellin. 

Pinalia shiuyingiana Ormerod & Wood Myanmar 

Pinanga nuichuensis Hend., Ban & Thanh Vietnam 

Pinus anemophila Businský Laos 

Platostoma tridechii Suddee Thailand 

Plectocomiopsis songthanhensis Hend. & Dung Vietnam 

Primula nghialoensis Rankin Vietnam 

Pseuduvaria fragrans Su, Chaowasku Thailand 

& Saunders 

Pseuduvaria gardneri Su, Chaowasku Thailand 

& Saunders Thailand 

Raphiocarpus maguanensis Shui & Chen Yunnan 

Rhododendron trancongii Argent & Rushforth Vietnam 

Rubia pseudogalium Ehrend. Yunnan 

Schefflera poomae Esser & Jebb Thailand 

Schizostachyum ninhthuanense Xia, Tran & Nguyen Vietnam 

Schizostachyum yalyense Xia, Tran & Nguyen Vietnam 

Siliquamomum oreodoxa Lý & Škorničk. Vietnam 

Sorbus burtonsmithiorum Rushforth Myanmar/Yunnan 

Sorbus guanii Rushforth Yunnan 

Sorbus hudsonii Rushforth Yunnan 

Sorbus spongbergii Rushforth Yunnan 

Sorbus yondeensis Rushforth Yunnan 

Stemona involuta Inthachub Thailand 

Stemona rupestris Inthachub Thailand 

Strobilanthes atroviridis Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Strobilanthes fengiana Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Strobilanthes ovata Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Strobilanthes rostrata Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Strobilanthes spiciformis Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Strobilanthes taoana Deng & Wood Yunnan 


Strobilanthes wangiana Deng & Wood Yunnan 

Swertia lihengiana Ho & Liu Yunnan 

Thalictrum tamurae Kadota & Nob.Tanaka Myanmar 

Trigonostemon tuberculatus Du & He Yunnan 

Tupistra kressii Tanaka Thailand 

Tupistra laotica Tanaka Laos 

Tupistra malaiana Tanaka Thailand 

Tupistra urceolata Tanaka & Kress Thailand 

Typhonium neogracile Murata Myanmar 

Typhonium praecox Murata Myanmar 

Typhonium vermiforme Nguyen & Croat Vietnam 

Utricularia inthanonensis Suksathan & Parn. Thailand 

Utricularia phusoidaoensis Suksathan & Parn. Thailand 

Utricularia spinomarginata Suksathan & Parn. Thailand 

Vitis yunnanensis Li Yunnan 

Wrightia karaketii Middleton Thailand 

Wrightia poomae Middleton Thailand 

Wrightia tokiae Middleton Thailand 

Subtotal: 145 

FISH 


Chaudhuria ritvae Britz Myanmar 

Garra bisangularis Chen, Wu and Xiao Yunnan 

Glyptothorax obliquimaculatus Jiang, Chen and Yang Yunnan 

Grammonus minutus Nielsen and Prokofiev Vietnam 

Gymnothorax emmae Prokofiev Vietnam 

Lepidocephalichthys alkaia Havird and Page Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 

and Vietnam 

Lepidocephalichthys kranos Havird and Page Thailand, Laos, Vietnam 

and Myanmar 

Macrognathus aureus Britz Myanmar 

Macrognathus dorsiocellatus Britz Myanmar 

Macrognathus lineatomaculatus Britz Myanmar 

Macrognathus obscurus Britz Myanmar 

Macrognathus pavo Britz Myanmar 

Oryzias songkhramensis Magtoon Laos/Thailand 

Pangio longimanus Britz and Kottelat, Laos 

Paracobitis nanpanjiangensis Min, Chen and Yang Yunnan 

Parapercis bicoloripes Prokofiev Vietnam 

Psilorhynchus brachyrhynchus Conway and Britz Myanmar 

Psilorhynchus gokkyi Conway and Britz Myanmar 

Psilorhynchus melissa Conway and Kottelat Myanmar 

Psilorhynchus pavimentatus Conway and Kottelat Myanmar 

Psilorhynchus piperatus Conway and Britz Myanmar 

Schistura udomritthiruji Bohlen and Slechtová Thailand 

Sinogastromyzon lixianjiangensis Liu, Chen and Yang Yunnan 

Sinogastromyzon macrostoma Liu, Chen and Yang Yunnan 

Triplophysa jianchuanensis Zheng, Du, Chen & Yang Yunnan 

Subtotal: 25 

AMPHIBIANS 


Amolops akhaorum Stuart, Bain, Phimmachak, Laos 

& Spence 

Leptolalax aereus Rowley, Stuart, Richards, Laos 

Phimmachak & Sivongxay 

Leptolalax croceus Rowley, Huy , Duong , Vinh Vietnam 

& Trung 


AMPHIBIANS 


Limnonectes jarujini Matsui, Panha, Khonsue Thailand 

& Kuraishi 

Rhacophorus vampyrus Rowley, Duong, Tran, Dao, Stuart Vietnam 

& Huy 

Tylototriton notialis Stuart, Phimmachak, Sivongxay Laos 

& Robichaud 

Vietnamaptera bogiessa Zhang, Bai, Heiss & Cai Vietnam 

Subtotal: 7 

REPTILES 


Acanthosaura cardamomensis Wood, Grismer, Grismer, Neang, Cambodia/ 

Chav & Holden Thailand 

Calamaria concolor Orlov, Truong, Tao, Ananjeva Vietnam 

& Cuc 

Cnemaspis chanardi Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 

Wood, Pauwels & Kunya 

Cnemaspis huaseesom Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 


Cnemaspis kamolnorranathi Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 


Cnemaspis laoensis Grismer Laos 

Cnemaspis narathiwatensis Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 


Cnemaspis neangthyi Grismer, Grismer & Chav Cambodia 

Cnemaspis niyomwanae Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Cambodia/ 

Thailand 


Cnemaspis psychedelica Grismer, Ngo & Grismer Vietnam 

Cnemaspis punctatonuchalis Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 


Cnemaspis vandeventeri Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Thailand 


Cyrtodactylus auribalteatus Sumontha, Panitvong & Deein Thailand 

Cyrtodactylus bichnganae Tri & Grismer Vietnam 

Cyrtodactylus dumnuii Bauer, Kunya, Sumontha, Niyomwan, Thailand 

Pauwels, Chanhome & Kunya 

Cyrtodactylus phuquocensis Tri, Grismer & Grismer Vietnam 

Cyrtodactylus roesleri Ziegler, Nazarov, Orlov, Nguyen, Vu, Vietnam 

Dang, Dinh & Schmitz 

Cyrtodactylus wayakonei Nguyen, Kingsada, Rösler, Auer Laos 

& Ziegler 

Cyrtodactylus yangbayensis Tri & Onn Vietnam 

Gekko canhi Rösler, Nguyen, Van Doan, Ho, Vietnam 

Nguyen & Ziegler 

Gekko lauhachindai Panitvong, Sumontha, Konlek Thailand 

& Kunya 

Gekko takouensis Ngo & Gamble Vietnam 

Gekko vietnamensis Sang Vietnam 

Leiolepis ngovantrii Grismer & Grismer Vietnam 

Lycodon synaptor Vogel & David Yunnan 

Pseudocalotes ziegleri Hallermann, Truong, Orlov Vietnam 

& Ananjeva 

Scincella apraefrontalis Nguyen, Nguyen, Böhme & Ziegler Vietnam 

Tropidophorus boehmei Nguyen, Nguyen, Schmitz, Orlov Vietnam 

& Ziegler 

Subtotal: 28 

BIRDS 


Phylloscopus calciatilis Alström, Davidson, Duckworth, Laos/ 

Eames, Le, Nguyen, Olsson, Vietnam 

Robson, Timmins 

Subtotal: 1 

MAMMALS 


Crocidura phanluongi Jenkins, Abramov, Rozhnov Vietnam 

& Olsson 

Rhinopithecus strykeri Geissmann, Lwin, Aung, Aung, Myanmar 

Aung, Hla, Grindley, Momberg 

Subtotal: 2 


GRAND TOTAL: 208

REFERENCES 

1 WWF. 2008. FIRST CONTACT IN THE GREATER MEKONG. WWF GREATER MEKONG PROGRAMME, LAO PDR. 

2 WWF. 2009. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: GREATER MEKONG NEW SPECIES DISCOVERIES. WWF GREATER MEKONG PROGRAMME, LAO PDR. 

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USA: CRITICAL ECOSYSTEM PARTNERSHIP FUND, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL. 

5 GEISSMANN ET AL. 2010. A NEW SPECIES OF SNUB-NOSED MONKEY, GENUS RHINOPITHECUS MILNE-EDWARDS, 1872 (PRIMATES, 

COLOBINAE), FROM NORTHERN KACHIN STATE, NORTHEASTERN MYANMAR. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY. 

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LEIOLEPIS CUVIER, 1829 AND THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW ENDEMIC SPECIES OF ASExUAL LEIOLEPIS CUVIER, 1829 FROM SOUTHERN 

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(SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE). BONN ZOOL. BULL. 57 (2): 289–296. 

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IC/646525/WOLF-SNAKE 

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REGION OF CHINA. THE AUK 125(2): 420–424. 

14 L. LEE GRISMER, NGO VAN TRI & JESSE L. GRISMER. 2010. A COLORFUL NEW SPECIES OF INSULAR ROCK GECKO (CNEMASPIS 

STRAUCH 1887) FROM SOUTHERN VIETNAM. ZOOTAxA 2352: 46–58. 

15 CATALANO, M. 2010. NEPENTHES ANDAMANA M. CATAL. SP. NOV. IN: NEPENTHES DELLA THAILANDIA. PRAGUE. P. 34. 

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NATURAL HISTORY PRODUCTIONS, POOLE. PP. 1306–1331. 

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FRAMEWORK AND 1ST OPERATIONAL PLAN. NAM THEUN 2. WMPA, VIENTIANE, LAOS. 

25 UNEP. 2011. TOWARDS A GREEN ECONOMY: PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERADICATION. 


Greater Mekong in numbers 

208 

new species discovered in 

2010, adding to the 1,345 

newly identified since 1997 

300 million 

people depend on healthy 

natural systems such as 

rivers, forests and 

wetlands for their food 

security, livelihoods and 

customs 

Today the Greater Mekong 

region is an integral part of one 

of the top five most threatened 

biodiversity hotspots in the 

world 

850 

freshwater fish species 

live in the Mekong and 

its tributaries 

© 1986 Panda symbol WWF – World Wide Fund For Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund) 

® “WWF” is a WWF Registered Trademark. 

WWF Greater Mekong, D13 Thang Long International Village Cau Giay District, PO Box 151, Hanoi, Vietnam 

Tel: +84 4 3719 3049 Fax: +84 4 3719 3102 

100% 

RECYCLED

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