Biodiversity and habitat destruction clash along Mekong River

Amazing biodiversity along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia has led to the description of 208 new species, including the adorable gecko to the right.

The newly described species include a "psychedelic gecko" in southern Vietnam and a nose-less monkey in a remote province of Myanmar that looks like it wears a pompadour. "While this species, sporting an Elvis-like hairstyle, is new to science, the local people of Myanmar know it well," the Switzerland-based group said in its report. The region is home to some of the world's most endangered species, including tigers, Asian elephants, Mekong dolphins and Mekong giant catfish, the group said. "This is a region of extraordinary richness in terms of biodiversity but also one that is extremely fragile," said Sarah Bladen, communications director for WWF Greater Mekong. "It's losing biodiversity at a tragic rate."

The area is being pummeled by humans, however; habitat loss and deforestation are among the reasons biodiversity is threatened. To read the full article, click here.