"Remote region yields hundreds of new species, researchers report"
Researchers have discovered 380 new animal and plant species in the Greater Mekong region in Asia, including a color-changing lizard, a poisonous snake named after a Chinese mythological goddess, an orchid that looks like a muppet, and a tree frog with skin that resembles thick moss. Nearly 4,000 vascular plants, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals have been discovered in the region since 1997. However, human encroachment is already affecting some of the newly discovered species, and the region is experiencing a "vast array of threats." Immediate action and increased use of new technologies are needed to help scientists discover more species in the region.