Behold: 1,200 New Species Discovered In The Amazon

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REUTERS/HO Old

REUTERS/HO Old

From bald parrots to translucent frogs, the Amazon gets even more exotic.

The WWF report reveals that a new species was discovered every three days from 1999-2009.  Joining the jungle are 637 plants, 257 fish, 216 amphibians, 55 reptiles, 16 birds and 39 mammals. (Check Our TIMES Photo Essay Papua New Guinea’s Newly Discovered Species.)

One of the most visually bizarre is the so called “Glass Frog,” translucent, with skin so thin and delicate that you can see it’s heart beat. The phrase “blind as a bat,” is so last century, a new species of blind ants have been discovered dating back 120m years. And taking flower power to a whole new level (literally),  tiny predatory flowers were discovered, that lure insects to their death with a murderous fragrance. Spider haters look away now, because the report also introduces a new species of brightly colored tarantulas, that can propel excrement at enemies up to one meter away. (Find out more about bugs in World’s Largest Spider Can Catch 30 Insects At A Time.)

The new report, presented at the United Nations biodiversity meeting in Nagoya, Japan, highlights the need for greater efforts to conserve the world’s greatest treasure trove of biodiversity. The Amazon region encompasses the largest rain forest and river system on Earth. The region spans an area one and a half times bigger than the European Union, is home to 30 million people and is being threatened by loggers, ranchers, palm oil plantations, soy farms and climate change. “We need to change the way we think about development and promote conservation at a regional level,” said Francisco Ruiz, leader of WWF’s Living Amazon Initiative. (A must read Protecting Jungles: One Way To Combat Global Warming.)

Today delegates in Nagoya are planning ways to channel $4bn to help developing nations save their forests. (Learn more in Green Banks: Paying Countries To Keep Their Trees.)

Green is serene and even NewsFeed knows that modern technology owes ecology and apology.