New species discovered in jungle

2012-01-31 08:23:01 GMT2012-01-31 16:23:01(Beijing Time) SINA.com

Katydid (Copiphora longicauda) observed during Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program in southwest Suriname in August and September 2010. Katydids tend to stay within small specific habitats and do not disperse widely, making them an indicator of habitat disruption, scientists say. Photo by Trond Larsen.

A handout of potentially new species: Pseudacanthicus sp. that is a catfish whose armor (external bony plates) is covered with spines. The river it lives in is full of huge piranhas, so it must be well defended. One of the local guides was about to snack on this fish, until the experts preserved it as a scientific specimen. Only a handful of Pseudacanthicus specimens are known from Suriname, and this is the first from the Sipaliwini River. Discovered by scientists working with Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program in southwest Suriname in August and September 2010. (REUTERS/Kenneth Wang Tong You/Conservation International)

A handout of a possible new species: Hypsiboas sp. (nickname "cowboy frog") that has white fringes along the legs and a spur on the heel. The frog was discovered low on a small branch during a night survey in a swampy area west of the RAP base camp at the Koetari River during Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program in southwest Suriname in August and September 2010. (REUTERS/Paul Ouboter/Conservation International)

A handout of a potentially new water beetle species: Oocyclus sp. This waterfall beetle from Venezuela is similar to a new species found on a granite inselberg (a type of mountain) in Suriname. This species was discovered by scientists working with Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program in southwest Suriname in August and September 2010. (REUTERS/Andrew Short/Conservation International)

A spiny armored catfish and a cowboy frog are among 46 species that may be new to science discovered in the South American country of Suriname, researchers now reveal. The species were discovered in a scientific expedition into southwest Suriname, which holds one of the world's last pristine tropical forests.

(Agencies)

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