Nepal Monitor: The National Online Journal

At least 353 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas between 1998 and 2008, equating to an average of 35 new species finds every year for the last 10 years. The discoveries include 242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, 2 birds and 2 mammals, and at least 61 new invertebrates. The following is the extract from the report published by the World Worldlife Fund:

Executive Summary
The Eastern Himalayas is at the crossroads of two continental plates represented by two biogeographical realms: the lowland Indo-Malayan Realm and to the north, the elevated Palearctic Realm. The meeting of these worlds has created one of the biologically richest areas on Earth.

Spanning Bhutan, the north-eastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, North Bengal and Sikkim, the far north of Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and southern parts of Tibet, the region includes four Global 200 ecoregions with their critical landscapes of international biological importance. The Himalayas are home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 freshwater fi sh. The region supports high density of the Bengal tiger and is the last bastion for the charismatic greater one-horned rhinoceros.

Even today the rugged, and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas, hides the real extent of the region’s biodiversity, with extraordinary new species continuing to be discovered year-on-year. Between 1998 and 2008, at least 353 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, 35 new species fi nds on average every year for the last 10 years.

The extent of the new species fi nds place the Eastern Himalayas on a par with more wellknown biological hotspots such as Borneo.

This report celebrates these unique and fascinating species discoveries. It also highlights growing pressures on the ecosystems and species as a consequence of unsustainable development in the region. Despite protection efforts, in the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for commodities by global and regional markets. The host of threats include forest destruction as a result of unsustainable and illegal logging, agriculture, unsustainable fuel wood collection, overgrazing by domestic livestock, illegal poaching and wildlife trade, mining, pollution, hydropower development, and poorly planned infrastructure. The region is also among the most vulnerable to global climate change, which will amplify the impacts of these threats.

Only 25% of the original habitats in the region remain intact and 163 species that live in the Eastern Himalayas are considered globally threatened.

Many of WWF’s established priority conservation landscapes are being impacted by the current unsustainable development in the Eastern Himalayas, and so we consider that a new layer of strategic action is needed to augment our longstanding fi eld projects. This includes asking the governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal to commit to a shared tripartite vision that recognises the global signifi cance of the region and supports the implementation of a unifi edconservation and sustainable development plan that ensures the landscapes within the Eastern Himalayas are connected.

By promoting a shared sustainable development vision, WWF believes that real progress can be made in tackling huge poverty-impacting issues in the Eastern Himalayas such as climate change, deforestation, the illegal wildlife and timber trade, poor infrastructure development, and thereby secure the livelihoods, subsistence and fresh water essential to millions of people throughout the region.

Only a concerted focus and a shared vision can maintain a living Himalayas, for people and nature, whether discovered or yet to be discovered.

Where worlds collide
No mountain range on Earth can match the awe-inspiring Himalayas. Home to all of the world’s highest peaks, many standing above 8,000m, they include the tallest, the formidable Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) at 8,848m. Their story is one of fascination and intrigue, which continues to captivate the world.

The 3,000km-long Himalayan mountain range, “abode of snow” in Sanskrit, was born from a massive tectonic collision 40-50 million years ago.

The Eastern Himalayas spanning Bhutan, the north-eastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, North Bengal and Sikkim, the far north of Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and southern reaches of Tibet forms a wall that separates the lowlands of the Indian subcontinent from the high, dry Tibetan Plateau. Climatic variability and altitudinal gradation have forged the region into Asia’s land of contrasts, encompassing some of nature’s most magnificent spaces, from the world’s highest mountains and several of the world’s deepest gorges, to subtropical jungles, temperate forests, tall grasslands, savannas and rich alpine meadows.

A myriad of cultures and faiths including Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and animists, have lived closely with the natural environments of the Eastern Himalayas for millennia. Many of these communities live in isolation; their customs, lifestyles and livelihoods have been shaped by their environment, and they remain deeply dependent on the resources nature provides.

A global biodiversity hotspot, the Eastern Himalayas is one of the biologically richest areas on Earth. Because the region sits at the biogeographical crossroads of two continental plates, it contains an incredible wealth of biodiversity from both worlds. The Indo-Malayan Realm in the lowlands of the Eastern Himalayas is home to Asian elephants, clouded leopards, wild water buffalo, gaur, hornbills, cobras and geckos. The elevated Palearctic Realm to the north includes the snow leopard, red pandas, black bears, wolves, and a diverse assemblage of alpine ungulates, like takins, tahrs and blue sheep.

The Eastern Himalayas hotspot includes four Global 200 ecoregions, critical landscapes of international biological importance, four World Heritage sites, two Endemic Bird Areas, and several global centres for plant diversity. The Himalayas harbour a staggering 10,000 plant species, from tropical to temperate, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 types of freshwater fish. A third of all plants and reptiles are endemicaI, as are 40% of all amphibians.

The world’s northernmost tropical rainforests can be found in the Eastern Himalayas and nearly half of the flowering plants and bird species known from India. The plant life of Arunachal Pradesh is considered among the most diverse in the world, ranking second only to Sumatra in Indonesia and greater than Borneo, Brazil and Papua New Guinea.

Importantly, the region comprises several priority landscapes for the Bengal tiger, Asia’s largest carnivore, with the densest population of Bengal tigers in the world. The forests and grasslands along the base of the Eastern Himalayas are also the last bastion for the charismatic greater one-horned rhino, which once enjoyed a range spanning the entire length of the Himalaya foothills, from Pakistan to Myanmar but are now restricted to a few corners of India, Bhutan and Nepal.

People and wildlife form a rich mosaic of life stretching across a remarkable and unparalleled landscape.

Living encounters
Historically, the rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas has made biological surveys in the region extremely difficult. As a result, wildlife has remained poorly surveyed and there are large areas that are still biologically unexplored.

The topographic complexity, including steep mountains and valleys, has also forged isolated islands of habitat. According to scientists, large areas of intact forests, rivers and thousands of isolated streams, separated by mountain massifs, high ridges and valleys, could support populations of species cut off from one another, giving rise to genetic differences among populations, a step toward the evolution of endemic species. Scientists believe that these pockets could harbour many undiscovered species, including mammals, reptiles and amphibians, some of which could qualify for globally threatened status but have been missed in surveys to date.

Many species groups have been inadequately studied and the real extent of the biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayas is undoubtedly underestimated. This is reflected in the remarkable level of new life discovered in the region over the past 10 years by dedicated scientists. Some of these species have evolved and survived for centuries, and their full glory is only just being unearthed.

Renewed effort in the last decade on wildlife research and exploration gathered momentum in the Eastern Himalayas, led by researchers of non-governmental and governmental research institutions. Recent surveys have yielded extraordinary results, and the discovery of large mammals such as the leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis), the primate Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala), and new birds such as the Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum), has drawn renewed attention to this globally important region for biodiversity.

Remarkably, at least 353 new species have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas between 1998 and 2008, equating to an average of 35 new species finds every year for the last 10 years. The discoveries include 242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, two birds and two mammals, and at least 61 new invertebrate discoveries.

The extent of the new species finds place the Eastern Himalayas on a par with BorneoII. Today, further species continue to be unearthed, and many more species of am, phibians, reptiles and fish are currently in the process of being officially named by scientists. The Eastern Himalayas is certainly one of the last biological frontiers of Asia and, without doubt, there are still many new discoveries waiting to be made.

The rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas has made biological surveys in the region extremely difficult. As a result, wildlife has remained poorly surveyed and there are large areas that are still biologically unexplored.

Amphibians
There have been 16 new amphibian discoveries in the Eastern Himalayas over the past 10 years. A caecilian and a diverse chorus of 14 frogs and a toad have revealed themselves for the first time in the last decade.

The eclectic mix of amphibians from Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet includes a number of high-altitude dwellers, with many found more than 1,000m above sea level. The toad, Pseudepidalea zamdaensis, belonging to the ‘true toad’ family Bufonidae, was discovered at the extraordinary altitude of 2,900m.

Lowland discoveries include Hylarana chitwanensis or Chitwan frog of Nepal. Named after the Chitwan National Park, this frog inhabits the terai grasslands, bushes and tropical Shorea forest. Because of the closer proximity of the species to human populations than its cloud-dwelling cousins, populations of the Chitwan frog in the Eastern Himalayas are decreasing and are already considered at risk by the IUCN, as a result of habitat destruction.

The status of the Chitwan frog is close to being elevated to ‘Vulnerable’ from ‘Near Threatened’ according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, on account of the declining quality and extent of habitat in its only know range, which is limited to 20,000 sq km.

Most of the new amphibians are endemic to the Eastern Himalayas. Some of them found only in a specific area. The bright green, red-footed tree frog Rhacophorus suffry , a so-called ‘flying frog’ because long webbed feet allow the species to glide when falling, was described in 2007. The species is mainly found in swampy areas and is known only from five specific sites, including the Suffry tea estate in Assam, where it was originally found, and in neighbouring areas. Other new species from Assam include Amolops assamensis, a green and brown species also called the Assamese cascade frog. Cascade frogs or torrent frogs as they are also known as, have adapted to life amongst the torrents, waterfalls and wet boulders that cascade out of Asia’s rainforests.

The species Philautus saha is perhaps the lead contender for the crown of ‘most endemic frog’ in the Eastern Himalayas. This frog was described in 2006 from specimens found in 1988 in a single tree hollow about 3m above ground, in a dense forest on the bank of the Noa Dihing River, in Arunachal Pradesh. Very little is known about the species and there has been no more information about it since 1988, indicating this elusive frog may be extremely rare.

Also among the new amphibian species discovered was a caecilian, Ichthyophis garoensis. These are interesting creatures; although classed as amphibians, they are completely limbless and look more like giant earthworms. As caecilians are subterranean, they are among the least studied of the amphibian species, making the latest species discovery from Assam particularly significant.

Birds
It seems fitting that a region closely associated with the sky should be blessed with so many bird species. In the Eastern Himalayas, 977 species have been recorded, which roughly equates to a staggering one tenth of all known bird species of the world. Among this number have been two recent new discoveries.

The discovery of Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum), a striking, colourful Asian babbler was unconventional in every sense and highly significant, given that prior to this the most recent new bird species reported from India was described more than half a century earlier, in 1948.

Astrophysicist Ramana Athreya described the new species in 2006. The species predominantly inhabits open-canopied hill forests with dense shrubs and small trees, and so far is known to be restricted to 2 sq km at an altitude of between 2,000m and 2,350m.

Ramana had first glimpsed two of the birds in 1995 near Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, during a birdwatching trip. Ten years passed before he saw the birds again and was able to take a closer look.

It was initially believed to be a similar species, Liocichla omeiensis (the bird’s closest relative), but the many differences in size, plumage and calls, especially its distinctive fluty song, indicated a new species. The bird is spectacularly colourful, with wings of yellow, red and white and tail of black with red tips. Since the species had been overlooked during several years of surveys at Eagle’s Nest, the astrophysicist felt the population might be too small to withstand the loss of an adult bird. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature does not allow for new species to be described without the collection of type specimens, but somewhat luckily for the bird, the Code does allow for “any part of an animal” and the species was eventually described as a new species based on feathers, photographs, sound recordings and field notes.

Given that it is unlikely that the species could have escaped detection for so long if it were relatively common and widespread, the known population of between 50 and 250 individuals is today listed as ‘Vulnerable’ according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

A second new bird species was identified near the remote Naung Mung township of northern Kachin state, Myanmar, in a temperate rainforest or hill jungle at the base of the Himalayas, 540m above sea level. A team of scientists ventured into the area, 118km south of the Tibetan border, to inventory the poorly-known bird fauna, and subsequently discovered the Naung Mung scimitar-babbler (Jabouilleia naungmungensis). The medium-sized jungle bird reminiscent of a wren is dark brown, with a short tail, long legs, relatively large feet and a long curved bill. This long bill is used to forage and probe for food on the ground. The species was officially described as a new species in 2005.

Fish
In the past 10 years, 14 new fish species have surfaced in the Eastern Himalayas.

Half the new fish species are from the rivers and streams of Nepal. Until recently, the fish diversity of this country had been poorly studied or understood, relative to other fauna. A single scientist, Dr David Edds, undertook an ambitious exploration of Nepal’s fish diversity in the late 1990s. The aim of the research was to better understand the biodiversity and conservation value of the protected areas. As a result of 35 different collections from seven protected areas, ranging from Himalayan mountains to subtropical lowlands and from east to west throughout the country, the scientist collected 91 different species of fish. These were the first fish surveys in two of the reserves and the most comprehensive assessments to date in three others, adding to our knowledge of the distribution and ecology of fishes in Nepal and South Asia.

As a result of the increase in ichthyological activity in Nepal by scientists, new species to science have been reported. These include a small bagrid catfish, Batasio macronotus, discovered in the Kosi river, Nepal’s largest river and part of the Ganges river drainage. The species has a dark yellow body and head, with two dark horizontal stripes, and was officially recorded as a new species in 2004. Perhaps among the more bizarre new fish discoveries are the two light chocolate-brown catfish, Erethistoides ascita and E. cavatura described in 2005 from the Ganges river drainage in the terai of Nepal. Both species display a battery of serrations along the length of their blade-like fins, in the case of E. ascita, as many as 24 sharp points. It is perhaps easy to see why the Latin name given to the fish means ‘strange’.

Two further catfish species Pseudecheneis crassicauda and P. serracula, were discovered from tributaries of the Ganges river drainage in Nepal in 2005. Both are catfish that live in fast-fl owing streams, which have evolved unique adhesive undersides, made of a series of transverse ridges (12-15 on P. crassicauda, 13-18 on P. serracula) that allow the fish to stick to rocks. The chestnut brown species were collected from broad and shallow stretches of river with swift water over rocks. Local fishers report that P. serracula, or ‘kabre’ as the fish is known locally, is something of a mountain climber, ascending from the base of the Himalayas in the terai to 1000m above sea level during the monsoon, suggesting these fish may breed in the upper reaches of the river, then migrate downstream following the spawning season.

The fish Psilorhynchus nepalensis, named after its country of origin, was officially described in 2008 from the Budi Rapti river, just outside Chitwan National Park. The body of this slender species is marked with dark pigment blotches, with highlights of silver and gold, and with a remarkable iridescent underbelly.

Field work in Nepal suggests that there are already several other new fish species awaiting formal description, not only in the species-rich lowlands but also rather surprisingly also in the high altitude rivers. Although the high altitude rivers of the Himalayas have unique fauna, the level of species diversity is usually less compared to that of the terai lowlands.

Invertebrates
There have been at least 61 new invertebrate discoveries from the Eastern Himalayas region in the last 10 years.

Invertebrate species can sometimes add an additional element of danger in already formidable territory. The Eastern Himalayas is no exception. The region is home to the world’s largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia, or the Asian hornet known colloquially as the ‘yak-killer’ on account of its potent venom. Perhaps none of the new finds are as potentially nasty as this but some definitely deserve to be handled with care.

Asian huntsman spiders have been poorly investigated, with very little taxonomic research being published on these medium to large species of spider since the late 1800s. In 2001, Dr Peter Jäger published a paper describing an extraordinary 42 new species of huntsman spider from the Eastern Himalayas, as a result of an expedition through East Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling and West Bhutan. This plethora of spiders were formally organised into two new genera, Pseudopoda and Bhutaniella, both found in habitats more than 1,000m above sea level. Bhutaniella hillyardi was discovered at over 2,000m in the Arun Valley of East Nepal. Although not poisonous, some species of huntsman spiders can deliver a nasty bite.

Further amazing invertebrates include at least nine beetles being reported. The discovery of Agabus joachimschmidti in Tibet shattered the world altitude record for the genus Dytiscidae (from ‘to dive’ in Latin). Found at the dizzying height of 5,100m above sea level, this small and predatory diving beetle is able to move underwater where it feeds on tadpoles and smaller water-dwelling creatures. Adding further to the beetle-mania in Tibet were two black robust-bodied beetles Itagonia cordiformis and Itagonia zayica and three new stag beetles described in 2006, including Prismognathus prossi.

A recent shipment of freshwater prawns imported into Europe from Cooch Behar, Bengal, had among their number a surprise stowaway; a previously unknown species to science. Freshwater prawns do not only have economic importance in hydroponics and fisheries for food purposes, but are also increasingly in demand by the global aquarium trade. With its tinted reddish-brown colour, the medium sized new species Macrobrachium agwi, described in 2008, is now categorised as an ‘ornamental shrimp’ in the aquarium trade.

Among the new finds are three species of scorpion, one of which was described from the Chitwan National Park in Nepal in 2004. This discovery was particularly significant as it was the first species of scorpion ever to be discovered in the country, and was subsequently named Heterometrus nepalensis to honour the occasion. The 8cm long, reddish-black, species has a smooth carapace, and a reddish-brown tail tip or telson that contains the venom.

Mammals
The remote Eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, with its rugged mountains and extensive forest cover, is one of India’s last truly wild places, and the location of two highly significant and exciting large mammals finds.

Biological expeditions in this biodiversity hotspot resulted in the discovery of the Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala, a primate new to science46, in the high altitudes of western Arunachal Pradesh.

Described as a new species in 2005, the relatively large brown primate with a short tail was a significant discovery as, at the time, it represented the first new monkey species identified anywhere in the world in over a century. The newly described macaque species is stocky in build and has a darker face than other closely related species. The new species is also the highest-dwelling macaque in the world, occurring between 1,600m and 3,500m about sea level.

The status of the monkey is not yet fully known. Subsequent field studies to learn more about the species have revealed a total of 569 individuals in the Tawang and West Kameng districts of the state. Although new to science, locals have been familiar with the species for some time, which they blame for widespread crop damage. As a result, the species, known locally as mun zala or ‘deep-forest monkey’ by the Dirang Monpa people, is vulnerable to extensive hunting in the only two places it is known to occur49.

The world’s largest mountain range was the location for a surprisingly small species discovery in 1999. The world’s smallest deer species, a miniature muntjac, standing 60-80cm tall and weighing just about 11kg, was first seen by a team of scientists undertaking field surveys in the Himalayan region of northern Myanmar. Examining the small carcass of a deer initially believed to be the juvenile of another species, scientists were astounded to learn that the carcass was of an adult female of a mystery species. After obtaining specimens of the accidental discovery from local hunters, scientists conducted further DNA analysis in a New York laboratory, with the results of the genetic work confirming the so-called ‘leaf deer’ (Muntiacus putaoensis) as a unique species.

The muntjac group, with its eleven known living species, is the oldest known deer group, first appearing in the fossil record 15-35 million years ago.

At the time of its official scientific recording, scientists believed Muntiacus putaoensis to be highly endemic to the nothern region in Myanmar; the species was named after the town of Putao in Myanmar, a recognisable reference point in the region where it was first discovered. Then in 2003, a team of Indian scientists sprang a surprise, reporting conclusive evidence that the leaf deer also inhabits the lush rainforests close to Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh. Before examining skulls of Muntiacus putaoensis, displayed as trophies by hunters in local villages, it was not known that the species existed in India. The new find was particularly significant as it represented the only addition to the ungulate fauna of the Indian subcontinent in the last century. While the existence of the species had eluded scientists, local villagers were well aware of the leaf deer.

The species Muntiacus putaoensis remains elusive, with sightings of the animal so rare that scientists have not been able to assess its full distribution and status. Locating such a small deer in such a large landscape plays a large role in the ongoing difficulties of better understanding it.

Plants
An astonishing 242 new plant species have been recorded in the Eastern Himalayas in the last 10 years.

A vast garden stretches across the Eastern Himalayas, a mysterious and alluring landscape that has yielded on average of 24 new plant discoveries every year for the last 10 years. These remarkable fl oral finds, in a place still much to be explored, include Impatiens namchabarwensis, or the blue diamond impatiens described in 2005 from Medog in Tibet, 930m above sea level. The highly endemic ultramarine-blue flower was discovered as a result of an intrepid expedition undertaken by a dedicated pair of Chinese botanists, Yuan Yong-Ming and Ge Xue-Jun. The duo ventured 100km from the nearest road, then descended into the remote reaches of the Namcha Barwa canyon, a gorge measuring almost 250km long and, in places, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.

Named after the canyon in which it was found, an area of Tibet which really only started to be explored as recently as the mid-1990s, the rare plant can grow as tall as 60cm and flowers all year round. The many flowers are dramatic in both colour and form and, extraordinarily, the colour seems to change with temperature and exposure. They sometimes appear truly blue when in a cool climate and change to purple when temperatures rise; a characteristic unique for this species among impatiens. The shape of the flower is also far different from the traditional flat-disk shape of most impatiens, with some saying that when viewed from the side, the flowers resemble an elegant crane in flight.

Also from Tibet, Meconopsis tibetica (described in 2006) is one of 12 new poppy species discoveries joining the ranks of new flora in the region. The species has a yellow centre surrounded by petals of deep red colour.

The orchid stands supreme in the plant kingdom for its beauty. In the Eastern Himalayas 21 new orchid species have been identified between 1998 and 2008. Roughly one quarter, including the pure white Coelogyne pantlingii, were found in Sikkim, an ancient land also known as Indrakil - the garden of Indra, the king-god of heaven in Hindu religious texts.

Among the newly discovered species of plant is a palm tree, Trachycarpus ukhrulensis, or Saramati palm. The species is the most recent addition to the Trachycarpus genus, and the most interesting yet according to some scientists. The palm was discovered in Assam, on the border with Myanmar. Growing to a height of 15m, the tree has a hairless trunk, 30cm in diameter. The species produces between 24 and 28 palmate leaves, each about a metre long. The underside of the leaves are a stunning powdery white, and the top sides are dark green.

Other new finds include 15 new bamboo species and 46 species of fern.

Reptiles
The Eastern Himalayas have yielded 16 new reptile species over the past 10 years. These include 13 lizards and three snakes.

The most colourful snake discovery has been the emerald green pitviper, Trimeresurus gumprechti. Officially discovered in 2002, Gumprecht’s green pitviper is venomous and capable of growing to 130cm in length. Scientists predict that larger specimens exist. The species is known to occur around Putao, at altitudes above 400m in the far north of Myanmar. There are some striking differences between the males and females of this species; females reach a greater size, with a thin, white or whitish-blue streak on the head, and deep yellow eyes; males are shorter, have a red stripe on the head, and bright red or deep red eyes.

This species is mainly found in rugged, forested areas, often in the vicinity of streams, as well as bamboo thickets. It also occurs near human settlements and along trails. Mostly nocturnal, this snake is arboreal, but can also be found on the ground. The largest known specimens were collected while they were resting on branches near a stream. Rodents and skinks have been recorded as prey, but the species has also been observed killing and eating other pitvipers of a similar size.

Another nocturnal snake, Zaw’s wolf snake (Lycodon zawi), was discovered dwelling in forests and near streams at elevations of less than 500m high in Assam, India, including in the Garbhange Reserve Forest and in northern Myanmar. The black snake, with white bands, can grow to half a metre in length, and feeds mainly on geckos. The find increases the diversity of the Lycodon genus to four in Myanmar and to five in north east India.

In 1999, a new species of blind snake was officially described from Darjeeling, Assam, near India’s border with Nepal. Also called the Darjeeling worm snake on account of its appearance, Typhlops meszoeyli was discovered in the forest-covered foothills of the Himalayas. As the name suggests, the snake’s eyes and body are covered by smooth shiny scales, a sign of its adaptation to a subterranean life, allowing it to move easily through earth.

The snake feeds mainly on the eggs and larvae of termites and ants, and can occasionally be found high in trees, having reached these heights by using termite galleries. Typhlops meszoeyli belongs to super family Typhlopidae, which comprises more than 200 different blind snake species world-wide.

According to scientists, several new species of reptiles still await description, including a new species of pitviper caught after a one-year hunt in the rainforests of north-east India. The new species can measure longer than two metres and is already the stuff of local legend.

“Barta”, as the snake is known by the local Nyishi tribesmen, is the most-feared creature among the tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. According to Nyishi folklore, sighting of a barta, meaning the deadliest of all snakes, is a very bad omen.

Perhaps the most fascinating and globally significant new reptile species discovery over the past 10 years is one that is not ‘new’ in the classic sense. Cretaceogekko burmae, a 100 million-year-old gecko, the oldest fossil gecko species known to science, was discovered in an amber mine excavated in the Hukawng Valley in the Himalayan region of far north Myanmar. The species discovery is significant, as it transformed the existing understanding about the origin of geckos.

Once remote, now in danger
The remarkable Eastern Himalayas is an extraordinary region of unique life and natural wonder, but one that is also gravely threatened. Despite protection efforts, in the last half-century the region has rapidly faced a disastrous combination of pressures as a result of population growth and the rapidly increasing demand for commodities by global and regional markets.

The host of threats include forest destruction as a result of unsustainable and illegal logging, leading to floods; shifting cultivation; unsustainable fuel wood collection; overgrazing by domestic livestock; illegal poaching and wildlife trade for pelts and traditional Asian medicine; mining; water diversion and pollution; tourism; and poorly-planned infrastructure, especially dam and road construction. The region is also among the most vulnerable to global climate change, which will amplify the impacts of these existing threats.

The result is severe habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, eroding a fragile and vibrant landscape. Only 25% of the original habitats in the region remain intact. The impact human activity has wrought on the unique diversity of the Eastern Himalayas is devastating. For the species of the Eastern Himalayas, this means that today 163 are considered globally threatened - comprising 45 mammals, 50 birds, 17 reptiles, 12 amphibians, 3 invertebrates, and 36 plant species. Species endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, account for approximately half this number, therefore representing globally important populations. An alarming 14 species are considered Critically Endangered by IUCN, currently facing the abyss of extinction, with a further 46 considered Endangered.

Among the important globally-threatened mammals are Asia’s three largest herbivores - the Asian elephant, the greater one-horned rhinoceros and the wild water buffalo - and its largest carnivore, the tiger, as well as snow leopard, Ganges river dolphin and several large birds such as vultures, adjutant storks and hornbills.

The human cost is also severe. The environment is the base for all human development, so while the impact on wildlife is taking its toll, the once plentiful resources and cultural treasures available to people have continued to decline. In the long term, this will transform livelihoods, the availability of essential food and freshwater, and ultimately exacerbate poverty in the region. Little will change unless environmental protection and development are mutually supportive.

The governments of the region have recognized the importance of the Himalayas for biodiversity, livelihoods and fresh water, and are actively engaged with the work of conserving ecosystems.

Conclusions & Recommendations
The Eastern Himalayas are a truly magnificent part of the world. The enormous cultural and biological diversity belies the fragile nature of the environment on which all depend and which risks being lost forever unless we take concerted action now.

As human populations grow and development activities unfold we must ensure that these take place in a way that is sustainable, not just for our own generation but for the sake of those to come as well.

This will be our legacy to our children and grandchildren and one we hope they will thank us for. WWF believes that real progress can be made in tackling the pressing issues in the Eastern Himalayas, like global warming, deforestation, the illegal wildlife and timber trade and the need for sensitive infrastructure development. At the same time, good environmental management will help increase livelihood options and help secure food and freshwater availability for millions of people throughout the region. This in turn, will address the poverty that underpins so many of the current, unsustainable, demands on the landscape.

In order to maintain a Living Himalayas, WWF believes several key undertakings have to be realized:

* That the governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal, who already recognize the importance of the Himalayas at a national level, develop a shared three-country vision for the region as a whole. This will result in a unified conservation and sustainable development plan that ensures the connectivity of landscapes within the Eastern Himalayas, allowing for the free movement of wildlife across political borders and combating illegal trade at a regional level.

* Broadening the scope and scaling up the local stewardship of forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Local communities already have many rights to manage the natural resources within the environment where they live, as these increase there will be mutual benefits for both biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. With increased rights come increased responsibilities but the future of the wildlife that live there is best assured by giving the people, who share these landscapes, a vested interest in their survival.

* Ensure that regional mechanisms are in place to respond to climate change and the inevitable changes that it will bring. Communities will need to be supported to cope with the rising threat of fl oods from glacial lake collapse and to respond to changing weather patterns. Water availability will be a key concern and, since major rivers rising in the Eastern Himalayas support millions of people downstream as well as the rich biodiversity, so river management will need to take place at a regional, river-basin scale, if it is to meet the needs of all.

* Development initiatives must take into account the environment if we are not to damage, irretrievably, the very resources on which economic development depends. This applies to all industries but is of particular relevance to growth in the energy and tourism sectors. Landscape level planning and the development of ‘best practice’ guidelines will help ensure that the richness of the Eastern Himalayas is maintained and that the economic growth requirements of the region are met.

The full report with refernces and appendix is available here.

####