Aug 14 2009

Climate Changes: Leapin' Lizards!

Posted by: Katie Romans

The below story on the science of global warming caught our attention this week:

Flying frogs is more like it -- just one of the 350 new species found in the Himalayas over the past decade. And, that's not all. Some say that further study of the eastern Himalayas would lead to the discovery of even more new species.

Unfortunately, these new species are not impervious to the negative effects of climate change, which threatens the fragile habitat of the Himalayas, which the World Wildlife Fund calls one of the world's most biologically-rich regions.

Some of the new fauna include a miniature muntjac, which is the world's smallest deer species. Smaller than Bambi, the mini muntjac stands just 25-30 inches tall and weighs a mere 24 pounds.

Also found was a Rhacophorus suffry, aka the flying frog. This new species of frog uses its long, webbed feet to fly through the air.

By reducing human impact in these fragile habitats, we can continue our discovery of even more species -- leaping lizards!

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