New flora and fauna in Vietnam

Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in a remote area in Central Vietnam. These species were found in Thua Thien Hue province, in an area called the Green Corridor.

Anoectochilus annamen (right) and Oberonia huensis (Photo: BBC)

In a statement, WWF Greater Mekong said the newly discovered species included two butterflies and one snake, five orchid species and three other plant species. All of these species are endemic to the tropical forests in the Truong Son range of Vietnam.

'You can only find many new species like this in very special areas,' said Chris Dickinson, chief consultant of the Green Corridor Project, under the Vietnam program of WWF.

Mr. Dickinson has many new species because some big mammals were discovered in the 1990s in the forest.

The newly discovered snake species, the white-water snake snake. It has a beautiful white-yellow stripe that runs along the head and red spots on the whole body. It can be up to 80cm long.

Gastrodia theana (right) and Saccolabiopsis viridiflora (Photo: BBC)

Butterflies are among eight species discovered in the province since 1996. One is a brown butterfly, a butterfly whose habit is as fast as a shot, belonging to the genus Zela.

WWF said the other species is a new genus of the subfamily Satyrinae. Ten other plant species, including four orchids, are still in the testing process but are most likely new species. According to WWF, all these species are threatened by illegal logging and hunting and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and conflicting development interests.