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More than a thousand new species have been discovered in the Mekong Delta region between 1997 and 2007. Among these is a rat, which was discovered when a scientist, visiting a local outdoor restaurant, recognized the hairy, thick-tailed creature as the Laotian rock rat, previously believed to be extinct for 11 million years. Other species include a spider with a foot-long leg span and a hot pink cyanide-producing "dragon millipede" – a deadly meal to any predator. The Mekong region was dubbed a "biological treasure trove" by the World Wildlife Fund, whose "First Contact in the Greater Mekong" report says 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, four birds, four turtles, two salamanders, and a toad were found. |
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