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A new species of legless amphibian resembling a giant earthworm or a snake has been discovered in a remote but threatened area of Cambodian rainforest, conservationists said on Friday.
The grey-brown creature -- Ichthyophis cardamomensis -- was found in Cambodia's southwest Cardamom Mountains, an area under threat from habitat loss, according to Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
The new species is often mistaken for a snake, with larger species known to grow up to 1.5 metres (nearly five feet) in length, FFI said.
It was confirmed by scientists earlier this month according to leading Cambodian FFI herpetologist Neang Thy.
PHOTOS: Family of Legless Amphibians Discovered
"These discoveries are important to demonstrate that much of Cambodia's biodiversity remains unknown and unstudied by science, and many more areas need to be searched," Thy, who has been researching amphibians and reptiles since 2003, told AFP.
The creature is caecilian -- an order of amphibians that look like snakes or earthworms and are generally found underground.
Once a stronghold of the toppled Khmer Rouge regime, the bio-diverse Cardamom Mountains are home to an array of rare species, including the Asian elephant, but the area faces widespread deforestation.
Conservationists warn that illegal logging and other habitat destruction could mean new species become extinct shortly after discovery.
http://news.discovery.com/animals/new-species-of-legless-amphibian-found-in-cambodia-150116.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1
Two US free climbers reached the top of an iconic rock formation in Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, after spending nearly three weeks inching up a sheer 2,950-foot-high cliff face.
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson began their record-breaking climb up the Dawn Wall of El Capitan, a massive rock face seen by millions of tourists every year, in late December.
Photos: Dawn Wall and Other Climbs on Edge of (Im)Possibility
The daring pair have been documenting the climb -- in which they use only their hands and feet, albeit attached with ropes to catch them if they fall -- on social media, followed by two photographers.
They have slept suspended in bivouac-style tents attached to the rock, which towers above Yosemite Valley and is some three times as big as France's Eiffel Tower and even bigger than world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
"This is not an effort to conquer. It's about realizing a dream," Jorgeson tweeted on Tuesday, ahead of the final push.
Photos: The World's 'Eight-Thousander' Mountains
They pair -- 36-year-old Caldwell and 30-year-old Jorgeson -- finally scaled the last few hundred feet to stand atop the granite monolith by mid-afternoon Wednesday, live TV pictures showed.
Caldwell's wife and Jorgeson's girlfriend hugged them as they were sprayed with champagne, local media reported.
http://news.discovery.com/adventure/extreme-sports/pair-scale-dawn-wall-most-difficult-rock-climb-ever-150115.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
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