In a 'lost city' in the Honduran rainforest, researchers have discovered 3 animals thought to be extinct
The Cuidad Blanca site is so remote that the researchers had to be transported to and from the complex by helicopter. They brought an armed soldier escort for protection on the expedition, which took place in 2017.
The newly released report describes their findings. One creature they observed was the false tree coral snake, which was thought to have been extinct in Honduras since 1965.
The tiger beetle had only previously been observed at a single site in Nicaragua, and was also thought to be extinct.
Together, the team catalogued about 180 plant species, 250 insect species, and 198 bird species. The researchers rediscovered the pale-faced bat (Phylloderma stenops), which was last documented in Honduras in 1942.
They also identified rare and endangered fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, including this Baird's Tapir (also known as the Central American tapir).
In total, the team documented 246 species of moths and butterflies, including this Morpho helenor butterfly.
One of the fish they found, called Poecilia, may be a brand-new discovery. It's nicknamed "a molly."
Some of the creatures the researchers photographed and catalogued are in dire straits. Fewer than 2,500 mature great green macaws remain in the wilds of Central America.
And the red-eyed tree frog is one of many amphibian species at risk of extinction in this region and around the world. Luckily, the Mosquitia rainforest is the largest contiguous protected area in Latin America north of the Amazon.
But that may not be enough. "Even though many of these places lie in official protected areas, it's very difficult to enforce protection," Trond Larsen, one of the researchers, said in a Conservation International blog post. "In many cases, this illegal activity is being driven tangentially by drug trafficking, so it's driven by powerful people with money."
Source: Conservation International
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