Even more new creatures found in Surinam
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070604/...e_species_dc_1

A purple fluorescent frog is one of 24 new species found in the South American highlands of Suriname, conservationists reported on Monday, warning that these creatures are threatened by illegal gold mining.

The discovery of so many species outside the insect realm is extraordinary and points up the need to survey distant regions, said Leeanne Alonso of Conservation International, which led the expedition that found the new species.

"When you go to these places that are so unexplored and so remote, we do tend to find new species ... but most of them are insects," Alonso said by telephone from Suriname's capital, Paramaribo. "What's really exciting here is we found a lot of new species of frogs and fish as well."

The two-tone frog -- whose skin is covered with irregular fluorescent lavender loops on a background of aubergine -- was discovered in 2006 as part of a survey of Suriname's Nassau plateau, the conservation group said.

Scientists combing Suriname's Nassau plateau and Lely Mountains found four other new frog species aside from the purple one, six species of fish, 12 dung beetles and a new ant species, the organization said in a statement.

These creatures were discovered by 13 scientists who explored a region about 80 miles southeast of Paramaribo, including areas with enough clean fresh water sources to support abundant fish and amphibians.

They also found 27 species native to the Guayana Shield region, which spreads over Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana and northern Brazil. One of these was the rare armored catfish, which conservationists feared was extinct because gold miners had contaminated a creek where it was last seen 50 years ago.

Including the new species, the scientists observed 467 species at the two sites, ranging from large cats like panthers and pumas, to monkeys, reptiles, bats and insects.

While these places are far from human civilization, they are totally unprotected and may be threatened by illegal gold-mining, Alonso said.

These highland areas have also been investigated as sources of bauxite, used to make aluminum, but will most likely not be mined in the future, she said, at least not by the two mining companies that sponsored the study.

The sponsors are BHP Billiton Maatschappij Suriname (BMS, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton) Suriname Aluminium Company LLC (Suralco, a subsidiary of Alcoa Inc).

"It's an opportunity now for all the players, the mining companies who still have mining concessions there, the local communities, the government, the NGOs (non-governmental organizations), to try to make a regional plan for the area," Alonso said.

Here's images of new species:

Purple Frog
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids...r920947152.jpg

Dwarf Big Mouth Catfish:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids...2086634970.jpg
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/2...ies_sju102.jpg

Eleutherodactylus Frog
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/2...ies_sju103.jpg

I want that purple frog its too cute!


And here I thought no animals were purple.

Dude! I want a purple frog!

That was my exact wording. Out loud, when I say that pic.
Great minds, eh?

There's several purple animals. The purple frog, insect species, snakes and rats.

There's a colour of domestic rats that's a light purple called Lilac. Here's an image of one. It's not really as vivid as one i had tho.
http://www.ratspacnw.org/images/lilacdte.jpg

Ha! That purple frog is so '80s....

That first frog looks so cool.

Where my mother's family's from (and thus where I first grew up), the quintessential typical species was an Eleutherodactylus frog. I think it is endemic...but it has been transplanted to other places where it has become a nuisance.

Pretty froggie! And what a cute little rat too! *cuddles them*

hmm looks gray to me..but hey it could just be my computer.
But anyways that frog is beautiful but I bet it's very poisonous.

Apparently. I mean, come on. Who in their right mind wouldn't want a purple frog. I mean... IT'S A PURPLE FROG DUDE!!:lol:

I would love to have one myself also but if it is infact poisonous I bet you'd think twice about wanting one lol

Well, if it was poisonous that just means that I wouldn't be trying to taste the purple rings. :lol: :lol:

The lilac color is a purplish gray indeed. And the blue color of rats and mice is a slate blue. I hope my next mouse is blue because I think it is a lovely color.

Ava used to have some blue rats. They were cute lil things. ^_^

Thats a wicked bad ass frog. 8)
I most definitely want one.

Oooo! i like the mouse too. my cat would probably try to eat it though and the frog too. then she would die from eating a poisonous frog. :cry:
so maybe the frog is not such a good idea. still want one though. :D

Oddly my cats and rats got along somewhat. The cats were more afraid of the rats than anything else and this seems to be a common case with everyone I know who has both cats and rats.

meaning you'd be trying to taste'm otherwise? o O;;

purple frog looks very awesome. donnie awesome. donnie frog. looks very poisonous, though...also feels squishy.

I wanna Suriname Wood Turtle....

heh...

The purple frog is cool, he looks like he's related to the poison dart/arrow species.
That catfish looks like he'd be related to the plecostomus line of fishies.

Of course. Haven't you ever tasted purple before?:lol: It's totally awesome.

did everything just taste purple for a second?

purplepeopleeater!!!