[瞬間看地球] 亞馬遜發現441新物種

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亞馬遜發現441新物種　「卡克塔伶猴」呼嚕叫聲像小貓

世界無奇不有！南美洲的亞馬遜雨林向來以生物極具多樣性著稱，過去4年之間，科學家又發現400多種不為人知的新品種動植物，包括叫聲像貓的猴子、吃素的食人魚，以及身上會顯示火焰圖案的蜥蜴等。

世界野生物基金會倫敦辦事處的報告指出，2010到2013年間，科學家總共發現441個新品種，若加上昆蟲和無脊椎動物的話數量會更多。該基金會巴西和亞馬遜項目總監弗萊明(Damian Fleming)表示，亞馬遜生態系是世界最大的熱帶雨林與河流系統，過去4年，這裡每周可以發現兩種新生物，堪稱地球最重要的生物寶庫之一。

在哥倫比亞境內，科學家發現一種卡克塔伶猴(Callicebus caquetensis)，其中一名探測家說，這種猴子的寶寶會發出「呼嚕」的貓叫聲，「當牠們感到快樂滿足時，便會向彼此呼喊。」不過，據傳野生的卡克塔伶猴恐已瀕臨滅絕，保育的行動刻不容緩。

除了叫聲像貓的猴子，科學家也在圭亞那境內發現新種蜥蜴，其身上的花紋宛如戰士圖騰，色彩更鮮豔如火焰狀。此外，有人在巴西境內發現一種吃素的食人魚(Tometes camunani)，不同於以往分屍其他動物的兇狠，這種「食人魚」以水生草本植物為主食，但巴西帕拉州的水壩及採礦工程，正對牠們的生存造成威脅。

弗萊明指出，亞馬遜地區雖然物種豐富，但森林砍伐和密集的資源開採已經嚴重影響生物們的棲息。他也強調，這些棲地的生存危機日漸上升，如何保育並永續管理這些物種，並有效運用雨林所提供的資源將至關重要。



Callicebus caquetensis – Colombia

This new species, Callicebus caquetensis, is one of about 20 species of titi monkey, which all live in the Amazon basin. The babies have an endearing trait, “When they feel very content they purr towards each other,” explained scientist Thomas Defler.


Allobates amissibilis - Guyana

This amphibian is already believed to be highly endangered. In fact, its Latin name, Allobates amissibilis, meaning “that may be lost,” alludes to this as the area where it thrives could soon be opened to tourism.


Tometes camunani – Brazil

This new species of piranha, Tometes camunani, can span 20 inches wide and weigh up to 9 pounds, and is strictly herbivorous. The freshwater fish inhabits rocky rapids associated with seedlings of plants that grow among the rocks, its main source of food.


Passiflora longifilamentosa –Brazil

A new species of passion flower was discovered in the rain forests of the Brazilian state of Para in 2013. Together with vivid purple petals, the new species displays fantastic and quirky 'noodles' or 'spaghetti' (corona filaments) that burst out of the flower's centre.


Chironius challenger – Guyana and Venezuela

Found in the mountains of Guyana, at elevation of 4,922 ft., this brightly-colored snake species was named Chironius challenger after Arthur C. Doyle's fictional character Professor George Edward Challenger in the novel, The Lost World.


Cercosaura hypnoides – Colombia

This beautiful lizard was found from the hatchlings of eggs collected by scientists in the Colombian Amazon. An elusive species, Cercosaura hypnoides, has not been seen in the wild since the original eggs were collected, raising the prospect that it could potentially be endangered.


Apistogramma cinilabra - Peru


Sobralia imavieirae – Brazil

Among the new plant species are a large number of new orchid species, including this splendid pink species, Sobralia imavieirae, officially described by scientists from Roraima in the Brazilian Amazon.


Dicrossus warzeli – Brazil

The species is named after Frank Martin Warzel, a skilled German aquarist who first imported the species from the Rio Tapajos to Germany, as well as observed its behaviour, including reproduction in the field in Brazil and Colombia.


Gonatodes timidus - Guyana

This extraordinary-looking species of lizard was discovered in 2011 in the part of the Amazon that extends into Guyana. The surface of the Lizard’s head is black with bluish white to vivid yellow irregular stripes and blotches. Despite this ‘warpaint’ the name given to the species derives from the Latin word timidus meaning “shy” or “fearful”.