Bleak future for 600 new species found in Madagascar

MORE than 600 new species, including the world’s smallest primate and a colour-changing gecko, have been found in Madagascar in just over a decade, a report said yesterday.

But many of the newly discovered plants and creatures are under threat, particularly from the destruction of Madagascar’s forests, conservation charity WWF warned.

The Treasure Island: New biodiversity in Madagascar report from WWF compiles scientific discoveries made on the African island between 1999 and 2010, revealing that experts identified more than 615 new species in that time.