Newly Discovered Reptile Species: Calotes wangi
On a Planet With Tens of Thousands of Species Becoming Extinct Each Year, It’s Exciting to Hear of a New Discovery
Each year, scientist estimate that approximately 150–200 plant and animal species go extinct on average every day (!!!), which brings the yearly total to around 55,000–73,000 species going extinct each year. The extinction count may be as low as 10,000 or as high as 100,000 per year (it’s impossible to know the exact count, but even taken on the lower end, it’s still quite an astounding figure). This is a rate far faster than prior to the 20th century. Given that, it’s extraordinarily exciting when we do find a new species- and at that, an animal that is relatively evolved. Such is the case with the new reptile species, Calotes wangi, discovered in recently in China. The relatively small new reptile is less than 9 cm long, and one of its distinguishing features is its orange tongue. It’s found in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests, as well as tropical forests, in southern China and northern Vietnam. For more about this newly discovered little creature, check out Natali Anderson’s article “Scientists Discover New Species of Lizard in Asia” on Sci.News.
