New Amazon Species:"Bluetooth" Tarantula, Electric Fish

The poison dart frogRanitomeya amazonicais one of more than 1,200 new species of plants and vertebrates discovered in the Amazonrain forestbetween 1999 and 2009, the international conservation groupWWFannounced Tuesday in anew reporthighlighting the region's biodiversity.

At least 17 percent of the Amazon has been cleared to make room for cattle or crops that are grown for animal feed andbiofuels, WWF says. The wildlife group is calling for greater species protection in the face of increasing development pressure. (Related:"Ethanol Production Could Be Eco-Disaster, Brazil's Critics Say.")

R. amazonica,which sports a burst of"flame"on its head and water-patterned legs, was discovered in 1999 in moist lowland forests. The new species' primary threats include land clearing and collection for the wildlife trade, WWF reports. (See"Farming the Amazon.")

—John Roach

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