Madagascar - Arabstoday
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. But many of the newly discovered plants and creatures are under threat, particularly from the destruction of the island\'s forests, a report by conservation charity WWF warned. Experts identified more than 615 new species on Madagascar between 1999 and 2010 - 41 mammals, 385 plants, 69 amphibians, 61 reptiles, 17 fish and 42 invertebrates. Key discoveries include a 10cm long Berthe\'s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), found in 2000, which is the world\'s smallest known primate, and the Tahina palm (Tahina spectabilis), a massive fan palm which flowers just once in a lifetime. Researchers also found the Komac\'s golden orb spider (Nephila komaci), which spins golden webs that can be more than one metre across. In 2009, a colour-changing gecko which resembles the bark of tree but can quickly change from brown to bright blue during courtship was discovered.