Baishanzu horned toad, a new global species, was discovered in Lishui. What animal is it?

"What did the survey find? Baishanzu horned toad, what is the positive significance of the discovery of new species to the background investigation of biodiversity? " The Information Office of Lishui Municipal Government held a press conference to announce the discovery of baishanzu horned toad, a new amphibian species in Lishui. The discovery process and achievements of this species have been officially published in ZooKeys, an authoritative journal of international animal taxonomy, and gained international recognition.

"Lishui is rich in species and has an ancient flora origin. It is the center of the preservation, distribution and differentiation of many species. The baishanzu horned toad discovered this time is another species named after baishanzu, which is of great research value and protection significance, and once again verifies the importance and uniqueness of biodiversity in Lishui City. " Dr. Wu Yi from Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment answered the reporter's question.

As a new species in the world, baishanzu horned toad is only found in baishanzu National Park (? Qingyuan area) is within the narrow range of 1400- 1600 meters above sea level, so it is named baishanzu horned toad. Its habitat ecological environment is mainly the mountain stream near the evergreen broad-leaved forest. In the ecological environment where it lives, there are also horned toads. Amphibians, such as Rana spinosa, Rana Wuyi, and fat salamander of ice. In addition, baishanzu National Park has a long geological history, high altitude and large span, and retains the relict plant (such as Baishanzu Abies) in the Quaternary Glacier Period, creating a natural geographical barrier for the formation of species such as baishanzu horned toad.

The investigation teams of Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Chengdu Institute of Biology of China Academy of Sciences found this species in the biodiversity survey in Lishui City, and studied the differences between this species and other horned toads by using morphological comparison and mitochondrial DNA analysis techniques, and finally determined it as a new species.

The background investigation of biodiversity in Lishui City organized by Lishui Ecological Environment Bureau covers the whole territory of Lishui, and the key investigation areas include various nature reserves at all levels. Ecological protection red line area and so on. The survey objects include ecosystem types, vascular plants and terrestrial plants. Traditional knowledge related to vertebrates, terrestrial insects, freshwater aquatic organisms, macrofungi, alien invasive species and biodiversity involves different levels of biodiversity.

The results of the background investigation (Phase I) released by this press conference have set new records of biodiversity in Lishui City for many times. Investigation in Lishui * * * found 20 species of higher plants, 429 species of vertebrates, 0 species of terrestrial insects 1 100 species and 407 species of macrofungi. Among them, 1 species is new to the world, 64 species are new to China and 263 species are new to Zhejiang. ? Rare species such as black-faced spoonbill, black muntjac, tiger frog, anguilla marmorata, golden-billed butterfly and scarab have been discovered one after another.

Lishui City, located in the priority area of biodiversity protection in Wuyishan, is one of the key areas of terrestrial biodiversity protection with international significance in China. According to reports, the city will eventually complete the background investigation of the city's biodiversity, and strive to fully understand the "family background" of Lishui's biodiversity.