With the **discovery of a particular snake** this year, researchers found **234 [new species](https://noticiasambientales.com/ciencia/encontraron-nueva-especie-de-grillo-en-la-patagonia-como-es-el-insecto/) in Vietnam**.
Researcher and conservationist **Luan Thanh** was exploring a tropical forest more than 275 meters above sea level with his team when they came across a specimen not yet described by specialists.
“They handed me an absolutely stunning male snake,” the scientist expressed about the located species. “At first glance, I thought it was a rare species.”
The snake is known as *Rhabdophis hmongorum*, or **H’mong keelback**, named in honor of the helpers who found it, members of the **H’mong ethnic group**.
## They found more than 200 species in Vietnam
The snake was one of the 234 species discovered this year in the **Greater Mekong region**, which spans **Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam**, famous for its [extraordinary biodiversity](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/liberan-13-animales-de-especies-nativas-del-parque-de-la-biodiversidad-en-cordoba/).
A **new [WWF report](https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/402slj1zog_NEW_SPECIES_REPORT_2023_v6_PAGES_.pdf)** reveals these findings and the incredible biodiversity of the region.
## What is considered a “new species”
The fact that scientists have not formally described a species does not mean it is unknown to anyone. **Begonias**, like the angular winged begonia, are popular as **ornamental plants**.
But new discoveries are still being made that can be incorporated into academic literature through various means. Such was the case of *Begonia kayinensis*.
In the complex task of documenting new species, collaboration is key, specialists emphasize. Partnerships between **researchers, communities, and institutions** can span continents and even generations.
Another recent example is the *Hylomys macarong*, a **soft-furred hedgehog** with fang-like teeth, which inspired its scientific name since **”Ma ca rong”** in Vietnamese means “vampire”.
This species was **photographed in the wild** by a team from the **Russian Vietnamese Research Center in 2009**. In total, coauthors from six countries and collectors dating back to the 1930s helped identify this species.
## The biodiversity crisis
Species are [decreasing at an alarming rate](https://noticiasambientales.com/animales/perdida-de-fauna-silvestre-esta-es-la-principal-causa/). The Mekong region is the core of the **Asia-Pacific** area, where monitored wildlife populations **have decreased by 60%**.
But it is also where two-thirds of the world’s population lives. As economies develop rapidly and the **impacts of climate change accelerate**, pressure on nature increases day by day, like the crisis of snare traps that is decimating wildlife populations throughout the region.
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