December 15, 2008

Pink Dragon Millipede a Highlight of New Species Finds

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The "shocking pink" dragon millipede is one of the new Southeast asian species discovered in the Greater Mekong region during the past 10 years, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund.

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The millipede, which has the formal name Desmoxytes purpurosea, was described in 2007 from Lansak distric, Uthaithani Province, Thailand, WWF reported. Several millipedes were found among limestone rocks on the leaves of palms in the area.

The species was first discovered in 2007 university researchers in Thailand led by Dr. Somsak Panha.

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The millipede's bright color alerts would-be predators of the toxic animal, scientists say, according to WWF. The millipede has glands which produce cyanide as a defensive mechanism. There are already twenty-three other dragon millipedes of the genus Desmoxytes in the Southeast Asia area from southeaster China, south through Myanmar, Thailand and Vietname, the report states.


Source: IB Times

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