Lizard, turtle among more than 100 new species found in Mekong region

This undated handout photo released on December 19, 2017 by the WWF and taken by Dr. Thomas Ziegler shows a Vietnamese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus vietnamensis) in Vietnam. -AFP/WWF/Thomas Ziegler

BANGKOK: A Vietnamese ‘crocodile lizard’ and a Thai turtle found on sale in a local market are among more than 100 new species discovered in the ecologically diverse but threatened Mekong region last year, researchers said Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian countries flanking the Mekong river, which snakes down from the Tibetan plateau to the South China Sea, are among the most biodiverse in the world.