CAT BA LEOPARD GECKO this newly discovered gecko has an orange and brown marbled body and a black and white tail. its catlike eyes and long legs seem like something out of a sci-fi movie. named after the northern vietnamese island where it was found

CNEMASPIS BIOCELLATA discovered in 2008, this gecko is a native of the isolated karst peaks of the nakawan mountain range, which spans the border between thailand and malaysia.

OLIGODON DEUVEI this new species of snake, one of four from the oligodon genus discovered in the past year, measures about a foot and a half in length. it has sharp, enlarged fangs and distinctive markings running the length of its body that vary in color depending on the animal's sex — males have orange- or rust-colored vertical stripes, while females bear a lighter stripe with darker dots.

TIGER-STRIPED PIT VIPER the 1.5-ft.-long snake has orange eyes and a straw yellow body, and lives on the tiny, sparsely populated hon son island in vietnam's kien gang province.

ROUGH-COATED TREE FROG this frog hails from vietnam's truong son mountain range. its entire body is covered in rough bumps and its head is longer than it is wide.

KHORAT BIG-MOUTHED FROG found thus far only on three remote thai islands, the khorat big-mouthed frog is an opportunistic predator. a patient hunter, it lies in wait for its prey in streams, where it strikes birds, insects and other frogs with fangs that protrude from its bottom jawbone.

ODESSA BARB the fish had never been seen in the wild until last year when researchers discovered it in vietnam's greater mekong region.

NONGGANG BABBLER it was found, this sino-vietnamese bird lives in flocks of five to 10 and flies short distances (but only when frightened). most of its time is spent foraging for insects that live between rocks.

MUSA RUBINEA this new type of wild banana is indigenous to the western chinese province of yunnan, on the border with burma. it was certified as a new species in 2008