Mekong Melting Pot

With so many stories about various plant and animal species going extinct because of human development and global warming, it's nice to hear that the war-ravaged Mekong delta region of southeast Asia has been a treasure trove of new biological discoveries in just the last few years. According to a report released by the World Wildlife Fund, over 1,000 new species have been discovered there in the last decade, including 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, four birds, four turtles, two salamanders, one toad, and a bloated, confused ex-action hero who answers only to "Rambo" and can solve any problem in Burma by dislocating your head from its insides. Of course, with any batch of new species, there's bound to be another of nature's terrifying horrors, and the Mekong discoveries are no different. Take the Dragon Millipede, for example. It's hot pink and produces cyanide poison, which means it's both deadly and totally stuck in the Miami Vice era of '80s cool. More details here.