Titi Monkey Among 441 New Species Discovered

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

Some 441 completely new species have been discovered living in the Amazon rainforest, reports the World Wildlife Federation.

Among them is a titi monkey, left, who purrs like a cat when it's content - but who may already be facing extinction due to habitat destruction and fragmentation.

The new species include 258 plants, 84 fish, 58 amphibians, 22 reptiles, 18 birds and 1 mammal (the monkey). Scientists from around the world developed the list between 2010 and 2013. "The amazing Amazon rain forest … is under threat from deforestation and dam development," said Claudio Maretti, leader of the Living Amazon Initiative at WWF. "We cannot allow this natural heritage to be lost forever." - See more photos at National Geographic


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