Two new species and over 20 species of rare animals were discovered in Gyirong and Zayul in Tibet’s second terrestrial wildlife resources survey conducted recently.

There are now more than 800 species of wild vertebrates in Tibet. Recently, new species - the Himalayan Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus and the Zayul torrent frog were newly discovered.

The survey started in 2013, spanning three years and involving 157 species. More than 100 wildlife experts divided Tibet into 19 geographical locations so as to carry out a thorough scientific investigation.

According to Liu Wulin, researcher of the Tibet Forest Investigation and Planning Institute, the discovery of the Himalayan Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus entirely contradicts the impression of the Himalayas as the world’s third pole – a place "desolate with very few species". This is because the discovery of a large venomous snake indicates the area is bio-diverse and its ecological environment has seen very little change and no damage.

"The discovery of the Zayul torrent frog not only brings the number of torrent frog species in Tibet up to six, but also provides new problems for scientific researchers to study the biogeography of torrent frogs and the behavioral ecology of new species," Liu said.