Hundreds of new and "extinct" species found in "lost city" of Honduras (3 photos)

Scientists believe there are more than eight million different species of animals on our planet, and many of them have yet to be discovered. But after spending weeks in an ancient “lost city” in the dense rainforests of Honduras, researchers made significant progress.





The team discovered hundreds of species of butterflies, bats, reptiles, and even animals thought to be extinct.

A team of researchers has traveled to Honduras to search for the mysterious “White City,” also known as the “Lost City of the Monkey God,” about which little is known.



Conservationists spent three weeks studying the site, which has been hidden in the rainforest for centuries.

Trond Larsen of Conservation International said: “The White City is one of the few places in Central America where ecological and evolutionary processes remain intact. One of the main reasons we have found such a high diversity of species and endangered animals like peccaries is that the forests around the White City remain untouched, unlike most other areas in the region. The area needs to be designated as a protected area for the long-term conservation of biodiversity in Central America."



Scientists have found that the ancient city is home to 246 species of butterflies and moths, 30 species of bats, and 57 species of amphibians and reptiles. Among them, they identified 22 species that had never been seen in Honduras before, as well as three species that were thought to be extinct.

The team found a pale-faced bat and a pseudocoral snake, which had not been seen in Honduras for at least the last five decades. A tiger beetle, previously found only in Nicaragua and thought to be extinct, was also discovered.