Hanoi, Feb. 22 -- Scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) and the Institute of Genome Research, both under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, have discovered two new lizard species in Vietnam.

The first species, Scincella truongi Pham, was named after Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang Truong, Deputy Director of IEBR for his contributions to reptile and amphibian research and conservation in the Indochinese region.

This species was discovered in Sop Cop Nature Reserve in northern Son La province, which is home to 99 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 15 species listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book and 10 in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has morphological and genetic characterist...