New animal species discovered in Phong Nha National Park

The newly discovered animal belongs to the snail species genus Calybium, family Helicinidae, order Cycloneritida, class Gastropoda, kingdom Animalia, and the research team proposed to name it the Son Doong cone snail.

The new snail species was described in the topic "Research on biodiversity of Son Doong cave system, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province for conservation and sustainable development," chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Lien, Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam Museum of Nature. The research team proposed to name this new species Son Doong cone snail.

Currently, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park records 2,954 species of vascular plants belonging to 1,007 genera, 198 families, 63 orders, 12 classes, and 6 phyla. Of these, 111 species are listed in the Viet Nam Red Book, and 121 are listed in the World Red Book.

Regarding animals, 1,399 species are listed in 835 genera, 289 families, 66 orders, 12 classes, four phyla. Of these, 82 species are listed in the Viet Nam Red Book and 116 in the World Red Book.

Son Doong Cave is located in the middle of Phong Nha - Ke Bang forest in Quang Binh province; first discovered by a local in 1990.

In 2009, Son Doong was discovered by the British Royal Cave Association and announced as the most extensive cave on the planet. Since its announcement, Son Doong Cave has shocked the world with its incredibly colossal size and unique cave formations that cannot be found anywhere else. The ecosystem in Son Doong Cave is a closed ecosystem where living organisms depend on each other. The convergence of all climate, weather, sunlight, and humidity factors forms this ecosystem. Thanks to that, the creatures in the cave are very diverse, with many species of animals, including insects, arthropods, birds, monkeys, etc. The animals in the cave have adapted to the specific living environment, such as lack of light, stable temperature and humidity, etc.