Dozens of strange and fascinating new species were recently discovered in a Southeast Asia jungle

Alexander Teynié

The crew at the WWF believes this fellow's shiny head bears a resemblance to Ziggy Stardust.

The world is still full of mysterious and fascinating creatures.

While many of us might think we've seen most of what's alive on this planet - or at least on land - the majority of global species are still unknown and uncategorized.

In 2015 alone, at least 163 new species were discovered in the biodiversity hotspot of the Greater Mekong region, a part of Southeast Asia that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, according to a report released by the World Wildlife Fund today. This biological treasure trove includes a "rainbow-headed snake, a dragon-like lizard, and a newt that looks like a Klingon from Star Trek," according to the report.

Unfortunately, many of these species are threatened by both the unprecedented pressure for development in the region and by the illegal wildlife trade, one of the largest criminal enterprises on the planet.

With WWF's permission, we've published some of our favorite photos of these strange and recently discovered species here - a glimpse into what we're finding now and the sorts of things that still remain completely undiscovered out there.