We all know the animal kingdom is in trouble right now.

The number of Cape Mountain Zebra is dwindling, the future of the giant salamander looks bleak, and we also recently profiled 10 other animal species that are being wiped out as we speak.

There is some good news, though – up in the arid Karoo region, scientists have made some whopping discoveries.

They’ve discovered 15 new animal species, including two new scorpions, a reptile, two wandering spiders and a plant, a report by Business Insider SA explains.

Look, I know the idea of more creepy-crawlies running around (read: those bloody spiders) is enough to make anyone squeamish. However, in the grand scheme of things, it’s another step forward in conservation and development.

Per a report by IOL:

The team of scientists have spent the past two years trawling the remote, arid reaches of the Karoo, to document its little-known natural treasures.

“I think it’s amazing that we’re still finding so many new species in the Karoo,” remarks Carol Poole, the project manager for the Karoo BioGaps project, which is led by the SA National Biodiversity Institute.

“We realised how the Karoo has been under-sampled,” she says …

“This allows us to determine which habitats in the Karoo are sensitive to proposed future changes in land use and development.”

Good job, boffins. Without you, these critters probably would have been wiped out by evils like fracking.

Take a gander at some of the species that have been found, courtesy of SANBI:

• Numerous new species of trapdoor spiders have been found in the families Nemesiidae and Ctenzidae [genus Stasimopus, top picture], and two new species of ground wandering spiders in the genus Megamyrmaekion [bottom picture].
• Three new ground nematodes (roundworms) have been discovered, which points to great soil health in the region.
  
• A plant, which is being described as a cat’s tail found in the Aloe family.
• At least one new Fusarium or filamentous fungi species that’s also important for soil health.
• Potentially several new grasshopper species.

• Two new species of cyprinid minnows (freshwater fish), one in the genus Pseudobarbus and another one in the recently erected genus Amatolacypris, as seen above.

Two new scorpions and a never-before-seen reptile round up the list, and descriptions for them are still on their way from SANBI.

No word on when the Karoo’s 16th new species, the AfrikaBurner, will be scientifically recognised.

What do you think, folks? It’s a good feeling knowing that there’s animal life out there that still has a chance to thrive.

You know, provided we don’t do anything stupid like wipe them all out.

Perish the actual thought.

[source:businessinsider&iol&sanbi]