10 extraordinary species on the brink of extinction: From Kerala's psychedelic spider to the world's second-rarest primate

Every January, Fauna & Flora, one of the world's oldest international conservation charities, releases its Species to Watch list, a carefully curated selection of the world's most extraordinary yet critically threatened animals and plants. The 2026 edition carries a particular weight. With fewer than five years remaining until 2030, the deadline set by global nature and climate agreements for meaningful biodiversity action, the window for reversing losses is narrowing fast. "From the most peculiar of rays, to the majestic falcon, to the tulips we buy in our supermarkets each day, every plant and animal plays a unique and essential role in sustaining life on Earth," said Kristian Teleki, Fauna & Flora's CEO, at the list's launch in January 2026. From a venomous Caribbean viper hunted to near extinction by frightened locals, to a psychedelic Indian tarantula found only in the forests of Kerala, to the wild ancestors of the tulips sold in florists across the world, these are the ten species to know in 2026. The Saint Lucia fer-de-lance is a highly venomous pit viper found only on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia and parts of the Lesser Antilles. The largest individuals grow close to two metres in length and their bite is potentially deadly. It is widely feared and widely killed on sight which is a large part of why it is now in serious danger of disappearing. The fer-de-lance does not seek out human confrontation and bites only when threatened. Fauna & Flora is working directly with local communities to shift the perception of this snake from public enemy to rare national treasure, focusing on snakebite avoidance education and first-response guidance. The European eel was once so common across the continent that it was a staple food. Jellied eels were a fixture of British working-class culture for generations. Today, the UK population alone has collapsed by 95 per cent in the past 25 years. Overfishing, pollution, habitat fragmentation, and a thriving illegal trade have devastated a species essential to freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Fauna & Flora recently detected European eels during freshwater monitoring in Georgia, where they had not been recorded for some time, and will conduct further research into the species there in 2026. The Indian rainbow tarantula, also known as the psychedelic earth tiger, the LSD earth tiger, or the polychromatic earth tiger, is found only in the tropical forests of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala. It is precisely as spectacular as its names suggest: awash with metallic iridescence that makes it look unlike any other spider on Earth. It faces significant threats from habitat loss in the Western Ghats and demand driven by the illegal exotic pet trade. A female-led team of spider experts, supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme, is conducting field surveys and community engagement to secure long-term protection for this uniquely Indian species. All eight pangolin species face severe pressure from the illegal wildlife trade, and Temminck's pangolin the only African pangolin found in relatively arid environments, ranging from East and Southern Africa as far north as Chad and Sudan is no exception. It is hunted for its meat and for its scales, trafficked for local use and to supply markets in Asia. Fauna & Flora is supporting the development of a dedicated crisis clinic in Mozambique to assist with the rehabilitation and re-release of rescued and injured pangolins.The cao vit gibbon holds the unenviable distinction of being the world's second rarest primate. It was thought to be extinct until Fauna & Flora staff rediscovered it in 2002. Today, the total known global population stands at an estimated 74 individuals. With such critically small numbers and a highly limited range, the species faces extreme risks from loss of genetic diversity, inbreeding, and the possibility of a single catastrophic event wiping out what remains. A new census planned for 2026 will assess whether protection and habitat restoration efforts have led to any population growth.The blackchin guitarfish looks, as one conservationist put it, like a fish that could not decide whether it wanted to be a shark or a ray. With its flattened shovel-like nose, broad wing-like pectoral fins, and long finned tail, it is one of the ocean's more peculiar and memorable creatures. Native to the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic including the waters of Cabo Verde, the blackchin guitarfish is now critically endangered as a result of overfishing, habitat destruction, and an extremely slow reproductive rate. Fauna & Flora is working to strengthen marine protected area networks and reduce shark and ray mortality from fishing across its remaining range.The Utila spiny-tailed iguana has one home on Earth: a small island off the coast of Honduras called Utila. Known locally as wishiwilly del suampo, it lives exclusively in mangrove forests and is entirely dependent on their survival for its own. Mangrove habitat loss is one of the most accelerating ecological crises in the Caribbean and Central America, and this iguana has no alternative refuge. There is some encouraging news: a recent population survey found numbers have increased from an estimated 3,000–6,000 individuals to a more hopeful 7,000–14,000, suggesting that conservation efforts focused on protecting and restoring Utila's mangroves are beginning to work.The saker falcon is one of the fastest and most powerful birds of prey in the world and has been prized by falconers for millennia, particularly across the Middle East. That very desirability has driven it towards the edge. Fewer than 30,000 saker falcons now remain in the wild, a figure that continues to decline as demand from the international falconry trade persists. In 2026, Fauna & Flora will conduct targeted monitoring of saker populations in Central Asia and gather data on international trade chains to inform conservation strategies, community engagement, and enforcement efforts across the species' range.The tulips sold in supermarkets and florists across India, the UK, and much of the world are cultivated descendants of wild species native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan together harbour 63 unique wild tulip species more than half of the world's total. Many are now threatened with extinction, driven by overgrazing, overharvesting of cut flowers, rapid urbanisation, and the accelerating effects of climate change on high-altitude habitats. Fauna & Flora is working with global experts and local communities across the region to protect these threatened species while preserving the cultural traditions that have historically kept them alive.The clouded leopard is among the most visually striking wild cats on the planet. Its distinctive cloud-like markings large, irregular dark patches on a tawny coat are the very feature that makes it a target for the illegal wildlife trade. Clouded leopards are trafficked as exotic pets and killed for their pelts, and are also hunted for their teeth, claws, and bones, which are fraudulently passed off as tiger parts in illegal markets across Asia. Fauna & Flora is supporting community-led patrol initiatives to protect clouded leopards in Cambodia's Virachey National Park, one of the few remaining areas where the species still has a genuine chance of long-term survival.