Psychedelic spiders, wild tulips and funky fish: species to watch in 2026

From a psychedelic tarantula to one of the world’s rarest primates, conservationists are highlighting some of the extraordinary but highly threatened wildlife they aim to help in 2026.

Fauna & Flora’s 10 species to watch in 2026 includes extremely venomous vipers, highly prized falcon, a guitarfish which looks like it has been sewn together from two different species in a “misguided scientific experiment” and the critically endangered European eel.

Kristian Teleki, chief executive of the international charity, said time was running out to save “truly extraordinary” species, with severe pressures on nature and populations declining rapidly.

He said: “The species we share our planet with are truly extraordinary.

“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, but time is running out.

“With less than five years to go until 2030, a guiding star for many global nature and climate goals, we can no longer afford to delay action to protect and restore our planet’s natural wonders.

“The pressures facing nature are severe, and species populations are declining at an alarming rate.”

He said the annual species to watch list from Fauna and Flora highlights the key challenges facing some of the world’s most at-risk species, including habitat loss, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade and climate change.

But it also highlights some of the world’s weird and wonderful plants and animals, and the people working to protect them, providing a “beacon of hope” in the face of the challenges facing nature, he said.

Fauna & Flora’s 10 species to watch in 2026 are:

– Saint Lucia fer de lance, a highly venomous viper which can grow up to two metres, but although it is widely feared, it is not aggressive and faces a risk of extinction, so conservationists are working to improve local understanding of the snake to change perceptions of the creature.

– The once-common European eel, which has seen its UK population alone plummet by 95% in 25 years as a result of overfishing for the jellied eel dish, pollution, habitat loss and illegal trade, with impacts for otters, bitterns and other fish-eaters.

But having detected European eels during freshwater monitoring in Georgia, where they have not been recorded for some time, Fauna and Flora will conduct further research into the species in 2026.

– Psychedelic earth tiger, or Indian rainbow tarantula, a colourful spider with metallic iridescence that is only found in tropical forests of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala, India, where it faces threats from habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. Conservationists aim to secure its long-term protection.

– Temminck’s pangolin, found in relatively arid areas of East and Southern Africa and as far north as Chad and Sudan, and which often walks on its hind legs.

It is threatened by the illegal trade in meat and scales, and Fauna & Flora is supporting a crisis clinic to rehabilitate and re-release rescued and injured pangolins in Mozambique.

– Cao vit gibbon, named after its call, is the second rarest primate on Earth, thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2002, and with an estimated population of just 74 on the Vietnam-China border.

A 2026 census will help see if protection and habitat restoration has helped boost the population.

– The critically endangered blackchin guitarfish is a shovelnose ray which appears to be half-ray, half-shark with a flattened nose and broad, wing-like fins, but a long, finned tail and is found in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.

Fauna & Flora are working to halt its decline by strengthening marine protected area networks and reducing shark and ray deaths from fishing.

– The Utila spiny-tailed iguana is named after a small island in Honduras, the only place it is found. Work to protect and restore the mangrove trees the critically endangered species relies on has boosted the population from an estimated 3,000-6,000 to 7,000-14,000, the charity said.

– The Saker falcon has been highly prized by falconers for centuries, particularly in the Middle East, but continued popularity has seen the species plummet in the wild. Monitoring of populations and international trade in 2026 will help inform conservation, community work and enforcement.

– Many wild tulips, the ancestors of much-loved garden tulips, are threatened with extinction due to overgrazing, trampling by livestock, overharvesting, urbanisation and climate change in their native Central Asian mountain homes.

Fauna & Flora said it was working with experts and local communities to preserve local traditions while protecting the blooms and their habitats.

– Clouded leopards are a prime target for the illegal wildlife trade, trafficked alive as pets and killed for their fur, as well as for teeth, claws and bones passed off as tiger parts. Fauna & Flora is supporting community-led patrols to protect the species in Cambodia’s Virachey National Park.