Collector's Item

Gooty Sapphire (Poecilotheria metallica), Critically Endangered












The first thing I learned about this tree dwelling tarantula, was that it has to be seen to be believed. When I saw a picture, I understood why. The rare beauty of this spider's color may be its salvation or its doom.

Native to a tiny, tiny, tiny, patch of India, this entire species occupies less than 100 km squared--and that's a generous estimate. Sounds big, but look at this map, and you'll see just how tiny it is.

With it's habitat being degraded as humans cut trees for timber and firewood, it's up for debate whether the smugglers who have spirited some of these spiders out of the country will ultimately help the spiders or cause their demise.

Coveted among spider and insect collectors and hobbyists for their colour, these spiders are being bred in captivity by specialist pet shops. A young Sapphire Gooty spiderling can fetch more than US$150. Although they are fairly rare right now, as hobbyists continue to breed them, they may become more common.

I don't generally support taking wild animals out of their native habitat for use as pets, but perhaps this time it might save them, or at least ensure that some remain if they can no longer survive in the wild.

What do you think? Is this biopiracy or conservation in disguise?

First Home for Blue-throated Macaws

Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), Critically Endangered

With only an estimated 300 individuals surviving in the wild, the Blue-throated Macaw is critically endangered. The threats come mainly from habitat loss and illegal trapping. To nest, the birds require motucu palms, which grow in islands dotting the grasslands of Bolivia. Unfortunately, the only known habitat suitable for the birds exists on private ranch lands, where annual burning and intensive cattle grazing occur. The other major threat to these birds is illegal trapping for the caged-bird market.

Fortunately, several conservation organizations working together have purchased an 8500+ acre ranch where Blue-throated Macaws are known to nest. This is the first protected area for these rare birds, which is great news. However, much more area needs to be protected to ensure the recovery and continued well-being of these magnificent birds. There are four other ranches for sale, that combined with the new purchase, hold 41% of the Blue-throated Macaw population. Unfortunately, at $30 an acre, the land is being eyed by foreign cattle ranchers.

If you want to help protect the habitat of the Blue-throated Macaw, you can donate to the World Land Trust, Bird Endowment, Loro Parque Foundation, or Asociación Armonía, all organizations involved in the conservation of the Macaws.

You can also buy a stuffed toy Blue-throated Macaw or sign up for a Parrot Lover's Cruise from Bird Endowment.

Caught!

Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), Vulnerable

Fly River Turtles, having a unique nose, are also referred to as Pig Nosed Turtles. And this is pretty self-explanatory. They are the only freshwater turtles to have flippers resembling those of marine turtles.

Back in March of 2004, a San Francisco pet shop owner smuggled 14 live baby Fly River Turtles into the United States, hiding them in his clothes. He was caught, and the turtles confiscated and given to zoos and aquariums in California. Last Thursday, he pleaded guilty to the charges, and in February, will be sentenced.

These animals, found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, are protected in these countries as well as by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with the declines in their population being noted over the past decade. Probably the largest contributor to their decline? Over-harvesting by humans.

Caught!

Queen Alexandra's Birdwings (Ornithoptera alexandrae)

A Japanese man has been sentenced in the US to nearly two years in a federal prison, after admitting to smuggling endangered butterflies into the country, and attempting to sell them. Among them was a pair of Queen Alexandra's Birdwings, which sold for $8,500.

These beautiful buterflies, are the largest in the world, with a wingspan of 30 cm.