Featured Species

Koala Lemur (Megaladapis)

Three species of lemur fall under the genus Megaladapis which went extinct hundreds of years ago. At least seventeen species of lemur have gone extinct on Madagascar within the last 2,000 years.

Conservation Status: Extinct

Habitat & Historic Range: Wooded habitats on the island of Madagascar.

Extinct due to: Human activity, specifically habit destruction and hunting

 

Peacock tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) 

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered, populations are decreasing

Habitat & Range: Found in a very small area of less than 39 square miles of deciduous forest in a protected forest in central southern India.

Threats:

  • Habitat degradation and fragmentation due to logging and firewood harvesting
  • Collection by international pet collectors

 

Orchard orb weaver spider (Leucauge venusta or Leucauge argyrobapta) 

Conservation Status: Not evaluated

Habitat & Range: lives in low bushes and damp woodlands from Canada southward throughout the eastern half of the U.S. to Georgia

 

Golden silk spider (Trichonephila or Nephilia clavipes) 

Conservation Status: Threatened, populations are stable

Habitat & Range: Widely distributed in North, Central, and South America in all forest types and urban areas

 

Wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) 

Conservation Status: Not evaluated

Habitat & Range: distributed throughout Central and Northern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia

 

Mirror spider (Thwaitesia argentiopunctata) 

Conservation Status: Not evaluated

Habitat & Range: Australia

 

Long-horned orb-weaver (Macracantha arcuata) 

Conservation Status: Not evaluated

Habitat & Range: temperate or tropical forest in southern and southeastern portions of Asia, including China and India to Borneo

UNEXTINCT scene
Lemur ultrasound
Lemur ultrasound

The Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project (RRLP)

This project focuses on protecting the Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur, specifically in Ranomafana National Park in southeast Madagascar. This park, with its mature tropical rainforests, has the highest concentration of ruffed lemurs in Madagascar. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a major supporter of these conservation efforts, with a focus on in-the-field project participation.

Dr. Randy Junge, the Zoo’s Vice President of Animal Health, has been involved with lemur conservation in Madagascar for more than 20 years. While the projects he has participated in vary, they are mostly focused on lemur health and nutrition, introduced diseases, and veterinary assistance and training. The Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur Project, in which Dr. Junge has been involved for the past 6 years, focuses on the reproduction of ruffed lemurs and how human activities such as climate change and forest loss are affecting it.

Learn more about this project here.