Parrita Passionflower

Plants > Vines & Climbers

The Parrita Passionflower (Passiflora parritae) is universally revered among botanists and horticulturalists as the ‘Holy Grail of passionflowers.’ Native exclusively to a tiny, cloud-shrouded elevation belt within the Central Andes of Colombia, this...

Peacock Tarantula

Invertebrates > Arachnids

The Peacock Tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica), also known as the Gooty sapphire ornamental or metallic parachute spider, is widely celebrated as the most breathtakingly colored spider on Earth. Belonging to the arboreal genus Poecilotheria, this striking arachnid is...

Giant Freshwater Stingray

Fish > Sharks & Rays

The Giant Freshwater Stingray (Urogymnus polylepis), formerly cataloged as Himantura chaophraya, is one of the world’s most colossal freshwater creatures. Native to the great river arteries of Southeast Asia, this prehistoric elasmobranch holds the official...

Northern Sportive Lemur

Mammals > Lemurs

The Northern Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis), or Sahafary sportive lemur, is a critically imperiled nocturnal primate native exclusively to the extreme northern tip of Madagascar. Standing among the rarest and most critically endangered mammals on the...

Debao Cycad

Plants > Cycads

The Debao Cycad (Cycas debaoensis) is a botanical wonder and one of the most magnificent living gymnosperms on Earth. Discovered by botanists in 1997 amidst rugged limestone karst hills in Guangxi Province, southern China, this ancient relict belongs to a lineage that...