New groups of species have appeared on the IUCN red list for the first time, increasing the diversity and richness of the data. Indian tarantulas, highly prized by collectors and threatened by the international pet trade, have made their first appearance on the list. They face habitat loss due to new roads and settlements. The Rameshwaram parachute spider (Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica) has been listed as critically endangered as its natural habitat has been almost completely destroyed

Photograph: M Siliwal/IUCN