The Heteropoda davidbowie is distinguished by its large size and
yellow hair, and is only found in parts of Malaysia.
Bowie was apparently selected for the honor because of his musical
contribution to arachnid world – the 1972 concept album The Rise and
Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
The German spider expert who discovered the Heteropoda
davidbowie, said that naming spiders after celebrities helped draw
attention to the marginal status of many species as human activity
destroys their habitats.
Environmental authorities have traditionally proved reluctant to
include spiders on lists of endangered animals, but campaigners like
Mr Jäger argue that their decline undermines nature's genetic
diversity.
“It is working against time, We are also
quickly losing genetic resources that have evolved over more than
300 million years.” ”
Peter Jäger told The Observer. “
Rameshwaram Parachute Spider is among thousands of creatures
included on a "red list" of endangered species complied by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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