Ten Extinct Animals in the last 150 years

Ten Extinct Animals (General Knowledge)

1. Dodo

The dodo was a flightless bird native to Mauritius whose population began to decline and eventually became extinct in the short course of a century as sailors started arriving on the East African island nation.

The last of the dodo was seen in the 1660s, and because the emphasis wasn’t really on conserving specimens, many of the remaining fossils were lost or destroyed.

(Image: Wikimedia) Dodo

2. Schomberg’s Deer

The Schomberg deer was native to Thailand and was named after the German-born explorer Sir Robert H. Schomberg, who was knighted in 1844.

Some scientists believe that some of these deer may still be in the wild, even though they were officially declared extinct in 2006, and the last known deer was killed in captivity in 1938.

Cause of Extinction: Besides humans, Schomburg’s deer were hunted by native tigers and leopards. Today, we only know of one mounted deer head in the Musée National d’Histoire Naturale in Paris.

(Image: Wikimedia) Scomburg’s Deer

3. Dutch Alcon Blue Butterfly

This Dutch butterfly, a subspecies of Elkon Blue, was found mainly in the grasslands of the Netherlands. While the closely related species (shown here) still exist in parts of Europe and Asia, the last Dutch Blue Hawk was seen in the wild in 1979.

Cause of extinction: Increased agriculture and construction hurt the Blue Alcon’s habitat and caused it to lose its primary food source.

Dutch Alcon Blue Butterfly

4. Pinta Island Turtle

When Darwin visited the Galapagos in 1835, the Pinta Island tortoise was there. Sadly, a male named Lonesome George was the last thoroughbred of this subspecies and passed away in 2015.

Cause of extinction: Humans that destroyed their habitats, rats that preyed on young tortoises, and humans that were introduced to Pinta Island and killed them for their meat.

Pinta Island Turtle

5. Round Island Burrowing Boa

Native to Round Island, a small island off the coast of Mauritius, Round Island burrowing boas prefer to live in the upper soil layers of volcanic slopes. It was once found on several other islands around Mauritius, but by the 1940s, its population had declined, and it could only be found on Round Island after 1949. It was last seen in 1975.

Cause of extinction: Introducing non-native species of rabbits and goats to the island destroyed the vegetation and disturbed the boa’s habitat, ultimately leading to extinction.

Round Island Burrowing Boa

6. Javan Tiger

Like the Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Java. In the 1800s, they were so common that island natives considered them pests, but their populations declined as the island developed. In the 1950s, only 20 tigers remained.

Cause of extinction: Habitat loss and agricultural development led to drastic population decline. Conservation efforts in the 1940s and 1950s were unsuccessful due to a lack of proper land and planning.

7. Falkland Islands Wolf

The Falkland Islands wolf became extinct in the late 19th century and was known as the Antarctic wolf and the Falkland Islands fox.

These wolves were native to the Falklands of Argentina and were isolated from the world until humans arrived on the islands and hunted them down.

Scientists believe these wolves feed on penguins and other land birds and seal pups.

Cause of Extinction: Hunting.

8. Tecopa puffer fish

Native to the hot springs of the Mojave Desert, the Tecopa pup has the distinction of being the first animal declared extinct under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The pup’s decline came when developers took over its natural habitat. ,

Cause of Extinction: Destruction of its natural habitat.

9. West African Black Rhino

The majestic West African black rhino was declared extinct in 2006 after conservationists failed to find any in its last remaining habitat in Cameroon. The West African black rhinoceros was one of four subspecies of the rhinoceros.

The photo was taken in 2017 while the rhino routinely passed out to have its horns cut off.

Cause of extinction: Poachers hunted the rhino for its horn, which some in Yemen and China believe has aphrodisiac powers, leading to its expiration.

10. Carolina Parrot

The Carolina parakeet was the only bird of its kind in eastern America; the last Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo in February 1918, shortly after the death of her companion Lady Jane.

Cause of Extinction: The Smithsonian notes that while a specific cause doesn’t explain the parrot’s extinction, deforestation and disease likely affected the brightly colored birds. It also didn’t help that their feathers were fashionable accessories for women’s hats.