Endangered species of mammals. Endangered animals: basic information

If you take the 10 rarest animal species on the planet, then they will account for less than 2,500 individuals! These "friends of man" may soon completely disappear from the face of the Earth, as happened with dodos, marsupial wolves and sea cows. Who is at risk?

California condor. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Stacy from San Diego

15% of vertebrate species living in Russia are considered rare or endangered.

How many of them: 130

Where does it live: In California, Arizona (USA), northwestern Mexico.

Very rare view birds from the American vulture family. It was once distributed throughout the North American continent. It was a prestigious target for hunters, which brought it to the brink of extinction. In 1987, when the last free-living condor was caught, their total number was only 27 individuals. But thanks to good breeding in captivity, these birds began to be released again.

Northern right whale. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

How many of them: 350

Where does it live: Off the coast of New England (USA), in the Gulf of Mexico.

Previously, their number was estimated at 100 thousand. Due to the fact that these whales live near the coast, they became the first victim of a human hunter. In the Middle Ages, they were killed by the tens of thousands. In the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, the population was completely destroyed. Unlike other species of whales, after the cessation of hunting, right whales almost could not increase in number - they interfere with the development of offshore oil and gas fields.

Red wolf. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

How many of them: 100

Where does it live: In North Carolina and Tennessee (USA).

Today it is the rarest representative of the genus of wolves. It was widely distributed in the southeastern United States, but red wolves were exterminated for attacks on livestock and poultry. In 1967, the species was declared endangered, the entire current population descended from 14 individuals kept in captivity, where they were specially placed for breeding.

River gorilla. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / arenddehaas

How many of them: 300

Where does it live: On the border between Cameroon and Nigeria.

A subspecies of the western gorilla. The most vulnerable of all African primates: loss of habitat and intense hunting have contributed to the decline in their numbers. The authorities of Cameroon have developed a special plan for the conservation of river gorillas and created a national park.

Irbis (snow leopard)

Irbis. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

How many of them: 80

Where does it live: To the west of Lake Baikal - in the mountains of Altai, Sayan, Tannu-Ola.

The only species of large cats that has adapted to living in highlands. Belonging to poorly studied species, for a long time remained a mystery to scientists, because it is extremely cautious. Poachers hunted him for his hide. For many Asian peoples, this beast is a symbol of nobility and power. His image is often placed on coats of arms.

Asian lion. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / supersujit

How many of them: 350

Where does it live: In the Girsky reserve, in the northwest of India.

Once the species was distributed over a vast territory from Greece to India. It was this beast that entered into battles with gladiators in the arenas of Roman amphitheaters. Gradually it was destroyed by hunters. In 1900, about a hundred lions that lived in the Gir forest were taken under protection by the Indian authorities. In the 1990s, to save the endangered population, India donated several pairs of animals to European zoos. However, on this moment the species is preserved only in this reserve.

Sumatran rhinoceros. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Charles W. Hardin

How many of them: 300

Where does it live: On the Malay Peninsula, on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

Over the past 20 years, the population of the species has decreased by about 50%. Only 6 viable populations have survived, 4 of them are on the island of Sumatra. The reduction is caused primarily by poaching for horns, which are in demand in Chinese medicine. Keeping these rhinoceroses in captivity does not work: many die before the age of 20 years, without bringing offspring. The habits of this animal are poorly understood, and it is not yet possible to create favorable conditions for its keeping in captivity.

Far Eastern leopard. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Keven Law

How many of them: 40

Where does it live: In Primorye (Russia), in China and on the Korean Peninsula.

The rarest of the big cats. Hunting for a leopard and its food (roe deer and sika deer), deforestation, systematic burning of vegetation, laying roads led to a significant reduction in numbers and range. Now the view is on the verge of complete destruction. Leopards in zoos and nurseries are closely related, because their offspring degenerate.

Indochinese tiger. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Lotse

How many of them: 500

Where does it live: On the Indochina Peninsula.

It is an object of hunting for the sake of the skin and organs from which Chinese medicine preparations are made. The population of the Indochinese tiger is believed to be declining faster than other species: supposedly, poachers kill one animal every week. They live in mountain forests, mainly along the borders between countries.

Javan rhinoceros. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

How many of them: 60

Where does it live: On the western tip of the island of Java, in a national park.

The decrease in the number is directly related to poaching: in traditional Chinese medicine, the horn of this animal is highly valued (the cost reaches $30,000 per 1 kg), it has been traded for more than 2,000 years. In addition, the animal suffers due to deforestation for arable land. Attempts to keep the Javan rhinoceros in zoos have been unsuccessful.

Main threats:

• habitat loss;
• poaching;
• destruction of the forage base;
• environmental pollution;
• changing of the climate;
• irrational human use of natural resources.

In the 4.5 billion years that the Earth has existed, the mass extinction of certain species has been observed at least five times. The causes of cardinal changes in the appearance of flora and fauna were, as a rule, global natural disasters.

Scientists believe that the climate, similar to the modern one, was established approximately 10-35 thousand years ago. And yet, many species of animals, birds, fish and plants continue to gradually disappear. The main culprit of their death is a person who conducts aggressive economic activities and thoughtlessly spends Natural resources. Endangered animal species are everywhere, in all corners and countries of the world, including Russia.

Animals that are no more

Now you can see extinct animals only on the pages of encyclopedias, and yet many of them lived on the territory of Russia some 50-100 years ago. A vivid example of this is the Turanian tiger, destroyed in the middle of the last century. The extinct predator weighed 240 kg, had long-haired thick fur and a bright red color, was the closest relative Amur tiger. Before disappearing, he lived in the south of Turkey and Kazakhstan, in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran. In Russia, the extinct Turanian tigers lived in the North Caucasus.

One of the representatives of the recently extinct species is the Eurasian wild horse, better known as the tarpan. It is believed that this individual died at the hands of man in 1879. The habitat of animals was the steppes of Western Siberia and the European part of the country. Outwardly, the tarpans looked like undersized (height at the withers - up to 135 cm), stocky horses. Representatives of this species were distinguished by endurance, had a thick wavy mane and a color from dirty yellow to black-brown.

A little earlier, at the end of the 18th century, people exterminated the sea (steller's) cow - a slow aquatic mammal with a weight of up to 10 tons and a length of more than 9 meters. The animal ate seaweed, led a sedentary lifestyle. By the time of discovery by the expedition of Vitus Bering (1741), representatives of this species were found only near the Commander Islands. Their population, according to scientists, numbered no more than 2,000 individuals.

The ancestor of the domestic bull, the tour, finally disappeared in the first third of the 17th century, although 2.5 millennia before that it was found everywhere in North Africa, Asia Minor and Europe. In Russia, extinct animals lived both in the steppes and in the forests. At the withers, they reached 2 meters, weighed up to 1.2 tons. characteristic features rounds were: a large head, long developed horns, strong and high limbs, red, black-brown and black color. Animals were distinguished by their evil disposition, speed and remarkable strength.

The cave bear, which lived in the wooded part of Eurasia in the Paleolithic era, belongs to long-extinct animals. He had strong paws and a large head, thick wool cover. The weight of a cave bear could reach 900 kg. Despite the large size (1.5 times larger than the grizzly), the beast was distinguished by a peaceful character: it ate only honey and plants. Scientists speculate that this species bears disappeared 15 thousand years ago as a result of climate change and Neanderthal hunting.

Faced with the problem of the disappearance of animals and plants, you understand how the world fragile and defenseless. In the Red Book Russian Federation, published in 2001, included 415 representatives of the fauna. Of these, 65 species belong to the class of mammals. With some rare animals, humanity may say goodbye in the near future if it does not make enough efforts to protect them.

Below is a list of rapidly disappearing animals that are still found in Russia:

• Tarbagan is a large short-tailed marmot that lives in Transbaikalia. Body length - 50-65 cm, color - yellow-sandy with black or dark brown ripples. Number (in the Russian Federation) - 38 thousand.
• Long-winged ordinary - bat, which has a high flight speed (70 km / h). It lives in the caves of the Krasnodar and Primorsky Territories. Number - 5-7 thousand.
• The Ussuri tiger is a large (200–220 kg) wild cat that has adapted to live in the difficult conditions of the North. It has a reddish color, turning into White color on the chest, belly and inside of the paws. The number is 400–500 individuals.
• Irbis or Snow Leopard, - the owner of a whitish-gray spotted "fur coat" with thick long-haired fur. Representative of the cat family. Lives in highlands. The number is 80–150 individuals.

Perhaps one of the rarest animals living only in Russia is the Mednovsky blue fox (or polar fox). The animal lives on the Medny Island of the Commander Archipelago. Its length is up to 75 cm, weight - up to 3.5 kg. In summer, the color of the animal is gray-red, in winter - white with a blue tint. Number - no more than 100 individuals.

Endangered birds

At the moment, 123 species of birds living in the Russian Federation are considered rare. Often, birds become victims of predators, die of hunger and cold, and cannot withstand long flights across oceans and seas. In addition to natural causes, anthropogenic factors lead to a reduction in the number of species and the loss of the biological diversity of birds. Birds are dying en masse due to pollution of reservoirs with oil products, habitat disturbance caused by the drainage of swamps, plowing of steppes, and deforestation.

Birds that require special care include:

• white-backed albatross;
• mountain goose;
• Far Eastern stork;
• yellow-billed heron;
• red-legged ibis;
• red kite;
• Manchurian bearded partridge;
• marble teal;
• long-tailed eagle;
• pink pelican;
• duck;
• steppe kestrel;
• sukhonos;
• Ussuri crane;
• crested pegan.

Populations of Siberian Cranes or White Cranes are on the verge of extinction. These are large birds (weighing up to 8.6 kg) with a wingspan of 2.2–2.3 m. The Siberian Cranes live in the north of the Russian Federation. The Yakut bird population numbers 3,000 individuals. A critical situation with white cranes has developed in Western Siberia. Since there are about 20 birds left there, the Flight of Hope program is being implemented to restore the population.

In Russia, wobblers, representatives of the bustard family, have practically disappeared. In another way, these birds are also called jacks and beauty bustards. The body length of birds is 55 - 75 cm, weight - 1.2-3.2 kg. Previously, birds were found in the foothills of Altai, now they can only be seen near the border with Mongolia, in the extreme south of Tyva.

Infrequently, in the Russian expanses, one can also see a relic gull: it nests in the Chita region, on the island of Barun-Torey. The number of the local population at different times varies greatly (from 100 to 1200 pairs of birds), depending on changes in the water level in the reservoir, weather conditions.

Inhabitants of the aquatic depths: fish, crustaceans and molluscs

The reduction in the number of some fish species is a consequence of river pollution, runoff regulation, and poaching. It is noteworthy that the death of aquatic inhabitants, as well as birds, is increasingly widespread. In winter, fish kill is provoked by severe prolonged frosts, in summer - an excess of toxins released by flowering algae. Among the endangered aquatic inhabitants, many are representatives of the sturgeon family. Such rare fish, like the thorn, kaluga and the Azov beluga, are predators. Most of the sturgeons feed on benthos, consisting of algae, flowering plants, and bottom animals. Endangered species of fish in Russia include: common taimen, lenok, sea lamprey, Dnieper barbel, Kildin cod.

Crustaceans that deserve the close attention of environmental services are Deryugin's craboids, mantis shrimp, and Japanese crabs. A number of mollusks are under the threat of extinction in Russia: arsenievina Zimina and Alimova, Tuinova pearl oyster, Maak's lanceolaria, seaside carbicula, Thomas's rapana, cylindrical Buldovsky. It should be noted that the decrease in the number of aquatic animal populations does not go unnoticed. It provokes the uncontrolled spread of plants, leads to a decrease in the number of seabirds or their migration.

The key reason for the extinction of certain species of insects is associated with economic activity person. On the verge of extinction in Russia were:

• Felder's Apollo;
• warty omias;
• wavy brachycerus;
• blue arcte;
• pigeon Argali;
• ground beetle Gebler;
• wrinkled bevel;
• gloomy wave;
• excellent marshmallow;
• mesh beauty;
• owl asteropetes;
• steppe fat man;
• four-spotted stephanocleonus;
• Parreys Nutcracker.

A decrease in the number of insects invariably leads to a serious imbalance in ecosystems: the replacement of some plants by others, the disappearance of birds and amphibians from their usual habitats.

Amphibians and reptiles are victims of both accidental and targeted extermination. Amphibians and reptiles often die under the wheels of cars or at the hands of farmers. Frogs, snakes, turtles, crocodiles in many countries are the objects of fishing in order to obtain meat and leather raw materials, as well as the manufacture of souvenirs. Mediterranean tortoises and gray geckos are recognized as endangered species in Russia. The number of vipers, Kaznakov's and Dinnik's vipers, Far Eastern tortoises, Lantz's common newts, Ussuri clawed newts, Caucasian crosses and toads, and rush toads is steadily declining in the country.

Thus, hundreds of species of animals were included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The biggest endangered groups are birds and insects.

Extinction is natural process: typical species become endangered within 10 million years after their appearance on Earth. But today, when the planet is facing a number of serious problems such as overpopulation, pollution environment, climate change, etc., the loss of species is happening thousands of times faster than it would be in a natural way.

It is difficult to know exactly when certain species will disappear from the wild, but it is safe to say that thousands of animal species become extinct every year.

In this article, we offer a look at the recently extinct animals that we will miss the most. From the Javan tiger and the Caribbean monk seal to the Mauritian dodo (or dodo), here are 25 extinct animals we won't see again.

25. Madagascar pygmy hippopotamus

Once widespread on the island of Madagascar, the Madagascar pygmy hippo was a close relative of the modern hippo, albeit much smaller.

Initial estimates suggested that the species had gone extinct for about a thousand years, but new evidence has shown that these hippos may have lived in wild nature up until the 1970s.

24. Chinese river dolphin


Known by many other names such as "baiji", "yangtze river dolphin", "white-finned dolphin" or "yangtze dolphin", the Chinese river dolphin was a freshwater dolphin that lived in the Yangtze River in China.

The population of Chinese river dolphins declined sharply by the 1970s as China began to make heavy use of the river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectric power. The last known surviving Chinese river dolphin, Qiqi, died in 2002.

23. Long-eared kangaroo


Discovered in 1841, the long-eared kangaroo is an extinct species of the kangaroo family that lived in southeastern Australia.

It was a small animal, slightly larger and slimmer than its living relative, the red hare kangaroo. The last known specimen of this species was a female taken in August 1889 in New South Wales.

22. Javan tiger


Once common on the Indonesian island of Java, the Javan tiger was a very small subspecies of the tiger. During the 20th century, the population of the island increased many times, leading to massive clearing of forests, which were turned into arable land and rice fields.

Habitat pollution and poaching have also contributed to the extinction of this species. The Javan tiger has been considered extinct since 1993.

21. Steller's cow


Steller's cow (or sea cow, or cabbage) is an extinct herbivorous marine mammal that once abounded in the North Pacific.

It was largest representative a detachment of sirens, which includes its closest living relatives - the dugong and the manatee. Hunting Steller cows for meat, skin and fat has led to their complete extermination within just 27 years since the discovery of the species.

20. Taiwan Clouded Leopard

The Taiwanese clouded leopard was once endemic to Taiwan and a subspecies of the clouded leopard, a rare Asian cat thought to be an evolutionary link between large and small cats.

Excessive logging has destroyed the animal's natural habitat, and the species was declared extinct in 2004 after 13,000 camera traps showed no sign of Taiwan's clouded leopards.

19. Red gazelle

The red-headed gazelle is an extinct species of gazelle believed to have lived in the rainfall-rich mountainous regions of North Africa.

This species is known only by three individuals acquired in the markets in Algeria and Oman, north of Algeria, at the end of the 19th century. These copies are kept in museums in Paris and London.

18. Chinese paddlefish


Sometimes also called "Psephur", the Chinese paddlefish was one of the largest freshwater fish. Uncontrolled overfishing and destruction of natural habitats put the species at risk of extinction in the 1980s.

The last confirmed sighting of this fish was in January 2003 in the Yangtze River, China, and the species has since been considered extinct.

17. Labrador eider


The Labrador Eider is believed by some scientists to have been the first endemic bird species. North America, which disappeared after the Columbus Exchange.

It was already a rare bird before the arrival of European settlers, and became extinct shortly thereafter. The females were grey, while the males were black and white. The Labrador Eider had an elongated head with small beady eyes and a strong beak.

16. Pyrenean ibex


Once endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, the Iberian ibex was one of the four subspecies of the Spanish ibex.

In the Middle Ages, the wild goat abounded in the Pyrenees, however, the population rapidly declined in the 19th and 20th centuries due to uncontrolled hunting. In the second half of the 20th century, only a small population survived in this region, and in 2000 the last representative of this species was found dead.

15. Mauritian dodo, or dodo


is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in Indian Ocean. According to subfossil remains, Mauritian dodos were about a meter tall and may have weighed up to 21 kg.

The appearance of the Mauritian dodos can only be judged from drawings, images and written sources, therefore, the life-time appearance of this bird is not known for certain. Dodo in popular culture is used as a symbol of extinction and the gradual disappearance of the species.

14. Orange toad


Orange toads were small, up to 5 cm long, toads that used to be found in a small highland region north of the city of Monteverde, Costa Rica.

The last living individual of this animal was discovered in May 1989. Since then, no signs have been recorded confirming their existence in nature. The sudden extinction of this beautiful frog may have been caused by a fungus of the class Chytridiomycetes and extensive habitat loss.

13. Choiseul pigeon

Sometimes also referred to as the crested thick-billed pigeon, the Choiseul pigeon is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to the island of Choiseul in the Solomon Islands, although there are unconfirmed reports that members of this species may have lived on some nearby islands.

The last documented sighting of a Choiseul pigeon was in 1904. It is believed that these birds became extinct due to predatory extermination by cats and dogs.

12. Cameroonian black rhinoceros


As a subspecies of the critically endangered black rhinoceros, the Cameroonian black rhino was once widespread across many African countries, including Angola, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Chad, Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia and others, but irresponsible hunting and poaching reduced the population of this amazing animal by 2000 to just a few individuals. In 2011, this subspecies of rhino was declared extinct.

11. Japanese wolf


Also known as the Ezo wolf, the Japanese wolf is an extinct subspecies of the common wolf that once inhabited the coasts of Northeast Asia. Its closest relatives were North American wolves rather than Asiatic wolves.

The Japanese wolf was exterminated on the Japanese island of Hokkaido during the Meiji Restoration, when reforms in agriculture American style was accompanied by the use of strychnine baits to kill predators that posed a threat to livestock.

10 Caribbean Monk Seal


Nicknamed the "sea wolf", the Caribbean monk seal was a large species of seal that inhabited the Caribbean. The overhunting of seals for blubber and the depletion of their food sources are the main causes of the species' extinction.

The last confirmed sighting of a Caribbean monk seal dates back to 1952. These animals were not seen again until 2008, when the species was officially declared extinct after a five-year search for survivors that ended in nothing.

9 Eastern Cougar


The eastern cougar is an extinct species of cougar that once lived in northeastern North America. The eastern cougar was a subspecies of the North American cougar, a large cat that inhabited much of the United States and Canada.

Eastern cougars were declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011.

8. Great Razorbill

The great auk was a large flightless auk that became extinct in the middle of the 19th century. Once widespread throughout the North Atlantic, from Spain, Iceland, Norway and the UK to Canada and Greenland, this beautiful bird has been extirpated by man for its down, which was used to make pillows.

7. Tarpan


Also known as the Eurasian wild horse, the tarpan is an extinct subspecies of the wild horse that once lived across much of Europe and parts of Asia.

Since tarpans were herbivores, their habitat was continuously decreasing due to the growing civilization of the Eurasian continent. Combined with the incredible extermination of these animals for their meat, this led to their complete extinction at the beginning of the 20th century.

6. Cape Lion

An extinct subspecies of the lion, the Cape lion lived along the Cape Peninsula at the southern tip of the African continent.

This majestic big cat disappeared very quickly immediately after the appearance of Europeans on the continent. Dutch and English colonists and hunters simply exterminated this species of animals at the end of the 19th century.

5 Falkland Fox


Also known as the varra or the Falkland wolf, the Falkland fox was the only native land mammals Falkland Islands.

This endemic of the canine family became extinct in 1876, becoming the first known canid to become extinct in historical times. This animal is believed to have lived in burrows, and its diet consisted of birds, larvae and insects.

4. Reunion giant tortoise


Endemic to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, the Reunion giant tortoise was a large tortoise up to 1.1 meters long.

These animals were very slow, curious and not afraid of people, which made them easy prey for the first inhabitants of the island, who exterminated turtles in huge numbers - as food for people, as well as pigs. The Réunion giant tortoise became extinct in the 1840s.

3. Kiyoa


The kyoea was a large, up to 33 cm long, Hawaiian bird that became extinct around 1859.

Kiyoa was a rare bird even before the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Europeans. Even the native Hawaiians did not seem to know about the existence of this bird.

Only 4 specimens of this beautifully colored bird have been preserved in different museums. The reason for their extinction is still unknown.

2. Megaladapis

Informally known as koala lemurs, megaladapis are an extinct genus of giant lemurs that once inhabited the island of Madagascar.

To clear the site, the island's early settlers burned the local dense forests that were the natural habitat of these lemurs, which, combined with overfishing, contributed greatly to the extinction of these slow-moving animals.

1. Quagga


The quagga is an extinct subspecies of the savannah zebra that lived in South Africa until the 19th century.

Since these animals were fairly easy to track down and kill, they were hunted en masse by the Dutch colonists (and later the Boers) for their meat and skins.

Only one single quagga was photographed during his lifetime (see photo), and only 23 skins of these animals have survived to this day.

The law of nature “Survival of the fittest” and human activity have led to the extinction of very amazing species of animals, which, unfortunately, we will never be able to see with our own eyes again.

1. Megaladapis (koala lemurs)

Koala lemurs (lat. Megaladapis Edwarsi) as a species were identified only in 1894. They lived on the island of Madagascar from the end of the Pleistocene to the Holocene. Some scientists considered megaladapis to be the closest relatives of modern lemurs. However, according to the results of the studies carried out, there is absolutely no connection between small lepilemurs and extinct koala lemurs, which had a skull the size of a gorilla.

The growth of adult megaladapis reached 1.5 meters, and their weight was approximately 75 kilograms. Their front legs were longer than their hind legs. They're due too heavy weight jumped badly and probably spent most of their lives on the ground.

The first people on the island of Madagascar appeared about two thousand years ago. During this period, seventeen species of lemurs became extinct, the most notable of which - due to their huge size - were megaladapis. Radiocarbon dating shows that koala lemurs became extinct almost 500 years ago.

2. Wonambi

Wonambi (lat. Wonambi Naracoortensis) lived in Australia during the Pliocene era. "Wonambi" from the language of the local aborigines is translated as "rainbow snake". Unlike more developed snakes, the jaws of the wanambi were inactive. Some scientists believe that wonambi, from an evolutionary point of view, were a cross between lizards and modern snakes.

Wonambi body length reached more than 4.5 meters. They had recurved teeth but no fangs. Most scientists agree that the Wonambi became extinct 40,000 years ago.

3. great auk

Great auks (lat. Pinguinus Impennis) are bizarre black and white birds that could not fly. The growth of flightless auks, which were nicknamed the "original penguins", reached about one meter. They had tiny wings about 15 centimeters long. The wingless auks lived in northern waters The Atlantic Ocean is close to countries such as Scotland, Norway, Canada, USA and France. They only come to land to breed.

Great auks began to be highly valued in the early 18th century. Their expensive feathers, leather, meat, butter and thirteen-centimeter eggs attracted hunters and collectors. Ultimately, wingless auks were threatened with extinction, but this only increased the demand for them.

On July 3, 1844, Sigurdur Isleifsson, together with two comrades, went to the Icelandic island of Eldey, where at that time the last colony of wingless auks lived. They found a male and a female there incubating the egg. The men hired by a wealthy merchant killed the birds and crushed the egg. It was the only pair of great auks in the world.

The last representative of the wingless auk species was seen in 1852 in the waters of the Great Newfoundland Bank (Canada).

4. Deer Schomburgka

Once upon a time, hundreds of thousands of Schomburgk deer (lat. Rucervus Schomburgki) lived in Thailand. The animals were described and identified as a species in 1863. They were named after the then British Consul in Bangkok, Sir Robert Schomburgk. According to scientists, they became extinct in the 1930s. Some believe that Schomburgk deer still exist, but scientific observations, unfortunately, have not confirmed this assumption.

The Thai people believed that the antlers of the Schomburgk deer had magical and healing powers, so these animals were often hunted and sold to people practicing traditional medicine. During floods, the reindeer of Schomburgk congregated on the higher ground; for this reason, it was not difficult to kill them: in fact, there was nowhere for them to run.

The last wild Schomburgk reindeer was killed in 1932, domesticated in 1938.

The last time representatives of the Jamaican giant (or sinking) gallivasp (lat. Celestus Occiduus) were seen in 1840. The body length of the Jamaican giant gallivasps reached 60 centimeters. His appearance they instilled fear and horror in the locals. Their extinction appears to be related to the introduction of predators in Jamaica, such as the mongoose, for example, and to human factors.

Jamaicans believe that gallivaspas are poisonous animals. According to legend, whoever gets to the water first - the gallivasp or the person he bit - will live. However, the islanders do not need to worry about the giant gallivaspas now, as they have been extinct for over a century. Very little is known about this species. Jamaican giant gallivaspas, judging by the available information, lived in swamps, fed on fish and fruits.

6. Argentavis

The Argentavis skeleton (lat. Argentavis Magnificens, literally - "the majestic Argentine bird") was discovered in the rocks of the Miocene in Argentina; This suggests that representatives of this species lived in South America six million years ago. It is believed that these are the largest flying birds that have ever existed on Earth. The growth of Argentavis reached 1.8 meters, and the weight reached 70 kilograms; its wingspan was 6-8 meters.

Argentavis belonged to the hawk-like order. This also includes hawks and vultures. Judging by the size of the Argentavis skull, they swallowed their prey whole. Their life expectancy, according to various estimates, ranged from 50 to 100 years.

7 Barbary Lion

Barbary lions (lat. Panthera Leo Leo) lived in North Africa. They roamed not in packs, but in pairs or small family groups. The Barbarian lion was quite easily recognizable by the characteristic shape of its head and mane.

The last wild Barbary lion was killed in Morocco in 1927. The Moroccan sultan had several domesticated Barbary lions in captivity. They have been transferred to local and European zoos for further breeding.

Barbary lions are known to have participated in gladiator fights during Roman times.

8. Laughing owl

Laughing owls (lat. Sceloglaux Albifacies) lived in New Zealand. They became endangered in the middle of the 19th century. The last laughing owl was seen on the island in 1914. According to unconfirmed reports, this species existed until the early 1930s. The cry of a laughing owl was like a terrible laughter or the laughter of a distraught person. It was comparable in volume to the barking of a dog.

Laughing owls nested on rocks within the forest boundary or in open country. There were people who tried to domesticate these birds, and in principle they did quite well. Laughing owls, even living in captivity, laid eggs without stimulation. Habitat destruction has forced laughing owls to change their diet. From birds of fairly decent size (for example, ducks) and lizards, they switched to mammals. Apparently, this, along with factors such as grazing and slash-and-burn agriculture, led to their extinction.

9. Blue Antelope

The name of this antelope was given by the bluish reflection of its black and yellow coat. Blue antelopes (lat. Hippotragus Leucophaeus) once lived in the territory South Africa. They ate grass, as well as the bark of trees and shrubs. Blue antelopes were social and most likely nomadic animals. Before the appearance of people, they were hunted by African lions, hyenas and leopards.

The population of blue antelopes began to noticeably decline about 2000 years ago. In the XVIII century, they were already considered an endangered species. Predators, climate change, hunters, diseases and even proximity to animals such as sheep are the main factors that led to the extinction of blue antelopes. The last representative of the species was killed by hunters in 1799.

10 Woolly Rhino

The remains of a woolly rhinoceros (lat. Coelodonta Antiquitatis), who lived 3.6 million years ago, were found in Asia, Europe and North Africa. The huge horn of one woolly rhinoceros was initially mistaken by scientists for the claw of a prehistoric bird.

Woolly rhinos lived in the same territory as woolly mammoths. In France, archaeologists have discovered caves on the walls of which were depicted drawings of woolly rhinos, made 30 thousand years ago. Primitive people hunted woolly mammoths, so these animals became the subject of cave art. In 2014, a spear was found in Siberia, made from the horn of an adult woolly rhinoceros more than 13,000 years ago. The woolly rhinoceros is believed to have died out at the end of the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago.

11. Quagga - half zebra - half horse, completely extinct in 1883

The quagga is one of the most famous extinct animals of South Africa, which was one of the subspecies of zebras. Quaggas were very trusting and easy to train, which means they were instantly tamed by humans and got their name from the word "Koi-Koi", with which the owner called his animal.

In addition to being extremely friendly, quaggs were also very tasty, and their skin was worth its weight in gold. It was these reasons that caused the complete extermination of these animals. By 1880, there was only one Quagga in the world, which died in captivity on August 12, 1883 at the Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam. Due to a lot of confusion between various types zebras, quaggs became extinct before it became clear what it was separate view. By the way, Quagga became the first extinct animal whose DNA was studied.

12. Steller's cow, completely died out in 1768

This kind sea ​​cows lived near the Asian coast of the Bering Sea. These unusual animals were discovered by the traveler and naturalist Georg Steller in 1741. The gigantic creatures immediately struck Steller with their size: adults reached 10 meters in length and weighed up to 4 tons. The animals looked like huge seals and had massive forelimbs and a tail. According to Steller, the animal never left the water on the shore.

These animals had dark, almost black skin, which looked like the bark of a cracked oak trunk, the neck was completely absent, and the head, planted directly on the torso, was very small in comparison with the rest of the body. Steller's cow mainly fed on plankton and small fish, which she swallowed whole, due to the fact that she had no teeth.

People valued this animal because of its fat. Because of him, the entire population of this unusual animal was exterminated.

13. Irish Deer - a giant deer, extinct 7,700 years ago

The Irish Deer is the largest artiodactyl that has ever existed on planet Earth. These animals lived in huge numbers in Eurasia. The last found remains of a giant deer date back to 5700 BC.

These deer reached 2.1 meters in length and had huge antlers, which in adult males reached 3.65 meters in width. These animals lived in the forest, where, due to the size of their horns, they were easy prey for both any small predator and humans.

14. Dodo, completely extinct in the 17th century

The Dodo (or Dodo) was a type of flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius. The dodo belonged to the pigeon-like, but differed in its huge size: adults reached up to 1.2 meters in height and weighed up to 50 kg. Dodos ate mostly fruits that fell from trees and built nests on the ground, and given that their meat was tender and juicy from a fruit diet, they became a real delicacy for anyone who could get to them. But, fortunately for the Dodos, there were no predators on the island of Mauritius. This idyll continued until the 17th century, when Europeans landed on the island. Dodo hunting has become the main source of replenishment of ship supplies. With people, dogs, cats and rats were brought to the island, which gladly ate the eggs of helpless birds.

Dodos were helpless in the truest sense of the word: they did not know how to fly, they ran slowly, and hunting for them was reduced to chasing a fleeing bird with a leisurely gait and hitting it on the head with a stick. In addition to everything, the Dodo was trusting like a child and as soon as people beckoned him with fruit, the bird itself approached itself. dangerous predator On the Earth.

15. Thylacine - Marsupial Wolf, completely extinct in 1936

The thylacine was the largest carnivorous marsupial. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (because of its striped back) and also as the Wolf of Tasmania. The marsupial wolf was extirpated from the Australian mainland thousands of years before the Europeans settled the continent, but survived in Tasmania, along with other marsupials (such as like the famous Tasmanian Devil).

Thylacines had disgusting meat, but excellent skin. Clothing made from the skin of this animal could warm a person in the most severe frost, so the hunt for this wolf did not stop until 1936, when it turned out that all individuals had already been exterminated.

16.Passenger pigeon

One example of human-caused disappearance is passenger pigeon. Once millions of flocks of these birds flew in the skies of North America. Seeing the food, the pigeons rushed down like a huge locust, and when they were satisfied, they flew away, completely destroying fruits, berries, nuts, and insects. Such gluttony irritated the colonists. In addition, the pigeons tasted very good. In one of the novels by Fenimore Cooper, it is described how, when a flock of pigeons approached, the entire population of cities and towns poured into the streets, armed with slingshots, guns, and sometimes even cannons. They killed as many pigeons as they could. Pigeons were laid in glacier cellars, cooked immediately, fed to dogs, or simply thrown away. Even pigeon shooting competitions were organized, and towards the end of the 19th century, machine guns were also used.

The last passenger pigeon, named Martha, died at the zoo in 1914.

16.Tour

It was a powerful animal with a muscular, slender body, about 170-180 cm high at the withers and weighing up to 800 kg. The high set head was crowned with long sharp horns. The coloration of adult males was black, with a narrow white “belt” along the back, while females and young animals were reddish-brown. Although the last tours lived out their days in the forests, earlier these bulls kept mainly in the forest-steppe, and often entered the steppe. In the forests, they probably migrated only in winter. They fed on grass, shoots and leaves of trees and shrubs. Their rut was in the fall, and the calves appeared in the spring. They lived in small groups or alone, and for the winter they united in larger herds. The aurochs had few natural enemies: these strong and aggressive animals easily coped with any predator.

In historical times, the tour was found almost throughout Europe, as well as in North Africa, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. In Africa, this beast was exterminated in the third millennium BC. e., in Mesopotamia - by about 600 BC. e. In Central Europe, tours survived much longer. Their disappearance here coincided with intensive deforestation in the 9th-11th centuries. In the XII century, tours were still found in the Dnieper basin. At that time they were actively exterminated. Records about the difficult and dangerous hunting of wild bulls were left by Vladimir Monomakh.

By 1400, aurochs lived only in relatively sparsely populated and hard-to-reach forests on the territory of modern Poland, Belarus and Lithuania. Here they were taken under the protection of the law and lived like park animals in the royal lands. In 1599, a small herd of aurochs, 24 individuals, still lived in the royal forest 50 km from Warsaw. By 1602, only 4 animals remained in this herd, and in 1627 the last tour on Earth died.

17.Moa

Moa is a flightless bird that looks like an ostrich. Lived in the islands of New Zealand. It reached a height of 3.6 m. After the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers on the islands, the number of Moa began to decline rapidly. Too large, slow birds could not hide from hunters, and by about the 18th century Moa completely disappeared from the face of the earth.

18.Epiornis

Epiornis were birds very similar to Moa, with only one difference - they lived in Madagascar. Over 3 meters tall and weighing over 500 kilograms, they were real giants. Epiornis lived in Madagascar quite safely until the moment when people did not begin to inhabit it. Before the people they only had a din natural enemy- crocodile. By about the 16th century, the Epiornis, they are also Elephant birds, were completely exterminated.

19. Tarpan

Tarpan was the ancestor of the modern horse. It is hard to believe it, but back in the 18-19 centuries it was widely distributed in the steppes of the European part of Russia, a number of European countries and in the territory of Western Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, tarpan meat was very tasty and people exterminated them for this very reason. The main culprits for the disappearance of tarpans are Catholic monks, who, being horse-eaters, exterminated them in large numbers. Eyewitnesses of these events wrote that the monks mounted fast horses and simply drove the herds of horses. As a result, it was possible to catch only colts that could not endure a long race.

20.Japanese Hondos wolf

The Japanese wolf was distributed on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu of the Japanese archipelago. He was the smallest among all wolves. An epidemic of rabies and extermination by people brought the wolf to extinction. The last Hondo wolf died in 1905.

21. Falkland fox (Falkland wolf)

The Falkland fox was tawny in color with black ears, a black tail tip, and a white belly. The fox barked like a dog and was the only predator in the Falkland Islands. Nothing foreshadowed her disappearance, since she had plenty of food. Even then, in 1833, Charles Darwin, describing this wonderful animal, predicted its disappearance, as it was shot uncontrollably by hunters because of its thick and valuable fur. In addition, the fox was poisoned, allegedly it posed a great threat to sheep and other domestic animals.

The Falkland wolf had no natural enemies and he naively trusted people, not even imagining that they were the most worst enemy. As a result, in 1876 the last fox was killed.

22. Baiji- Chinese river dolphin.

in Chinese river dolphin, which lived in the rivers of Asia Yangtze, people did not hunt, but were indirectly involved in its extinction. The waters of the river were overflowing with merchant and cargo ships, which simply polluted the river. In 2006, a special expedition confirmed the fact that Baiji no longer exists on earth as a species.

Reminds me of a penguin. Sailors hunted them, as their meat was tasty, and the production of this bird was not difficult. As a result, in 1912, the latest information about Steller's Cormorant was received.

The marsupial wolf, extinct in the 20th century ( Thylacinus cynocephalus) at the Hobart Zoo in 1933

The Thylacine Museum

Biologists from Sweden, Denmark and the United States have presented a complete phylogenetic atlas of mammals that have lived on Earth over the past 130,000 years. The atlas contains information on body weight, habitats, diet animals and their evolutionary relationships with other species. For the first time such an atlas includes information about already extinct animals. The description of the atlas and the principles of animal categorization were presented by scientists in an article published in Ecology. All information, as well as the code necessary to visualize the collected information, is available on GitHub.

Macroecological studies often require information on a large number of different animals: habitat, diet, average body weight, and evolutionary relationships with other species. It is often quite difficult to collect such information, primarily due to technical difficulties: data must be searched using a large number articles, they are often presented in different formats, taxonomic contradictions often occur when the same species has several different names. In addition, almost all databases do not include information about already extinct animals, which often turns out to be extremely important from the point of view of phylogenetic, climatological or ecological studies.

To avoid such problems, at least in relation to mammals, a group of scientists from Sweden, Denmark and the United States, led by Søren Faurby from the University of Gothenburg, collected all the currently known data on mammals that have lived on Earth over the past 130 thousand years (then is present since the Eem Interglacial) into a single atlas The Phylogenetic Atlas of Mammal Macroecology (PHYLACINE).

The atlas contains information on 5831 species of mammals and includes data on their lifestyle, diet, adult body weight, habitat and endemicity of the species, as well as its current status according to data International Union nature conservation. For each of the properties, scientists have introduced several categories that make it easier to classify mammals in terms of their role in ecosystems. The authors separately note that for the first time they managed to put together information not only about those species that live on the planet at the moment, but also about animals that have now become extinct.

Habitat brown bear (Ursus arctos) according to the atlas: the current range is indicated in blue, those areas in which the animal would live without human intervention are indicated in red

Soeren Faurby / University of Gothenburg

At the same time, the atlas shows both the real areas in which certain mammals live now, and a wider range of possible animal habitats in which these species could live if they were limited only natural conditions rather than by human activity. The atlas also includes a table of synonymous species names, and information on phylogenetic relationships between all species - their evolutionary relationships, the presence of kinship or common ancestors. In order to present this information in a more visual form, the authors of the work have developed an algorithm that allows, based on the available data, to compile phylogenetic trees, limiting the set of species, for example, by the general habitat.

Map of Australia's mammal biodiversity in reality (top) and including extinct species (bottom). On the right is a phylogenetic tree of the mapped species when sloths were big.”

Alexander Dubov