List of extinct animals

Prehistoric extinctions Dinosaurs, and a large number of historical orders are extinct, probably wiped out by meteor strikes, in various Epochs.

Historic extinctions

• Pleistocene Megafauna

Common Era Extinctions

Australia

Birds

• King Island Emu, Dromaius ater, King Island, 1805. Hunting.
• Kangaroo Island Emu, Dromaius baudinianus, Kangaroo Island, 1827. Hunting, fires.
• Tasman Starling (Lord Howe Island), Aplonis fusca hulliana, Lord Howe Island, 1918. Predation by the black rat Rattus rattus.
• Tasman Starling (Norfolk Island), Aplonis fusca fusca, Norfolk Island , 1923. Competition from introduced European starling, song thrush and common blackbird, clearance for agriculture.
• Paradise Parrot, Psephotus pulcherrimus, Qld and northern NSW, 1927. Date uncertain, more recent sightings are somtimes claimed but have never been confirmed. Cause uncertain, most hypothesis centre on starvation from lack of grass seed after drought, overgrazing, more frequent fires, and introduction of prickly pear.
• Robust White-eye, Zosterops strenuus, Norfolk Island, early 1920s. Predation by Rattus rattus.

Mammals

• Big-eared Hopping-mouse, Notomys macrotis, south-west WA, 1843. Uncertain causes, probably predation by cats and foxes.
• Darling Downs Hopping-mouse, Notomys mordax South-east Qld, 1846. Uncertain, probably predation by cats.
• Broad-faced Potoroo, Potorous platyops, South-west WA, 1865. Unknown causes: related species have declined because of grazing and clearing of dense vegetation for agriculture.
• Eastern Hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes leporides, Murray-Darling basin, 1890. Decline of Aboriginal burning, grazing.
• Short-tailed Hopping-mouse, Notomys amplus, widespread, 1896. Uncertain, probably predation by cats and foxes.
• White-footed Rabbit-rat, Conilurus albipes, warm grasslands, 1900. Competition from rabbits & livestock, fox predation. Date uncertain, not reported since the late 19th Century.
• Long-tailed Hopping-mouse, Notomys longicaudatus, southwestern WA, southern NT, northwestern NSW, 1901. Uncertain causes, possibly fox and cat predation.
• Christmas Island Rat, Rattus macleari, Christmas Island, 1908. Probably a viral disease transmitted by the introduced black rat Rattus rattus.
• Christmas Island Rat, Rattus nativitatusi, Christmas Island, 1908. As R. nativitatusi.
• Crescent Nailtail Wallaby, Onychogalea lunata, South-western WA to SA and NT, 1908?. May have survived in NT until 1960s. Habitat loss to grazing and agriculture, destruction of sheltering thickets by cattle may have made it more vulnerable to predation.
• Lesser Bilby, Macrotis leucura, arid central & western districts, 1931. Fur trapping, fox predation, rabbit competition for burrows.
• Toolache Wallaby, Macropus greyi, swampy grasslands in Vic * SA, 1932. Hunting & habitat loss to grazing.
• Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, Thylacinus cynocephalus, Tasmania, 1933. Bounty hunting, habitat destruction, collection for zoos.
• Lesser Stick-nest Rat, Leporillus apicalis, Semi-arid areas from Murray basin to WA coast, 1933. Competition from grazing and rabbits.
• Central Hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes asomatus, NT-WA border area, 1935. Decline of Aboriginal burning, grazing.
• Desert rat-kangaroo, Caloprymnus campestris, arid central Australia, 1935? Fox & cat predation, rabbit competition, land clearing. Status uncertain, may have survived longer, possibly until the present.
• Pig-footed bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus, widespread through deserts, grasslands & open woodlands, 1950s. Decline of Aboriginal land burning (on which it thrived), grazing.

United States

Fish

• Miller Lake lamprey, Oregon, 1953
• Longjaw cisco, Great Lakes, 1970s
• Deepwater cisco, Great Lakes, 1950s
• Blackfin cisco, Great Lakes, 1960s
• Yellowfin cutthroat trout, Colorado, 1910
• Silver trout, New Hampshire, 1930s
• Thicktail chub, California, 1957
• Pahrangat spinedace, Nevada, 1940
• Phantom shiner, New Mexico,Texas, Mexico, 1975
• Bluntnose shiner, New Mexico,Texas, 1964
• Clear Lake splittail, California, 1970
• Las Vegas dace, Nevada, 1950s
• June sucker, Utah, 1935
• Snake River sucker, Wyoming, 1928
• Harelip sucker, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky,Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, 1900
• Tecopa pupfish, California, 1942
• Shoshone pupfish, California, 1966
• Raycraft Ranch killifish, Nevada, 1960
• Pahrump Ranch killifish, Nevada, 1956
• Ash Meadows killifish, Nevada, 1957
• Whiteline topminnow, Alabama, 1900
• Amistad gambusia, Texas, 1977
• Blue pike, Great Lakes, 1971
• Utah Lake sculpin, Utah, 1928
• Lake Ontario kiyi, New York, Ontario, 1967
• Alvord cutthroat, Nevada, Oregon, 1940
• Maravillas red shiner, Texas, 1960
• Independence Valley tui chub, Nevada, 1970
• Banff longnose dace, Alberta, 1982
• Grass Valley speckled dace, Nevada, 1950
• San Marcos gambusia, Texas, 1983

Amphibians

• Relict leopard frog, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, 1960
• Golden coqui, Puerto Rico, 1980s
• Web-footed coqui, Puerto Rico, 1980s

Reptiles

• Navassa iguana, Navassa Island, West Indies, 1800s
• St. Croix racer, Alsophis sancticrucis, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 1900s

Birds

• Labrador duck, Northeastern United States,southeastern Canada, 1878
• Heath hen, Eastern United States, 1932
• Kusaie crake, Caroline Islands, 1828
• Laysan rail, Hawaii, 1944
• Hawaiian brown rail, Hawaii, 1964
• Hawaiian spotted rail, Hawaii, 1893
• Wake island rail, Wake Island, 1945
• Great auk, North Atlantic, 1844
• Passenger pigeon, Central and eastern North America, 1914
• Culebra Puerto Rican parrot, Culebra Island, 1899
• Mauge's parakeet, Puerto Rico, 1892
• Carolina parakeet, Southeast United States, 1914
• Louisiana parakeet, South-central United States, 1912
• Virgin Islands screech owl, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, 1980
• San Clemente Bewick's wren, California, 1927
• Lanai thrush, Hawaii, 1931
• Oahu thrush, Hawaii, 1825
• Laysan millerbird, Hawaii, 1923
• Kioea, Hawaii, 1859
• Oahu oo, Hawaii, 1837
• Molokai oo, Hawaii, 1915
• Hawaii oo, Hawaii, 1934
• Santa Barbara song sparrow, California, 1967
• Texas Henslow's sparrow, Texas, 1983
• Laysan apapane, Hawaii, 1923
• Hawaiian mamo, Hawaii, 1898
• Black mamo, Hawaii, 1907
• Lanai akialoa, Hawaii, 1894
• Oahu akialoa, Hawaii, 1837
• Hawaii akialoa, Hawaii, 1895
• Oahu nukupu'um, Hawaii, 1860
• Oahu akepa, Hawaii, 1893
• Greater amakihi, Hawaii, 1900
• Lanai creeper, Hawaii, 1937
• Ula-ai-hawane, Hawaii, 1892
• Greater Kona finch, Hawaii, 1896
• Lesser Kona finch, Hawaii, 1891
• Kona finch, Hawaii, 1894
• Kusaie starling, Caroline Islands, 1828
• Dusky seaside sparrow, Florida, 1987
• Amak song sparrow, Alaska, 1980

• Ivory-billed Woodpecker, suspected still alive, but no confirmation (there was a large hunt for it fairly recently)

Mammals

• Puerto Rican shrew, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Puerto Rican long-nosed bat, Puerto Rico, 1900?
• Puerto Rican long-tongued bat, Puerto Rico, 1900?
• Puerto Rican ground sloth, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Penasco chipmunk, New Mexico, 1980
• Tacoma pocket gopher, Washington, 1970
• Goff's pocket gopher, Florida, 1955
• Sherman's pocket gopher, Georgia, 1950
• Pallid beach mouse, Florida, 1946
• Giant deer mouse, Channel Islands, California, 1870
• Chadwick Beach cottonmouth, Florida, 1950?
• Gull Island vole, New York, 1898
• Louisiana vole, Louisiana, Texas, 1905
• Puerto Rican hutia, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Puerto Rican paca, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Lesser Puerto Rican agouti, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Greater Puerto Rican agouti, Puerto Rico, 1500
• Atlantic gray whale, Atlantic Coast, 1750
• Southern California kit fox, California, 1903
• Florida red wolf, Southeastern United States, 1925
• Texas red wolf, Oklahoma, Texas, 1970
• Kenai Peninsula wolf, Alaska, 1910
• Newfoundland wolf, Newfoundland, 1911
• Banks Island wolf, Banks and Victoria Islands, 1920
• Cascade Mountains wolf, British Columbia, Oregon,Washington, 1940
• Northern Rocky Mountain wolf, Alberta, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, 1940
• Mongollon Mountains wolf, Arizona, New Mexico, 1942
• Texas gray wolf, New Mexico, Texas, 1942
• Great Plains wolf, Great Plains, 1926
• Southern Rocky Mountains wolf, West-central United States, 1935
• California grizzly bear, California, 1925
• Sea mink, New Brunswick, New England, 1890
• Wisconsin cougar, North-central United States, 1925
• Caribbean monk seal, Florida, West Indies, 1960
• Steller's sea cow, Alaska, 1768
• Eastern elk, Central and eastern North America, 1880
• Merriam's elk, Southwestern United States, 1906
• Queen Charlotte caribou, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, 1935
• Badlands bighorn, Montana, Nebraska, NorthDakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, 1910

Other areas

• Blue Pike (1970)
• Caribbean Monk Seal (1922)
• Dodo (1681)
• Dusky Seaside Sparrow (1987)
• Heath Hen (1932)
• Moa (1770s)
• Quagga (1883)
• Stellar's Sea Cow (1768)

Endangered Species

No Longer Considered Extinct

• Coelacanth, captured Dec 21 1938, thought to be a Rock Cod, but known to native peoples in Indonesia and other locations.

Related Articles

• Extinct birds