39 Extinct Animals: Madagascar, Rainforests etc. (with images)

More and more animals are going extinct and we would love to spread the word about these wonderful creatures.

Here are some of the most amazing animals that have gone extinct. Plus a few species that are on the brink of extinction.

Animals From MADAGASCAR That Are Extinct

Large Sloth Lemurs

Despite the name, these creatures were not closely related to the Sloth. They were smaller and would hang out in trees (much like Sloths).

Even though they just recently went extinct there are not any photos to find. Sadly!

Giant Fossas

This is also an extinct species from Madagascar (Island east of southern Africa). It looked a bit like an otter and it was a bit bigger.

The Dodos

This was a special bird as you can see in the image below. It lived close to Madagascar on Mauritius island and it was pretty huge and it would be up to 3 feet tall (1 meter). It could not fly and it had no fear toward humans which made it easy prey.

So, it went extinct around 1680. We only have drawings and stories about this huge bird and it certainly had a rather unique beak. The wings were short and useless and it might have been sleeker than the image below. The last bird was killed only 100 years after they were discovered.

Elephant Birds

The elephant birds are yet another Ostrich-like bird that couldn’t fly. It was tall and died out around 1700. They also lived around Madagascar just like many other now-extinct species.

They probably went extinct as early as around 1200 and the closest known relative is the Kiwi bird.

Recent research suggests that the Elephant Bird could weigh up to 1,600 lbs (730 kg) and that it could be almost 10 feet tall (3 meters)! That makes it the largest bird to have ever lived. The giant eggs from the Elephant Bird drew a lot of attention as they were 13 inches (34 cm).

Moas

Moa birds were huge birds that couldn’t fly either. They became extinct around 1500 and they looked like Ostriches. They were related to the Elephant Birds, so they must have crossed paths with Madagascar at some point (or the other way around) though they lived around New Zealand.

It was probably around 12 feet tall (3,6 meters) and the name means “Eatable bird” in more than one Polynesian language.

They’re related to the Elephant Bird (that we mentioned earlier) and they probably died because they were hunted for food, hence the name.

 

Babakotia

This is another Lemur that is a mix between a Sloth and a Lemur. It weighed around 40 lb. (18 kilograms) and was notably smaller than the larger sloth lemur we mentioned above.

Libythea Cinyras

This pretty little butterfly is also believed to be extinct. It lived around Mauritius (close to Madagascar) and it died out in the 1860s

Round Island burrowing boas

This snake was last seen on Round Island in 1975, so it just recently became extinct. It’s north of Madagascar and mauritius.

It would be up to 3 feet (around 1 meter) and it could have pink and black colors. It had a pointy shout with a cylindrical body and head.

Animals From The RAINFOREST That Are Extinct

Caddisflies

There are four extinct species of Caddisflies: Tobias’ Caddisflies, Castle Lake Caddisflies, Athens Caddisflies, and Three-tooth Caddisflies. The image here is actually from the Allogamus since we couldn’t find an image of the extinct species.

These insects look like Dragonflies.

Golden Toads

Another animal that is often mentioned among the list of extinct species is the Golden Toad.

This little guy lived in Costa Rica high up in the forests. First described in 1966 it became famous for advocating endangered species with its unique and amazing golden appearance.

By 1989 it was declared extinct by IUCN (International Union For Conservation Of Nature) and they have a lot of amphibians on the list by today!

Great Boas

The Great Boa became extinct with the Dinosaurs. It was HUGE and it was the largest snake that has ever been discovered. It was as long as 40 feet (12 meters!) and would probably weigh up to 2,500 pounds (1,134 kilograms).

This is a picture of another Boa as we don’t have any images of the Great Boas, for obvious reasons.

Small Crocodiles

We also know that small crocs once wandered the rainforests. They lived in the Amazon rainforest and grow up to around 7-8 feet long (2 meters

Giant Guinea Pigs

We have also found traces of a giant Guinea Pig the size of cattle! The Phoberomys was a huge animal weighing around a metric ton and they were actually related to the Chinchilla you can get at the pet store today.

These creatures could both live on land and in the water as they were great swimmers.

Laughing Owls

The Laughing Owl has gotten its name despite that it sounded more like a little dog. The sound it made was loud and has been described like “barking”. It would typically make these loud noises right after the rain has fallen.

It is a pretty owl with yellow-brown stripes and it would eat smaller animals such as birds, geckos, rats, and mice.

 

It became extinct by 1014.

The Haast’s Eagles

This was a huge Eagle that would hunt large birds like Ostriches and smaller mammals. The image below is a similar eagle from a stock photo.

The Haast’s Eagle lived in New Zealand and was the largest eagle to have ever existed! Even larger than the biggest vultures we know today.

Its wingspan would stretch as far as 8,5 feet (2,6 meters) and it could weigh up to 33 lbs (15 kg). A huge bird that became extinct around 1400.

Other Cool Animals That Are Extinct

Tasmanian Tigers

These two beautiful tigers lived in Tasmania and Australia until around 1940 and we also had a few species in the zoos in Northern America.

They were nocturnal hunters and they are believed to have been the same size as tigers and wolves. They would also prey on the same size animals like Kangaroos, birds, etc.

Japanese Wolfs

This special wolf from Japan went extinct around 1905. It had a smooth coat and shorter legs than other wolves and it was around 23” (58 cm) tall.

Bulldog Rats

These fat and bulky rats lived on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. They died out around the very early 1900s.

The Moas

The Moas were birds that could not fly. Much like the Ostriches. They would walk upright on two legs and eat plants. They would sometimes end up as prey for an Eagle even though they were the same size as an Eagle!

Small Mauritian flying fox

This rather big bat (megabat) that went extinct around 1873.

It would typically crowd together in large flocks in caves (like other bats) and they were hunted as food (!) by humans

Red Gazelles

The Red Gazelle was actually from further up North in Africa. It was a beautiful and gazelle species that lived in the northern parts of Africa. There are no records of this animal in the wild.

They can be seen in museums in Paris and London and the two white stripes of fur from the ears to the snout are really pretty.

Stellar’s Sea Cows

This Sea Cow is a huge manatee that lived until the last part of the 1700s. It would weigh up to 11 short tons and could be as long as 30 ft (9 meters)! They lived around the Bering Sea.

The image below is from a model at the Natural History Museum of London.

 

Aurochs

The last mammal we will take a closer look at is the Aurochs. They died out around 1627 and they were big wild cattle. They lived across Europe, North Africa, and Asia and they are an ancestor of the domestic cattle we find today.

Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers

These amazing woodpeckers were one of the largest woodpeckers. It could be up to 20 inches (51 cm) and that’s a lot bigger than most woodpeckers we see in the forests of the U.S. and Europe today.

It’s not 100% sure that this bird is extinct but there haven’t been any recordings of it since 2004.

There’s actually a reward of 50 grand (yes, that’s 50,000 USD!) to the person who would happen to record it on camera, should it still exist.

Great Auks

Here we find yet another flightless birds that look kinda like a Penguin. But it lived around the Arctic area around the North Pole (Penguins only live at the Antarctic near the South Pole). It became extinct around the mid 19th century.

They would eat primarily smaller fish from shallow water.

It could be up to 35 inches (89 cm) tall and would weigh around 11 lb (5 kilograms). The beak was black despite the image below.

 

Galápagos tortoise

This was a huge tortoise that lived at the Galápagos Islands (east of Tanzania).

It could weigh up to an astonishing 920 lb (420 kilograms!) and it would eat berries, grass, leaves, etc. They ate a lot (!) and would consume up to 20% of their own body weight per day.

Martinique Giant Ameiva

This is a lizard only known from European explorers. They lived in Central America.

There are a lot of other reptiles that have gone extinct. These were the ones where we could find good photos and that were interesting to feature.

Mammoths

Famous for its giant proportions the Mammoth is a famous animal among the list of extinct animals. They are often featured in movies and mentioned in media due to its resemblance to elephants and their strength.

 

Camelops

This was a member of the family of Camels. It lived in the western northern parts of America and it was around t ft. tall (230 centimeters) so it was a rather big guy.

Dinosaurs

As we all know, the dinosaurs have been extinct for many years. We have just the right article for you if you are interested in knowing more about why these prehistoric animals became so big.

9 Amazing Species That Are Almost Extinct

Pygmy Three-toed Sloths

Another special animal to make the IUCN’s list of “most wanted endangered animals” are the Pygmy Three-toed Sloth.

As the name indicated, it’s a rather small fella belonging to the Sloth family and it is really cute and special. It lives on the coast of Panama and the population was estimated to be around 80 back in 2012.

They are around half the size of other sloths and their babies are especially slow and vulnerable to predators and other factors.

Saolas

This is very rare and can be found around the forests of Vietnam. It’s probably one of the rarest mammals.

Pangolins

A very peculiar animal that is also a mammal. They eat insects and there are only a few species left. They are found around Africa and South East Asia.

Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles are very beautiful as they fly through the waters of corals and colors. They are found all over the Globe, also around Madagascar and the rainforests.

The only place you will never find them is among the Arctic area.

Amur Leopards

The Amur Leopards live in Russia and China and they are smaller Leopards. It is estimated that there are only around 60 left of this gorgeous predator.

Blue Whales

Many endangered species are Arctic animals. The biggest animal on earth (to have EVER lived!) is the amazing giant Blue Whale.

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Chimpanzees

The Chimps are also threatened to the point of extinction. Their greatest threats are habitat loss and diseases. That means, that we are increasingly destroying the places they live.

Pandas

Pandas are amazing creatures.  They are only found in China and they are VERY popular in zoos. You can read a lot more about Pandas here.

Snow Leopards

Another really beautiful mammal is the Show Leopard. There are not many species left of these cats, and they belong to the wonderful list of Arctic animals.