On planet Earth there are countless animal species, some of them are still to be discovered and many others that inhabited it have unfortunately become extinct. In this article we want to talk to you about the 15 rare extinct animals less common than ever existed.
Some of them left this world many years ago while others have done so much more recently. Their extinction has been due to numerous reasons, but the biggest culprit for the death of these animals has been humans since they have hunted indiscriminately in addition to contaminating the natural habitat of many of them. In these lines, you will be amazed by the animals that we are going to show you. Discover them!
15 rare extinct animals | They are incredible!
1. Helicoprion
We have already talked in depth about this animal in another article on our website. Its large size, more than four meters long, was not its most peculiar feature. This was the shape of its teeth, as they were very similar to a circular saw. All placed in the lower jaw, in a spiral shape. Undoubtedly, His appearance was terrifying and peculiar in equal parts..
2. Cave Lion
This fantastic gigantic animal lived throughout prehistory and was an ancestor of the lion we know today. Due to the fossils that have been found, it seems that it was much larger than this one. There are two hypotheses for its extinction, one of them is mass hunting and the other is climate change. Everything suggests that This species of lion was of very important beauty.
3. Dodo bird
One of the rare extinct animals best known to humans, this species of flightless bird was endemic to the Mauritius Islands. This animal became extinct at the end of the 17th century, which has not prevented it from being one of the most iconic when it comes to extinct species. Its description is based on found skeletons and ancient drawings, but the idea is that of a bird with very small wings and legs that are excessively large and strong for its size, also having a very long beak. It used to be described as a plump, clumsy bird..
Surely you will remember him from the children’s animation saga «The Ice Age.»
4. Quagga
This species of animal was a hybrid between a zebra and a donkey. They only had stripes on one part of their bodies, they lived in the southern part of Africa and became extinct due to massive hunting at the end of the 19th century.
5. Tasmanian tiger
Its scientific name was Thylacine, it could only be found in Australia, New Guinea or Tasmania and it became extinct recently, in the 20th century. It was him largest marsupial carnivore of modern times and was characterized by having a striped back.
6. Giant Auk
It was a species of bird that reached almost a meter in height and could not fly. It resembled modern penguins in appearance and lived on the Northern Islands. Its meat was highly coveted.which led to massive hunting and extinction in the first half of the 19th century.
7. Irish Moose
Animals that lived more than half a million years ago and are considered the largest deer that have ever existed. Although most of them have been located in Ireland, they lived throughout Europe and Asia. In addition to its large size, They had impressive antlers. They became extinct due to climate change.
8. Golden toad
This amphibian joined the list of rare extinct animals relatively recently. It was typical of Costa Rica and stood out for the fluorescent color of your skinlived underground and also disappeared due to climate change.
9. Mammoth
Another of the best-known rare extinct animals, which disappeared more than 4,000 years ago. Their enormous size stood out, since they were much larger than elephants, and their impressive tusks. These animals, They were very important for prehistoric man, since they were a great source of food, so their massive hunting could be the cause of the disappearance of the mammoth.
10. Moa
These birds were very similar to ostriches although they were much larger than them. They reached three meters in height. and they lived in New Zealand, since they could not fly, their hunting was relatively easy, which is why they disappeared in the 15th century at the hands of humans.
11. Gastric Brooding Frog
The most notable feature of this species of amphibian that lived in Australia is the way it incubates its eggs. Since it swallowed them so that it could incubate them inside its stomach. After six weeks, the babies came out of his mouth. It became extinct at the end of the 20th century.
12. Caspian Tiger
Also known as the Persian tiger, this species of feline was the third largest in the world. It stood out for its incredible and dense fur, as well as its size. The Russian tsars, They ordered to exterminate them when they settled in the territory, a decision that is still difficult to understand today.
13. The woolly rhinoceros
Very similar to those that still remain on planet Earth, this rhinoceros was very striking because its abundant fur in addition to its large horns. They measured more than two meters long and coexisted with our prehistoric ancestors, hunting them and climate change caused their disappearance.
14. The Laughing Owl
It was named so because of its strident sounds, which recalled to human laughter. It became extinct due to deforestation in the middle of the 20th century, it could be found in New Zealand.
15. Wonambi
There are no photos of this animal, but some skeletons have been found that give us a slight idea of the gigantic size of this ancient snake. It is believed that they were the ancestors of the Australian snakes and It measured up to six meters in length. They became extinct millions of years ago, but the vestiges that have survived to our times make them one of the rare and most impressive extinct animals we know.
Now we would like you to give us your opinion about all these rare extinct animals that we have presented to you in this article, do not hesitate to write to us as we love reading your comments. Cheer up!