Mammals by population |
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Recently extinct mammals are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as any mammals that have become extinct since the year 1500 CE. [1] Since then, roughly 80 mammal species have become extinct. [2]
Extinction of taxa is difficult to confirm, as a long gap without a sighting is not definitive, but before 1995 a threshold of 50 years without a sighting was used to declare extinction. [1]
One study found that extinction from habitat loss is the hardest to detect, as this might only fragment populations to the point of concealment from humans. Some mammals declared as extinct may very well reappear. [1] For example, a study found that 36% of purported mammalian extinction had been resolved, while the rest either had validity issues (insufficient evidence) or had been rediscovered. [3]
As of June 2023, the IUCN listed 233 mammalian species as "critically endangered", while 27% of all mammalian species were threatened with extinction. [4]
All species listed as "Extinct" are classified as being extinct (no known remaining individuals left) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). All species listed as Extinct in the wild are classified as being extinct in the wild, meaning that all remaining individuals of the species reside in captivity. All species listed as "Possibly extinct" are classified as being critically endangered, as it is unknown whether or not these species are extinct. [5] Extinct subspecies such as the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) [6] are not listed here as the species, in this case Panthera tigris , is still extant. The IUCN Redlist classification for each species serves as a citation, and the superscripted "IUCN" by the date is a link to that species' page. A range map is provided wherever available, and a description of their former or current range is given if a range map is not available.
Habitat degradation is currently the main anthropogenic cause of species extinctions. The main cause of habitat degradation worldwide is agriculture, with urban sprawl, logging, mining and some fishing practices close behind. The physical destruction of a habitat, both directly (deforestation for land development or lumber) and indirectly (burning fossil fuels), is an example of this. [7] [8]
Also, increasing toxicity, through media such as pesticides, can kill off a species very rapidly, by killing all living members through contamination or sterilizing them. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), for example, can bioaccumulate to hazardous levels, getting increasingly more dangerous further up the food chain. [9]
Disease can also be a factor: white nose syndrome in bats, for example, is causing a substantial decline in their populations and may even lead to the extinction of a species. [10]
Overhunting also has an impact. Terrestrial mammals, such as the tiger and deer, are mainly hunted for their pelts and in some cases meat, and marine mammals can be hunted for their oil and leather. Specific targeting of one species can be problematic to the ecosystem because the sudden demise of one species can inadvertently lead to the demise of another (coextinction) especially if the targeted species is a keystone species. Sea otters, for example, were hunted in the maritime fur trade, and their drop in population led to the rise in sea urchins—their main food source—which decreased the population of kelp—the sea urchin's and Steller's sea cow's main food source—leading to the extinction of the Steller's sea cow. [11] The hunting of an already limited species can easily lead to its extinction, as with the bluebuck whose range was confined to 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2) and which was hunted into extinction soon after discovery by European settlers. [12]
Island creatures are usually endemic to only that island, and that limited range and small population can leave them vulnerable to sudden changes. [13] While Australia is a continent and not an island, due to its geographical isolation, its unique fauna has suffered an extreme decline in mammal species, 10% of its 273 terrestrial mammals, since European settlement (a loss of one to two species per decade); in contrast, only one species in North America has become extinct since European settlement.[ citation needed ] Furthermore, 21% of Australia's mammals are threatened, and unlike in most other continents, the main cause is predation by feral species, such as cats. [14]
A species is declared extinct after exhaustive surveys of all potential habitats eliminate all reasonable doubt that the last individual of a species, whether in the wild or in captivity, has died. [15] Recently extinct species are defined by the IUCN as becoming extinct after 1500 CE. [1]
Common name | Binomial name | Order | Date of extinction | Former range | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broad-faced potoroo | Potorous platyops Gould, 1844 | Diprotodontia | 1875 1 | Australia | |
Eastern hare wallaby | Lagorchestes leporides Gould, 1841 | Diprotodontia | 1889 1 | Australia | |
Lake Mackay hare-wallaby | Lagorchestes asomatus Finlayson, 1943 | Diprotodontia | 1932 1 | Australia | |
Desert rat-kangaroo | Caloprymnus campestris Gould, 1843 | Diprotodontia | 1935 1 | Australia | |
Thylacine, or Tasmanian wolf/tiger | Thylacinus cynocephalus Harris, 1808 | Dasyuromorphia | 1936 1 | Australia, Tasmania | |
Toolache wallaby | Macropus greyi Waterhouse, 1846 | Diprotodontia | 1939 1 | Australia | |
Desert bandicoot | Perameles eremiana Spencer, 1837 | Peramelemorphia | 1943 1 | Australia | |
New South Wales barred bandicoot [16] | Perameles fasciata Gray, 1841 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
Southwestern barred bandicoot [16] | Perameles myosuros Wagner, 1841 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
Southern barred bandicoot [16] | Perameles notina Thomas, 1922 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
Nullarbor barred bandicoot [16] | Perameles papillon Travouillon & Phillips, 2018 | Peramelemorphia | early 20th century | Australia | |
Lesser bilby, or Yallara | Macrotis leucura Thomas, 1887 | Peramelemorphia | 1960s 1 | Australia | |
Southern pig-footed bandicoot | Chaeropus ecaudatus Ogilby, 1838 | Peramelemorphia | 1950s 1 | Australia | |
Northern pig-footed bandicoot | Chaeropus yirratji Travouillon et al., 2019 | Peramelemorphia | 1950s | ||
Crescent nail-tail wallaby | Onychogalea lunata Gould, 1841 | Diprotodontia | 1956 1 | Australia (western and central) | |
Red-bellied gracile opossum, or red-bellied gracile mouse opossum | Cryptonanus ignitus Díaz, Flores and Barquez, 2002 | Didelphimorphia | 1962 1 | Argentina | |
Nullarbor dwarf bettong | Bettongia pusilla McNamara, 1997 | Diprotodontia | early 1500s 1 | Australia (Nullarbor Plain) | |
Steller's sea cow | Hydrodamalis gigas von Zimmermann, 1780 | Sirenia | 1768 1 | Commander Islands (Russia, United States) | |
Bramble Cay melomys | Melomys rubicola Thomas, 1924 | Rodentia | 2016 1 | Australia (Bramble Cay) | |
Oriente cave rat | Boromys offella Miller, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Cuba | |
Torre's cave rat | Boromys torrei Allen, 1917 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Cuba | |
Imposter hutia | Hexolobodon phenax Miller, 1929 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Hispaniola (currently Haiti and the Dominican Republic) | |
Montane hutia | Isolobodon montanus Miller, 1922 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Hispaniola | |
Dwarf viscacha | Lagostomus crassus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | early 1900s 1 | Peru | |
Galápagos giant rat | Megaoryzomys curioi Niethammer, 1964 | Rodentia | 1500s 1 | Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos) | |
Cuban coney | Geocapromys columbianus Chapman, 1892 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Cuba | |
Hispaniolan edible rat | Brotomys voratus Miller, 1916 | Rodentia | 1536–1546 1 | Hispaniola | |
Puerto Rican hutia | Isolobodon portoricensis Allen, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1900s 1 | Hispaniola; introduced to Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas Island, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and Mona Island | |
Big-eared hopping mouse | Notomys macrotis Thomas, 1921 | Rodentia | 1843 1 | Australia (central Western Australia) | |
Darling Downs hopping mouse | Notomys mordax Thomas, 1921 | Rodentia | 1846 1 | Australia (Darling Downs, Queensland) | |
White-footed rabbit-rat | Conilurus albipes Lichtenstein, 1829 | Rodentia | early 1860s 1 | Australia (eastern coast) | |
Capricorn rabbit rat | Conilurus capricornensis Cramb and Hocknull, 2010 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Australia (Queensland) | |
Short-tailed hopping mouse | Notomys amplus Brazenor, 1936 | Rodentia | 1896 1 | Australia (Great Sandy Desert) | |
Long-tailed hopping mouse | Notomys longicaudatus Gould, 1844 | Rodentia | 1901 1 | Australia | |
Great hopping mouse | Notomys robustus Mahoney, Smith and Medlin, 2008 | Rodentia | mid-1800s 1 | Australia (Flinders Ranges and Davenport Ranges) | |
Desmarest's pilorie, or Martinique giant rice rat | Megalomys desmarestii Fischer, 1829 | Rodentia | 1902 1 | Martinique | |
Saint Lucia pilorie, or Saint Lucia giant rice rat | Megalomys luciae Major, 1901 | Rodentia | 1881 1 | Saint Lucia | |
Bulldog rat | Rattus nativitatis Thomas, 1888 | Rodentia | 1903 1 | Christmas Island | |
Maclear's rat | Rattus macleari Thomas, 1887 | Rodentia | 1903 1 | Christmas Island | |
Darwin's Galápagos mouse | Nesoryzomys darwini Osgood, 1929 | Rodentia | 1930 1 | Galápagos Islands | |
Gould's mouse | Pseudomys gouldii Waterhouse, 1839 | Rodentia | 1930 1 | Australia (southern half) | |
Plains rat, or Palyoora | Pseudomys auritus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | early 1800s 1 | Australia (Kangaroo Island and the Younghusband Peninsula) | |
Pemberton's deer mouse | Peromyscus pembertoni Burt, 1932 | Rodentia | 1931 1 | San Pedro Nolasco Island, Mexico | |
Samaná hutia | Plagiodontia ipnaeum Johnson, 1948 | Rodentia | early 1500s [lower-alpha 1] 1 | Hispaniola | |
Hispaniola monkey | Antillothrix bernensis MacPhee, Horovitz, Arredondo, & Jimenez Vasquez, 1995 | Primates | early 16th century | Hispaniola (currently Dominican Republic) | |
Lesser stick-nest rat, or white-tipped stick-nest rat | Leporillus apicalis John Gould, 1854 | Rodentia | 1933 1 | Australia (west-central) | |
Indefatigable Galápagos mouse | Nesoryzomys indefessus Thomas, 1899 | Rodentia | 1934 1 | Galápagos Islands | |
Little Swan Island hutia | Geocapromys thoracatus True, 1888 | Rodentia | 1955 1 | Swan Islands, Honduras | |
Blue-gray mouse | Pseudomys glaucus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | 1956 1 | Australia (Queensland, New South Wales) | |
Buhler's coryphomys or Buhler's rat | Coryphomys buehleri Schaub, 1937 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | West Timor, Indonesia | |
Insular cave rat | Heteropsomys insulans Anthony, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1500s 1 | Vieques Island, Puerto Rico | |
Candango mouse | Juscelinomys candango Moojen, 1965 | Rodentia | 1960 1 | Central Brazil | |
Anthony's woodrat | Neotoma anthonyi Allen, 1898 | Rodentia | 1926 1 | Isla Todos Santos, Mexico | |
Bunker's woodrat | Neotoma bunkeri Burt, 1932 | Rodentia | 1931 1 | Coronado Islands, Mexico | |
Vespucci's rodent | Noronhomys vespuccii Carleton and Olson, 1999 | Rodentia | 1500 1 | Fernando de Noronha, Brazil | |
St. Vincent colilargo, or St. Vincent pygmy rice rat | Oligoryzomys victus Thomas, 1898 | Rodentia | 1892 1 | Saint Vincent | |
Jamaican rice rat | Oryzomys antillarum Thomas, 1898 | Rodentia | 1877 1 | Jamaica | |
Nelson's rice rat | Oryzomys nelsoni Merriam, 1889 | Rodentia | 1897 1 | Islas Marías, Mexico | |
Nevis rice rat, or St. Eustatius rice rat, St. Kitts rice rat | Pennatomys nivalis Turvey, Weksler, Morris, and Nokkert, 2010 | Rodentia | early 1500s [lower-alpha 2] 1 | Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts and Nevis | |
Christmas Island pipistrelle | Pipistrellus murrayi Andrews, 1900 | Chiroptera | 2009 1 | Christmas Island | |
Sardinian pika | Prolagus sardus Wagner, 1832 | Lagomorpha | 1774 1 | Corsica and Sardinia | |
Marcano's solenodon | Solenodon marcanoi Patterson, 1962 | Eulipotyphla | 1500s 1 | Dominican Republic | |
Puerto Rican nesophontes | Nesophontes edithae Anthony, 1916 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Puerto Rico, Vieques Island, Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | |
Atalaye nesophontes | Nesophontes hypomicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Hispaniola | |
Greater Cuban nesophontes | Nesophontes major Arredondo, 1970 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Cuba | |
Western Cuban nesophontes | Nesophontes micrus Allen, 1917 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Cuba (including Isla de la Juventud) | |
St. Michel nesophontes | Nesophontes paramicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Hispaniola | |
Haitian nesophontes | Nesophontes zamicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s 1 | Haiti | |
Lesser Mascarene flying fox, or dark flying fox | Pteropus subniger kerr, 1792 | Chiroptera | 1864 1 | Réunion, Mauritius | |
Guam flying fox, or Guam fruit bat | Pteropus tokudae Tate, 1934 | Chiroptera | 1968 1 | Guam | |
Dusky flying fox, or Percy Island flying fox | Pteropus brunneus Dobson, 1878 | Chiroptera | 1870 1 | Percy Islands (Australia) | |
Large Palau flying fox | Pteropus pilosus Andersen, 1908 | Chiroptera | 1874 1 | Palau | |
Large sloth lemur | Palaeopropithecus ingens Grandidier, 1899 | Primates | 1620 1 | In green | |
Aurochs | Bos primigenius Bojanus, 1827 | Artiodactyla | 1627 1 | ||
Bluebuck | Hippotragus leucophaeus Pallas, 1766 | Artiodactyla | 1800 1 | ||
Red gazelle | Eudorcas rufina Thomas, 1894 | Artiodactyla | late 1800s 1 | Algeria | |
Schomburgk's deer | Rucervus schomburgki Blyth, 1863 | Artiodactyla | 1932 1 | Thailand | |
Queen of Sheba's gazelle, or Yemen gazelle | Gazella bilkis Grover and Lay, 1985 | Artiodactyla | 1951 1 | Yemen | |
Madagascan dwarf hippopotamus | Hippopotamus lemerlei Milne-Edwards, 1868 | Artiodactyla | early 1500s [lower-alpha 3] 1 | Madagascar | |
Falkland Islands wolf or warrah | Dusicyon australis Kerr, 1792 | Carnivora | 1876 1 | Falkland Islands | |
Dusicyon avus | Dusicyon avus Burmeister, 1866 | Carnivora | early 1500s 1 | Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay | |
Sea mink | Neogale macrodon Prentiss, 1903 | Carnivora | 1894 1 | United States (Maine, Massachusetts) and Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland) | |
Japanese sea lion | Zalophus japonicus Peters, 1866 | Carnivora | 1970s 1 | Japan, Korea, Russia | |
Caribbean monk seal | Neomonachus tropicalis Gray, 1850 | Carnivora | 1952 1 | Caribbean Sea | |
Giant fossa | Cryptoprocta spelea Grandidier, 1902 | Carnivora | before 1658 1 | ||
Lord Howe long-eared bat | Nyctophilus howensis McKean, 1975 | Chiroptera | prior to 1972 1 | Lord Howe Island, Australia | |
Japanese otter | Lutra nippon Imaizumi & Yoshiyuki, 1989 | Carnivora | 1990s [19] | Japan |
Common name | Binomial name | Species | Order | Date of extinction | Former range | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mississippi Valley wolf | Canis rufus gregoryi Goldman, 1937 | Red wolf (Canis rufus) | Carnivora | 1980 | North America | |
Caucasian wisent | Bison bonasus caucasicus Turkin and Satunin, 1904 | European bison (Bison bonasus) | Artiodactyla | 1927 | Europe | |
Carpathian wisent | Bison bonasus hungarorum Kretzoi, 1946 | European bison (Bison bonasus) | Artiodactyla | 1852 | Europe | |
Quagga | Equus quagga quagga Boddaert, 1785 | Plains zebra (Equus quagga) | Perissodactyla | 1883 | Africa | |
Japanese wolf | Canis lupus hodophilax Temminick 1839 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1905 | Asia | |
Hokkaido wolf | Canis lupus hattai Kishida, 1931 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1889 | Asia | |
Atlas bear | Ursus arctos crowtheri Schinz, 1844 | Brown bear (Ursus arctos) | Carnivora | 1890 | Africa | |
Bali tiger | Panthera tigris sondaica Shwarz,1912 | Tiger (Panthera tigris) | Carnivora | 1950s | Asia | |
Caspian tiger | Panthera tigris tigris Illiger, 1815 | Tiger (Panthera tigris) | Carnivora | 1970s | Asia | |
Javan tiger | Panthera tigris sondaica Temminick, 1844 | Tiger (Panthera tigris) | Carnivora | 1980s | Asia | |
Bubal hartebeest | Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus Pallas 1766 | Hartebeest (Alcephalus buselaphus) | Artiodactyla | 1925 | Africa | |
Portuguese ibex | Capra pyrenaica lusitanica Schlegel, 1872 | Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) | Artiodactyla | 1892 | Europe | |
Pyrenean ibex | Capra pyrenaica pyreneica Schinz, 1838 | Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) | Artiodactyla | 2000 | Europe | |
Western black rhinoceros | Diceros bicornis longipes Zukowsky, 1999 | Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) | Artiodactyla | 2011 | Africa | |
Cape lion | Panthera leo melanochaita Smith, 1842 | Lion (Panthera leo) | Carnivora | mid 19th century | Africa | |
Barbary lion | Panthera leo leo Linnaeus, 1758 | Lion (Panthera leo) | Carnivora | 1960s | Africa | |
Southern Rocky Mountain wolf | Canis lupus nubilus Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1935 | North America | |
Kenai Peninsula wolf | Canis lupus occidentalis Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1925 | North America | |
Banks Island wolf | Canis lupus arctos Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1952 | North America | |
Newfoundland wolf | Canis lupus nubilus Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1911 | North America | |
Florida black wolf | Canis rufus floridanus Miller, 1912 | Red wolf (Canis rufus) | Carnivora | 1934 | North America | |
Cascade Mountains wolf | Canis lupus nubilus Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1944 | North America | |
Mogollon mountain wolf | Canis lupus nubilus Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1970s | North America | |
Texas wolf | Canis lupus nubilus Nowak, 1995 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 19th century | North America | |
Sicilian wolf | Canis lupus cristaldii Angelici and Rossi, 2018 | Grey wolf (Canis lupus) | Carnivora | 1924 | Europe | |
Mexican grizzly bear | Ursus arctos nelsoni Merriam, 1914 | Brown bear (Ursus arctos) | Carnivora | 1965 | North America | |
California grizzly bear | Ursus arctos californicus Merriam, 1896 | Brown bear (Ursus arctos) | Carnivora | 1924 | North America | |
Tarpan | Equus ferus ferus Boddaert, 1785 | Wild horse (Equus ferus) | Perissodactyla | 1909 | Europe |
A species that is extinct in the wild is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as only known by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due to massive habitat loss. A species is declared extinct in the wild after thorough surveys have inspected its historic range and failed to find evidence of a surviving individual. [15]
Common name | Binomial name | Order | Date of extinction | Former range | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Père David's deer | Elaphurus davidianus Milne-Edwards, 1866 | Artiodactyla | 1939 1 | China |
Extinction of taxa is difficult to detect, as a long gap without a sighting is not definitive. Some mammals declared as extinct may very well reappear. [1] For example, a study found that 36% of purported mammalian extinction had been resolved, while the rest either had validity issues (insufficient evidence) or had been rediscovered. [3] As of December 2015, the IUCN listed 30 mammalian species as "critically endangered (possibly extinct)". [4]
Common name | Binomial name | Order | Last confirmed sighting | Range | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kouprey, or Forest ox | Bos sauveli Urbain, 1937 | Artiodactyla | 1988 1 | ||
Garrido's hutia | Capromys garridoi Varona, 1970 | Rodentia | 1989 1 [ dead link ] | Cayo Maja, Cuba | |
Christmas Island shrew | Crocidura trichura Dobson, 1889 | Eulipotyphla | 1985 1 | ||
Wimmer's shrew | Crocidura wimmeri de Balsac and Aellen, 1958 | Eulipotyphla | 1976 1 | ||
Baiji, or Yangtze river dolphin | Lipotes vexillifer Miller, 1918 | Artiodactyla | 2002 [lower-alpha 4] 1 | ||
Zuniga's dark rice rat | Melanomys zunigae Sanborn | Rodentia | 1949 1 | Peru | |
Dwarf hutia | Mesocapromys nanus Allen, 1917 | Rodentia | 1937 1 | Ciénaga de Zapata, Cuba | |
San Felipe hutia, or Little earth hutia | Mesocapromys sanfelipensis Varona & Garrido, 1970 | Rodentia | 1978 1 | Cuba | |
One-striped opossum | Monodelphis unistriata Wagner, 1842 | Didelphimorphia | 1899 1 | ||
Gloomy tube-nosed bat | Murina tenebrosa Yoshiyuki, 1970 | Chiroptera | 1962 1 | Tsushima Island and possibly Yaku Island, Japan | |
New Zealand greater short-tailed bat | Mystacina robusta Dwyer, 1962 | Chiroptera | 1967 1 | Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island, New Zealand | |
Ethiopian amphibious rat, or Ethiopian water mouse | Nilopegamys plumbeus Osgood, 1928 | Rodentia | 1920s 1 | Mouth of the Lesser Abay River, Ethiopia | |
Angel Island mouse | Peromyscus guardia Townsend, 1912 | Rodentia | 1991 1 | Isla Ángel de la Guarda, Mexico | |
Puebla deer mouse | Peromyscus mekisturus Merriam, 1898 | Rodentia | 1950s 1 | Ciudad Serdan and Tehuacán, Mexico | |
Telefomin cuscus | Phalanger matanim Flannery, 1987 | Diprotodontia | 1997 1 | ||
Montane monkey-faced bat | Pteralopex pulchra Flannery, 1991 | Chiroptera | 1990s 1 | ||
Aru flying fox | Pteropus aruensis Peter, 1867 | Chiroptera | 1877 1 | ||
Emma's giant rat | Uromys emmae Groves and Flannery, 1994 | Rodentia | 1990s 1 | Papua Province, Indonesia | |
Emperor rat | Uromys imperator Thomas, 1888 | Rodentia | 1888 1 | Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | |
Guadalcanal rat | Uromys porculus Thomas, 1904 | Rodentia | 1888 1 | Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | |
Malabar large-spotted civet, or Malabar civet | Viverra civettina Blyth, 1862 | Carnivora | late 1900s [lower-alpha 5] 1 |
The tiger is a member of the genus Panthera native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is traditionally classified into nine recent subspecies, though some recognise only two subspecies, mainland Asian tigers and the island tigers of the Sunda Islands.
The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) with a 66–102 cm (26–40 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 60–70 cm (24–28 in). Males typically weigh 30.9–72 kg (68–159 lb), and females 20.5–43 kg (45–95 lb).
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species. A series of Regional Red Lists, which assess the risk of extinction to species within a political management unit, are also produced by countries and organizations.
The term "big cat" is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus Panthera, namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard, as well as the non-pantherine cheetah and cougar.
The Indochinese tiger is a population of the Panthera tigris tigris subspecies that is native to Southeast Asia. This population occurs in Myanmar and Thailand. In 2011, the population was thought to comprise 342 individuals, including 85 in Myanmar and 20 in Vietnam, with the largest population unit surviving in Thailand, estimated at 189 to 252 individuals during the period 2009 to 2014.
The Sumatran tiger is a population of Panthera tigris sondaica on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers are extinct.
The Caspian tiger was a Panthera tigris tigris population native to eastern Turkey, northern Iran, Mesopotamia, the Caucasus around the Caspian Sea, Central Asia to northern Afghanistan and the Xinjiang region in western China. Until the Middle Ages, it was also present in southern Russia. It inhabited sparse forests and riverine corridors in this region until the 1970s. This population was regarded as a distinct subspecies and assessed as extinct in 2003.
Panthera leo leo is a lion subspecies present in West Africa, northern Central Africa and India. In West and Central Africa it is restricted to fragmented and isolated populations with a declining trajectory. It has been referred to as the northern lion.
The South China tiger is a population of the Panthera tigris tigris subspecies that is native to southern China. The population mainly inhabited the Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the China's Red List of Vertebrates and is possibly extinct in the wild since no wild individual has been recorded since the late 1980s. In the late 1990s, continued survival was considered unlikely because of low prey density, widespread habitat degradation and fragmentation, and other environmental issues in China. In the fur trade, it used to be called Amoy tiger.
The Javan tiger was a Panthera tigris sondaica population native to the Indonesian island of Java. It was one of the three tiger populations that colonized the Sunda Islands during the last glacial period 110,000–12,000 years ago. It used to inhabit most of Java, but its natural habitat decreased continuously due to conversion for agricultural land use and infrastructure. By 1940, it had retreated to remote montane and forested areas. Since no evidence of a Javan tiger was found during several studies in the 1980s and 1990s, it was assessed as being extinct in 2008.
The Bali tiger was a Panthera tigris sondaica population on the Indonesian island of Bali which has been extinct since the 1950s. It was formerly regarded as a distinct tiger subspecies with the scientific name Panthera tigris balica, which had been assessed as extinct on the IUCN Red List in 2008. In 2017, felid taxonomy was revised, and it was subordinated to P. t. sondaica, which also includes the still surviving Sumatran tiger.
The Pantherinae is a subfamily of the Felidae; it was named and first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1917 as only including the Panthera species, but later also came to include the clouded leopards. The Pantherinae genetically diverged from a common ancestor between 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago and 10.67 to 3.76 million years ago.
The Malayan tiger is a tiger from a specific population of the Panthera tigris tigris subspecies that is native to Peninsular Malaysia. This population inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula, and has been classified as critically endangered. As of April 2014, the population was estimated at 80–120 mature individuals, with a continuing downward trend.
There are several plausible pathways that could lead to an increased extinction risk from climate change. Every plant and animal species has evolved to exist within a certain ecological niche. But climate change leads to changes of temperature and average weather patterns. These changes can push climatic conditions outside of the species' niche, and ultimately render it extinct. Normally, species faced with changing conditions can either adapt in place through microevolution or move to another habitat with suitable conditions. However, the speed of recent climate change is very fast. Due to this rapid change, for example cold-blooded animals may struggle to find a suitable habitat within 50 km of their current location at the end of this century.
The wildlife of Israel includes the flora and fauna of Israel, which is extremely diverse due to the country's location between the temperate and the tropical zones, bordering the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the desert in the east. Species such as the Syrian brown bear and the Arabian ostrich have become extinct in Israel because of their loss of habitat. As of May 2007, 190 nature reserves have been established in Israel.
A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as only consisting of living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range. Classification requires exhaustive surveys conducted within the species' known habitat with consideration given to seasonality, time of day, and life cycle. Once a species is classified as EW, the only way for it to be downgraded is through reintroduction.
The baiji(Lipotes vexillifer), is a possibly extinct species of freshwater dolphin native to the Yangtze river system in China. It is thought to be the first dolphin species driven to extinction due to the impact of humans. This dolphin is listed as "critically endangered: possibly extinct" by the IUCN, has not been seen in 20 years, and several surveys of the Yangtze have failed to find it. The species is also called the Chinese river dolphin, Yangtze river dolphin, Yangtze dolphin and whitefin dolphin. The gnus name Lipotes means "left behind" and the species epithet vexillifer means "flag bearer". It is nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze" and was regarded as the goddess of protection by local fishermen and boatmen. It is not to be confused with the Chinese white dolphin or the finless porpoise. This is the only species in the genus Lipotes.
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, invasive species, and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration.
The Amur leopard is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as in 2007, only 19–26 wild leopards were estimated to survive in southeastern Russia and northeastern China.
The decline of wild mammal populations globally has been an occurrence spanning over the past 50,000 years, at the same time as the populations of humans and livestock have increased. Nowadays, the total biomass of wild mammals on land is believed to be seven times lower than its prehistoric values, while the biomass of marine mammals had declined fivefold. At the same time, the biomass of humans is "an order of magnitude higher than that of all wild mammals", and the biomass of livestock mammals like pigs and cattle is even larger than that. Even as wild mammals had declined, the growth in the numbers of humans and livestock had increased total mammal biomass fourfold. Only 4% of that increased number are wild mammals, while livestock and humans amount to 60% and 36%. Alongside the simultaneous halving of plant biomass, these striking declines are considered part of the prehistoric phase of the Holocene extinction.