Missing
List of Possibly Extinct Animals
Extinctions have occurred in all animal groups, but some are more studied than others. Some animals are not seen for many years. Proving extinction beyond reasonable doubt is often very difficult. A few species that were thought to be Extinct were subsequently rediscovered in remnant populations. This page identifies those species and subspecies that are likely to be extinct, but for which there is a small chance that they may still be extant. Surveys to discover whether these species and subspecies still exists should be carried out urgently, followed by appropriate conservation action if needed.
Often those are animals that are classified as Critically Endangered or Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List. BirdLife International applies also 'Possibly Extinct' tag to certain Critically Endangered species: CR (PE). This is not an official category of the IUCN Red List, but is under review by the IUCN Red List. They should not be listed as Extinct until local or unconfirmed reports have been discounted, and adequate surveys have failed to find any individuals. The Extinction Website classifies these animals as missing (possibly extinct). Note: the subjoined list is incomplete. Do you know other missing animals? Contact this website.
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Mammals (32/4) |
Birds (31/1) |
Reptiles (2) |
Amphibians (5) |
|
Fish (8) |
Molluscs (0) |
Insects (9) |
Arachnids (0) |
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Crustaceans (0) |
Velvet Worms (1) |
Flatworms (0) |
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|
Segmented Worms (0) |
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| Mammals (Mammalia) - Species | Total Number: 32 species | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Bos sauveli | Kouprey | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Crateromys australis | Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
|
Crateromys paulus |
Ilin Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat | M(PE) | DD |
| Crocidura trichura | Christmas Island Shrew | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Crocidura wimmeri | Wimmer's Shrew | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Cryptochloris wintoni | De Winton's Golden Mole | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Cryptotis nelsoni | Nelson's Small Eared Shrew | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Dendrolagus mayri | Wondiwoi Tree-kangaroo | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Dipodomys gravipes | San Quintin Kangaroo Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Harpiola grisea | Peter's Tube-nosed Bat | M(PE) | DD |
| Leporillus apicalis | Lesser Stick-nest Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Lipotes vexillifer | Yangtze River Dolphin | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Melanomys zunigae | Zuniga's Dark Rice Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Mesocapromys nanus | Dwarf Hutia | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Mesocapromys sanfelipensis | Little Earth Hutia | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Murina tenebrosa | Tsushima Tube-nosed Bat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Myotis hajastanicus | Armenian Whiskered Bat | M(PE) | CR |
| Mysateles garridoi | Garrido's Hutia | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
|
Mystacina robusta |
New Zealand Greater Short-tailed Bat | M(PE) | CR |
|
Nyctophilus howensis |
Lord Howe Long-Eared Bat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
|
Paracoelops megalotis |
Vietnamese Leaf-nosed Bat |
M(PE) | DD |
| Peromyscus mekisturus | Puebla Deer Mouse | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Phalanger matanim | Telefomin Cuscus | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Pharotis imogene | New Guinea Big-eared Bat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Pipistrellus sturdeei | Sturdee's Pipistrelle | M(PE) | DD |
| Pteropus aruensis | Aru Flying Fox | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Pteropus loochoensis | Okinawa Flying Fox | M(PE) | DD |
| Pteropus tuberculatus | Vanikoro Flying Fox | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Uromys emmae | Emma's Giant Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
|
Uromys imperator |
Emperor Rat | M(PE) | CR |
| Uromys porculus | Guadalcanal Rat | M(PE) | CR |
| Zyzomys pedunculatus | Central Rock Rat | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Mammals (Mammalia) - Subspecies | Total Number: 4 subspecies | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Cercopithecus mitis schoutedeni | Schouteden’s Blue Monkey | M(PE) | CR |
| Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis | Northern Sumatran Rhinoceros | M(PE) | Not Listed |
| Piliocolobus badius waldronae | Miss Waldron's Red Colobus Monkey | M(PE) | CR |
| Procolobus pennantii bouvieri | Bouvier’s Red Colobus | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Birds (Aves) - Species | Total Number: 31 species | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Anodorhynchus glaucus | Glaucous Macaw | M(PE) | CR |
| Campephilus imperialis | Imperial Woodpecker | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Campephilus principalis | Ivory-billed Woodpecker | M(PE) | CR |
| Charmosyna diadema | New Caledonian Lorikeet | M(PE) | CR |
| Columba argentina | Silvery Wood-pigeon | M(PE) | CR |
| Cyornis ruckii | Rueck's Blue-flycatcher | M(PE) | CR |
| Eriocnemis godini | Turquoise-throated Puffleg | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Eurochelidon sirintarae | White-eyed River-martin | M(PE) | CR |
| Gallicolumba menagei | Sulu Bleeding-heart | M(PE) | CR |
| Gallinula pacifica | Samoan Moorhen | M(PE) | CR |
| Gallinula silvestris | Makira Moorhen | M(PE) | CR |
| Gallirallus lafresnayanus | New Caledonian Wood Rail | M(PE) | CR |
| Grallaria chthonia | Tachira Antpitta | M(PE) | CR |
| Hemignathus lucidus | Nukupuu | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Leucopeza semperi | Semper's Warbler | M(PE) | CR |
| Myadestes lanaiensis | Olomao | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Numenius borealis | Eskimo Curlew | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Oceanodroma macrodactyla | Guadalupe Storm-petrel | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Ophrysia superciliosa | Himalayan Quail | M(PE) | CR |
| Otus siaoensis | Siau Scops-owl | M(PE) | CR |
| Paroreomyza maculata | Oahu Creeper | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Psittirostra psittacea | Ou | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Pterodroma caribbaea | Jamaica Petrel | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Ptilinopus arcanus | Negros Fruit-dove | M(PE) | CR |
| Rhodonessa caryophyllacea | Pink-headed Duck | M(PE) | CR |
| Siphonorhis americana | Jamaican Pauraque | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Sporophila melanops | Hooded Seedeater | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Tachybaptus rufolavatus | Alaotra Grebe | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Tadorna cristata | Crested Shelduck | M(PE) | CR |
| Vanellus macropterus | Javanese Lapwing | M(PE) | CR |
| Vermivora bachmanii | Bachman's Warbler | M(PE) | CR (PE) |
| Birds (Aves) - Subspecies | Total Number: 1 subspecies | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Grallaria milleri gilesi | Antioquia Brown-banded Antpitta | M(PE) | Not Listed |
| Reptiles (Reptilia) | Total Number: 2 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Alsophis ater | Black Racer | M(PE) | CR |
| Aparallactus nigriceps | Mozambique Centipede Eater | M(PE) | Not Listed |
| Amphibians (Amphibia) | Total Number: 5 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Dendrobates abditus | Collins' Poison Frog | M(PE) | CR |
| Eleutherodactylus jasperi | Golden Coqui | M(PE) | CR |
| Lithobates tlaloci | Tlaloc’s Leopard Frog | M(PE) | CR |
| Litoria nyakalensis | Mountain Mist Frog | M(PE) | CR |
| Taudactylus acutirostris | Sharp-Snouted Day Frog |
M(PE) | CR |
| Fish (Actinopterygii & Cephalaspidomorphi) | Total Number: 8 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Coregonus hoferi | Schwebrenke | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis bayoni | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis maculipinna | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis megalops | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis microdon | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis spekii | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Haplochromis victorianus | Unknown | M(PE) | CR |
| Knipowitschia cameliae | Danube Delta Dwarf Goby | M(PE) | CR |
| Molluscs (Molusca) | Total Number: 0 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| None | None | - | - |
| Insects (Insecta) | Total Number: 9 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Omiodes asaphombra | 'ohe Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes continuatalis | Unknown | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes epicentra | Oahu Swamp Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes euryprora | Ola'A Banana Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes fullawayi | Fullaway's Banana Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes laysanensis | Laysan Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes meyricki | Meyrick's Banana Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes musicola | Maui Banana Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Omiodes telegrapha | Telegraphic Hedyleptan Moth | M(PE) | DD |
| Arachnids (Arachnida) | Total Number: 0 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| None | None | - | - |
| Crustaceans (Crustacea) | Total Number: 0 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| None | None | - | - |
| Sea Anemones and Corals (Anthozoa) | Total Number: 1 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Edwardsia ivelli | Ivell's Sea Anemone | M(PE) | DD |
| Ivell's sea anemone is only known from the Widewater Lagoon in West Sussex, England. It was first discovered by Dick Manuel in 1975 when he and his colleague Professor Richard Ivell were examining Widewater for anemones. This Ivell's Sea Anemone has not been recorded since 1983. Since that year, three surveys have failed to record this sea anemone. The habitat of Ivell's sea anemone is threatened by habitat degradation as a result of reduced seawater inflow from adjacent marshes. Pollution from nearby gardens following the run-off of pesticides and fertilisers has also caused reduced water quality. This animal may be extinct but this is a small anemone of shallow soft mud bottoms, a habitat not well explored for small invertebrates, and thus this creature may well be living, unnoticed, in other localities. (Barnes 1994; Jackson 1999; World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996) | |||
| Velvet Worms (Onychophora) | Total Number: 1 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| Peripatopsis leonina | Lion's Hill Velvet Worm | M(PE) | CR |
| The Lion's Hill Velvet Worm has only been recorded from one small area in the Western Cape, South Africa, and was last collected in 1900. Unfortunately, the type locality and its habitat have undergone enormous changes over the past 100 years. It was listed as extinct (EX) since the 1996 red list of threatened species, but has removed from the extinctions list in the 2003 red list. The justification of the IUCN is: "there is no conclusive evidence that this species is extinct, and given the nature of onychophorans and the lack of research on this group, there is a chance that this species may still be extant, but Critically Endangered as a result of changes to its narrow habitat". (IUCN 2008) | |||
| Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) | Total Number: 0 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| None | None | - | - |
| Segmented Worms (Annelida) | Total Number: 0 | ||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TEW Status | IUCN Status |
| None | None | - | - |
This page was last updated on 29 December 2008.