Extinct Animals List

On this page we list numerous animal species that have gone extinct over the last few centuries. Listing all the species that have become extinct throughout history or even over the last couple of centuries would be impossible. This becomes apparent when you consider the fact that over ninety percent of all the species that ever walked the earth are now extinct. Where a few species do evolve the majority die off due to numerous reasons like climatic change and changes in food sources. The information on this page and in this category "Extinct Animals List" is meant to give both kids and adults alike a sample of the many interesting creatures that are now extinct. The extinct animal list below has the date the species became extinct or was thought to have become extinct in parentheses.

Extinct Animals List - 18th century

Steller's Sea Cow (1768) - This huge marine mammal which was found throughout the North Pacific was hunted to extinction.
Tahiti Sandpiper (1773) - This bird that lived in Tahiti was killed off by animals such as rats, pigs, and goats introduced by settlers.
Society Parakeet (1777) - Once found only on the small island of Raiatea in the South Pacific Ocean it is believed this bird died-off due to loss of habitat and the introduction of animals such as rats to its island.

Extinct Animals List - 19th century

Great Auk (1852) - This North Atlantic flightless bird was hunted to extinction mostly for its down.
Quagga (1883) - This indigenous animal of South Africa was hunted to extinction.
Eastern Elk (1896) - An inhabitant of the woodlands of the Northeast United States and southern Canada it became extinct due to habitat loss and hunting.

Extinct Animals - 20th century

Australian Pig-footed bandicoot (1901) - It is not clear what led to the extinction of this tiny inhabitant of the dry plains of Australia.
Honshu wolf (1905) - In the early 1700s these wolves were numerous on several islands off of Japan until rabies was introduced to the islands. The rabies along with loss of habitat were the main causes of its extinction.
Bali Tiger (1937) - Once found only on Bali this small tiger was driven into extinction by hunting and habitat loss.
Caspian Tiger (1970) - Once living in the sparse forest near the Caspian Sea these amazing huge predators were driven into extinction by hunting, diseases, and loss of habitat.
Javan Tiger (1979) - Once an inhabitant of the tiny island of Java this creatures numbers were reduced by hunting, loss of habitat, and loss of its food sources until it finally became extinct sometime in the 1970s.

Extinct Animals - 21st century

Baiji Dolphin (2006) - This dolphin was found only in China's Yangtze River. The increase in fishing and shipping on the river led to its extinction.
Western Black Rhinoceros (2011) - Once numerous in the grasslands of Africa this magnificent animal was hunted into extinction.
Japanese River Otter (2012) - Once common throughout Japan hunting and habitat loss led to this playful creature's demise.

Extinct Animals List