List of Asian animals extinct in the Holocene

This is a list of Asian animals extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE)[a] and continues to the present day.[1]

Map of Asia

This list includes the Asian continent and its surrounding islands, including Cyprus. The three Transcaucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are included in the List of European species extinct in the Holocene, even though their territory may fall partially or fully in Asia depending on the definition of Europe considered. Species from Western New Guinea (Indonesia), the Aru Islands (Indonesia), and Christmas Island (Australia) are listed in List of Australia-New Guinea species extinct in the Holocene.

Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.

Mammals (class Mammalia)

Elephant-like mammals (order Proboscidea)

Elephants and mammoths (family Elephantidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Syrian elephantElephas maximus asurusMesopotamiaArchaeological evidence and historical records imply an extinction caused by hunting and deforestation in the 8th century BCE, with war elephants from the 3rd century BCE onward being imports from South Asia. However, the lack of evidence of Asian elephants in the Near East between 200,000 and 3,500 years ago has led some authors to propose that Bronze Age elephants were actually introduced by people to provide themselves with exotic game and ivory. If true, this would invalidate the subspecies E. m. asurus.[2]
Javan elephantElephas maximus sondaicusJava, IndonesiaIntroduced to Sulu in the Philippines in the 14th century, before its extinction in Java; survived in the former until its extermination in 1850. However, the extant Bornean elephant has been suggested to have originated from Sulu stock and not be native to the island. If true, this would make the subspecies E. m. sondaicus synonymous with E. m. borneensis and not globally extinct.[3]
Woolly mammothMammuthus primigeniusNorthern Eurasia and North AmericaMost recent remains in Wrangel Island, Russia dated to 1795-1675 BCE.[4]
Cyprus dwarf elephantPalaeoloxodon cypriotesCyprusMost recent remains dated to 10699-7299 BCE.[5]
Asian straight-tusked elephantPalaeoloxodon namadicusSouth and East AsiaThe date 7330-6250 BCE was obtained from carbonaceous clay near Palaeoloxodon remains in the Baneta Formation of the Narmada Valley, India, suggesting survival into the Holocene, though no direct datation was taken from the bones.[6]

Sea cows (order Sirenia)

Dugongs (family Dugongidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Steller's sea cowHydrodamalis gigasBering SeaThe last population was discovered in the Commander Islands in 1741 and heavily hunted for meat and leather until it disappeared by 1768. The hunting of sea otters leading to a proliferation of Strongylocentrotus sea urchins that ate the kelp that the sea cows depended on has been suggested as an additional cause.[7]

Lagomorphs (order Lagomorpha)

Rabbits and hares (family Leporidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Don hareLepus timidus tanaiticus[8]RussiaGradually replaced by the extant mountain hare south to north until becoming extinct during the Subboreal, 3050-550 BCE.[9]

Rodents (order Rodentia)

Old World rats and mice (family Muridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Alor Island giant ratAlormys apliniAlor Island, IndonesiaMost recent remains at Tabubung 4 dated to 62 BCE - 87 CE. The extinction coincides with a period of aridification, deforestation, and extinction of other giant rat species in the island.[10]
Carpomys dakalLuzon, PhilippinesMost recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE. Probably disappeared due to increased aridity and deforestation.[11]
Buhler's coryphomysCoryphomys buehleriTimorMost recent remains dated to around 50 BCE.[12]
Timor giant ratCoryphomys musseriTimorMost recent remains dated to around 50 BCE.[12]
Crateromys ballikLuzon, PhilippinesMost recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE. Probably disappeared due to increased aridity and deforestation.[11]
Miyako long-tailed ratDiplothrix miyakoensisMiyako Island, Ryukyu, JapanMost recent remains dated to around 9050-8050 BCE.[12]
Hooijer's giant ratHooijeromys nusantenggaraLesser Sunda Islands, IndonesiaMost recent remains dated to around 1050 BCE.[12]
Milimonggamys juliaeSumba Island, IndonesiaMost recent remains dated to 54-222 CE.[12]
Niviventer sp.Ishigaki Island, JapanMost recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE.[12]
Verhoeven's giant tree ratPapagomys theodorverhoeveniFlores, IndonesiaMost recent remains to around 1050 BCE.[12]
Raksasamys tikusbesarSumba Island, IndonesiaMost recent remains dated to 1935-1700 BCE.[12]
Flores cave ratSpelaeomys florensisFlores, IndonesiaMost recent remains dated to the Holocene.[13]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Ilin Island cloudrunnerCrateromys paulusMindoro or Ilin Island, PhilippinesOnly known from one specimen collected in 1953, generally believed to be from Ilin Island but this is not certain, and could be Mindoro or another nearby location. Later searches in Ilin and Mindoro repeatedly failed to find evidence of this species. If native to Ilin, it could have been threatened by deforestation as the island has no primary forest left in the present.[14]

Primates (order Primates)

Great apes (family Hominidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Mainland orangutanPongo sp.Southern China and IndochinaHolocene remains are known from China, Vietnam, Laos,[15][16] and possibly Cambodia,[17] while the existence of an indigenous, onomatopoeic name in Vietnam (Duoi U’Oi) and indigenous folklore in Peninsular Malaysia suggest survival into historical times.[15] It possibly disappeared as a result of hunting and habitat destruction for agriculture, though evidence is scarce.[16]

Gibbons (family Hylobatidae)

Scientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Imperial gibbonJunzi imperialisShaanxi, China?Known only from an incomplete skull found in the tomb of Lady Xia, grandmother of Qin Shi Huang, who died around 240 BCE. Possibly declined due to deforestation and capture of individuals to become pets.[18]

Bats (order Chiroptera)

Megabats (family Pteropodidae)

Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Panay golden-crowned flying foxPopulation of the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus)Panay, PhilippinesExtinct population named as a distinct species (A. lucifer) in the 19th century,[19] but later included in A. jubatus.[20]

Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Gloomy tube-nosed batMurina tenebrosaTsushima and possibly Yakushima, JapanLast collected in 1962. Suggested as a possible synonym for the Ussuri tube-nosed bat (M. ussuriensis).[21]
Sturdee's pipistrellePipistrellus sturdeeiHaha-jima, Bonin Islands, JapanOnly known from the type specimen collected in 1889.[22]

Carnivorans (order Carnivora)

Cats (family Felidae)

Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Formosan clouded leopardPopulation of the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)TaiwanLast confirmed record in 1983.[23] Though named as a subspecies on the basis of a stuffed specimen in 1862 (N. n. brachyura), later morphological and genetic studies invalidate this distinction.[24]
Bali tigerPopulation of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)Bali, IndonesiaLast confirmed individual killed in 1937.[25] Named as a separate subspecies in 1912 (P. t. balica), but later included in P. t. sondaica on genetic grounds.[24]
Bornean tigerPopulation of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)Borneo and Palawan, Philippines[26]A navicular from Borneo was dated to 8550-1050 BCE. Survival into even more recent times has been proposed on the basis of teeth and skins owned by indigenous peoples, local names, folklore, and alleged sightings including two photographs taken in 1975. However, most authors discount these remains as imports from outside Borneo, and the photographs as hoaxes.[27]
Javan tigerPopulation of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica)Java, IndonesiaThe last confirmed individual was killed at the Mount Halimun Salak National Park in 1984,[25] though a tiger was sighted near Sukabumi Selatan in 2019 and one recovered hair was identified as closer genetically to a Javan museum specimen than to tigers from Sumatra, southeast Asia, and Russia.[28] Named a distinct subspecies in 1844, but genetic research indicates that it is not different enough from the extant Sumatran tiger, and as a result the taxon P. t. sondaica is not extinct.[24]
Caspian tigerPopulation of the mainland Asian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)Western and Central AsiaThe last known wild individual was killed in Turkey in 1970, and the last in captivity in Iran during the 1979 Revolution.[25] Though named as the subspecies P. t. virgata in 1815, genetic evidence indicates that it is not different enough from other tigers of the Asian mainland to warrant separate status. It was closest to the extant Siberian tiger.[24]
South China tigerPopulation of the mainland Asian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)Southern ChinaLast recorded in the wild around 2000; survives in captivity.[29] Though named as the subspecies P. t. amoyensis in 1905, genetic evidence indicates that it is not different enough from other mainland tigers to warrant separate status.[24]

Viverrids (family (Viverridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Cypriot genetGenetta plesictoidesCyprusMost recent remains dated to 9050 BCE.[12]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Malabar large-spotted civetViverra civettinaWestern Ghats, IndiaLast collected in 1989.[30]

Dogs (family Canidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Hokkaidō wolfCanis lupus hattaiHokkaidō, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Iturup and Kunashir[31]Exterminated by 1889 as part of a plan to use Hokkaidō for horse and cattle ranching.[32]
Japanese wolfCanis lupus hodophilaxHonshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, JapanLast confirmed individual killed in 1905, shortly after a rabies epidemic ravaged the population.[32]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Ussuri dholeCuon alpinus alpinusWestern Sayan Mountains to Sikhote-Alin and North KoreaLast recorded in the Western Sayan in 2008.[33][b]

Eared seals (family Otariidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Japanese sea lionZalophus japonicusJapanese archipelago and KoreaLast confirmed record in the Liancourt Rocks in 1951, with unconfirmed sightings reaching to 1975.[35]

Martens, polecats, otters, badgers, and weasels (family Mustelidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Hokkaidō otterLutra lutra whiteleyiHokkaidō and southern Kuril Islands[36]Last known individual killed at Shiretoko Peninsula in 1950.[37]
Japanese otterLutra nipponHonshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, JapanLast confirmed sighting in Shikoku in 1983.[36]

Odd-toed ungulates (order Perissodactyla)

Horses and allies (family Equidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
TarpanEquus ferus ferusIberian Peninsula to Western Siberia;[38] Anatolia?[39]Historically recorded in Western Siberia until the 18th century. Analysis of bones found at archaeological sites from the Chalcolithic period (c. 3000-2000 BCE) show wild horses in this area belonged to the subspecies E. f. ferus and not to Przewalski's horse (E. f. przewalskii).[38]
Syrian wild assEquus hemionus hemippusFertile CrescentLast known individual died in captivity at Vienna Zoo in 1927. It probably disappeared from the wild around the same time.[40]
European wild assEquus hemionus hydruntinusSouthern Europe to northern IranMost recent remains at Sagzabad, Iran dated to 1294-1035 BCE.[41]
Lena horseEquus lenensisNorthern SiberiaMost recent remains at Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island dated to 320-220 BCE. Horse remains of undetermined affiliation were also found in a Inuit site at Cape Baranov dating to the 8th-9th century CE. The cold-adapted Yakutian horse was speculated to be a descendant of the Lena horse, but genetic evidence shows it descends from domestic horses introduced from Central Asia in the Middle Ages.[42] Nevertheless, the Yakutian horse is used as proxy for the Lena horse in Pleistocene Park.[43]
Ovodov horseEquus ovodoviSouthern Siberia to northern ChinaMost recent remains in China dated to 1666-1506 BCE.[44]
Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Przewalski's horseEquus ferus przewalskiiCentral and eastern Asian steppeLast confirmed sighting in the wild in the Gobi Desert in 1969. It was reintroduced to the Gobi and at Hustai National Park, Mongolia in 1992.[45]
Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
African wild assEquus africanusNorth Africa, Horn, Levant, and Arabian PeninsulaMost recent remains at Hili 8, United Arab Emirates dated to 3000 BCE.[46]

Rhinoceroses (family Rhinocerotidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Woolly rhinocerosCoelodonta antiquitatisNorthern EurasiaEnvironmental DNA last detected in permafrost dating to 8050-7650 BCE near the Kolyma river, Russia.[47]
Vietnamese rhinocerosRhinoceros sondaicus annamiticusVietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and eastern ThailandLast individual killed at the Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam in 2010.[48]
Lesser Indian rhinocerosRhinoceros sondaicus inermisNortheastern India, Bangladesh, and MyanmarLast confirmed individual killed around 1888 in the Sundarbans. Survival into the 20th century is doubtful, certainly not past 1925.[49]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Northern Sumatran rhinocerosDicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotisIndia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and MyanmarConfirmed extinct in the three former countries but could survive in the Lassai Tract of Myanmar.[50]

Even-toed ungulates (order Artiodactyla)

Camels and llamas (family Camelidae)

Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bactrian camelCamelus bactrianusCentral and eastern Asian steppe[51]Genetic evidence indicates that the domestic Bactrian camel and the extant, more desert-adapted wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus) from East Turkestan split over one million years ago. In consequence, the latter species cannot be the wild ancestor of the former, and the unknown ancestor of C. bactrianus must have become extinct at some point after the species was domesticated around 4000-3000 BCE.[52]
DromedaryCamelus dromedariusArabian PeninsulaMost recent remains of the wild form at Al Sufouh, United Arab Emirates, dated to 404 BCE.[53] The species survives as domestic and feral populations.

Pigs (family Suidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Cebu warty pigSus cebifrons cebifronsCebu, PhilippinesDescribed from skulls collected in Cebu island, where the species Sus cebifrons is now extinct, but lack of other remains makes the subspecies distinction with other Philippine islands populations dubious.[54] The whole species is threatened by habitat fragmentation caused by logging and agriculture, hunting pressure, and hybridization with domestic pigs.[55]
Sus sp.Miyako Island, JapanMost recent remains dated to 9050-8050 BCE.[12]

Hippopotamuses (family Hippopotamidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Cyprus dwarf hippopotamusPhanourios minorCyprusMost recent remains dated to 10699-7299 BCE.[5]
Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Common hippopotamusHippopotamus amphibiusSubsaharan Africa, Egypt, and the Levantine coast[56]Disappeared from the Southern Levant during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE). Being a large semiaquatic species, the hippopotamus was particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and loss caused by the expanding human population.[57]

Chinese river dolphins (family Lipotidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
BaijiLipotes vexilliferMiddle and lower Yangtze River, ChinaLast confirmed sighting in 2002; unconfirmed reports, including possible video footage, continued in the Tongling area until 2007. The species declined as a result of habitat loss by water development and construction, hunting, incidental mortality caused by fishing and vessel strikes, sedimentation from poor land practices, and pollution.[58]

True deer (family Cervidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Miyako roe deerCapreolus tokunagaiMiyako Island, Ryukyu, JapanMost recent remains dated to 9050-8050 BCE.[12]
Irish elkMegaloceros giganteusWestern Europe to southern SiberiaMost recent remains at Kamyshlov, Russia dated to 5845-5673 BCE.[59]
Schomburgk's deerRucervus schomburgkiCentral ThailandLast known animals in the wild were killed in 1932 near Sai Yoke and Kwae Yai, and the last in captivity was killed in 1938. Declined in the 19th century because of habitat loss as its wet grassland habitat was turned into rice fields for export. It was also hunted for meat during the monsoon season, and to use its antlers in traditional medicine.[60]
Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Pere David's deerElaphurus davidianusNorth and eastern ChinaA swamp specialist, it disappeared from the wild around 400 CE and was reduced to a single herd in the walled Nanyuang Royal Hunting Garden of Beijing from the Yuan Dynasty to the late 19th century, when some individuals were traded to Europe. The Nanyuang herd was then exterminated by Eight Nation Alliance troops during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. In 1985-1987, animals from British zoos were released in protected areas of Beijing and Dafeng (thought to be part of the species's original range due to fossil evidence), from where other captive herds were established later in Shishou and Yuanyang. In 1998, deer from Shishou escaped during severe flooding and established four free-ranging populations in Hubei and Henan.[61][62]

Cattle, goats, antelopes, and others (family Bovidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bubal hartebeestAlcelaphus buselaphus buselaphusNorth Africa and Southern LevantDisappeared from the Southern Levant during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE).[57]
Caucasian wisentBison bonasus caucasicusCaucasus and AnatoliaPresent in eastern Turkey until the Iron Age.[63]
Steppe bisonBison priscusNorthern Eurasia and North AmericaMost recent, confirmed remains were dated to 6870-6950 BCE near the Popigai River in the Taymyr Peninsula of Russia,[42] and environmental DNA of bison was recovered from permafrost in northeastern Siberia dating to 5050-3800 BCE.[47] Partial B. priscus remains are hard to distinguish anatomically from B. bonasus, which muddles the timeframe of its extinction in Europe and Western Siberia; often the species B. priscus is assigned to Late Pleistocene remains and B. bonasus to Holocene remains without further discussion.[42] However B. priscus is both genetically distinct and known to have survived into the middle Holocene of North America.[64] Remains of either B. priscus or B. bonasus were dated in the Angara River basin to 2550-2440 BCE,[65] and a small bison persisted in the Baikal region until the 7th-10th century CE (considered B. priscus by Boeskorov[42] and B. bonasus by Sipko[66]).
Indian aurochsBos primigenius namadicusIndian subcontinentMost recent remains dated to 2200 BCE in Karnataka, India. The Indian aurochs was independently domesticated and is the originator of the zebu cattle.[67]
Eurasian aurochsBos primigenius primigeniusMid-latitude Eurasia[68]Present near Lake Baikal on 3020-2960 BCE,[69] China by 1900-1745 BCE,[70] Southern Levant until the Iron Age (1200-585 BCE),[57] and the Turkey-Syria border until the Late Middle Ages.[63] The Eurasian aurochs was domesticated in Anatolia in the eighth millennium BCE,[46] originating most domestic breeds of taurine cattle.
Cebu tamarawBubalus cebuensisCebu, PhilippinesDescribed from a partial skeleton from either the Late Pleistocene or the Holocene.[71]
Bubalus grovesiSouth Sulawesi, IndonesiaMost recent remains dated to the Middle or Late Holocene.[72]
Short-horned water buffaloBubalus mephistophelesSouth, central, and east ChinaMost recent remains at Gaoling, Xi'an dated to 1750-1650 BCE. The domestic water buffalo now present in China is not a descendant of B. mephistopheles but was introduced from Southeast Asia.[73]
Queen of Sheba's gazelleGazella bilkisTaiz, YemenOnly known from five animals hunted in 1951.[74]
Saudi gazelleGazella saudiyaArabian PeninsulaLast recorded in 1970. It was hunted to extinction.[75]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
KoupreyBos sauveliNortheastern CambodiaLast confirmed record in 1969. It was hunted for its meat, skull and horns.[76]
Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Lowland wisentBison bonasus bonasusWestern Europe to southern SiberiaPresent during the Holocene in the southern Urals, Western Siberia, the Kuznetsk Depression, Altai and Baikal regions[66] (if the latter wasn't B. priscus[42]). The subspecies became globally extinct in the wild after the last wild animals were hunted in Poland during World War I, but survived in captivity.[77] It was reintroduced to the Altai in 1982-1984.[66]
Arabian oryxOryx leucoryxArabian PeninsulaExtinct in the wild in 1972 and reintroduced in Jiddat al-Harasis, Oman in 1980.[78]
Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
MuskoxOvibos moschatusNorthern Eurasia and North AmericaMost recent remains in the Taymyr Peninsula, Russia dated to 615-555 BCE.[69] It was reintroduced to the Bikada River area in the same region in 1974.[79]
Lesser kuduTragelaphus imberbisEast Africa and western Arabian PeninsulaNo skeletal remains known but appears in Holocene rock art from Saudi Arabia and possibly Jordan in numbers and detail suggestive of being a native species to the area.[46] Recent presence in the Arabian Peninsula is controversial. In 1967, a pair of horns were claimed to have been taken from an animal shot in Jabal Halmayn, Yemen; another was shot in Nuqrah, Saudi Arabia in 1968. Some authors believe both were escapees from private collections,[80] others that the distance between the two locations is larger than it would be expected for introduced specimens.[46]

Birds (class Aves)

Ostriches and fossil relatives (order Struthioniformes)

Ostriches (family Struthionidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
East Asian ostrichPachystruthio anderssoni[81]Lake Baikal to Yellow River[82]Eggshell fragments most recently dated to 7600-6245 BCE in Shabarakh-usu and Barun Daban, Mongolia.[83][c]
Arabian ostrichStruthio camelus syriacusNear East and Arabian PeninsulaLast confirmed individual killed in Jubail, Saudi Arabia around 1941; there was also a second-hand report of a dying animal north of Petra, Jordan in 1966. Its closest relative, the North African ostrich, was introduced as a substitute in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s.[85]

Landfowl (order Galliformes)

Pheasants and allies (family Phasianidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Himalayan quailOphrysia superciliosaMussoorie, Uttarakhand, IndiaLast collected in 1868. This species was only seen in Mussoorie for a short time period associated with cold weather. This, combined with its long and soft plumage, led to speculation that it was actually native to a more northern area and that it was pushed southwards during unusual weather conditions. The bird was also extremely cryptic, which would make it hard to detect in other areas where it might still be alive.[86]

Waterfowl (order Anseriformes)

Ducks, geese, and swans (family Anatidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Pink-headed duckRhodonessa caryophyllaceaNorthern and eastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and MyanmarLast recorded in Bihar in 1948-1949. It was uncommon and non-migratory despite its vast range. Declined due to trophy hunting, as it was generally not considered good to eat, and habitat destruction.[86]
Crested shelduckTadorna cristataPrimorye, Hokkaido, and South Korea; possibly North Korea and northeastern ChinaLast confirmed record in 1964.[87]

Pigeons and doves (order Columbiformes)

Pigeons and doves (family Columbidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Ryukyu wood pigeonColumba jouyiOkinawa, Kerama, and Daito Islands, JapanLast recorded on Okinawa in 1904 and on Daito in 1936, after a quick decline. The reason of extinction is unknown.[88]
Bonin wood pigeonColumba versicolorNakondo Shima and Chichi-jima, Bonin IslandsLast recorded in 1889. Likely extinct due to deforestation and predation by introduced rats and cats.[89]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Catanduanes bleeding heartGallicolumba luzonica rubiventrisCatanduanes, PhilippinesDescribed from one specimen collected in 1971. Recent sightings were reported in 2008, but its current status is unknown.[86]
Sulu bleeding-heartGallicolumba menageiTawi-tawi, PhilippinesDescribed from two individuals collected in 1891, when it was considered extremely rare, but there were unconfirmed local reports in 1995 that it was abundant until the 1970s. Possibly became extinct due to hunting and deforestation.[90]
Negros fruit dovePtilinopus arcanusNegros Island, PhilippinesOnly known from the type specimen, a female, collected in 1953. Its mate was also shot but the body fell in the underbrush and could not be retrieved. Likely disappeared due to hunting and large escale deforestation of the island.[86]

Rails and cranes (order Gruiformes)

Rails (family Rallidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Iwo Jima railAmaurornis cinerea brevipesNaka Iwo Jima and Minami Iwo Jima, Bonin IslandsLast recorded in 1925, though the last "official sighting" was in 1911.[86]
Bornean Baillon's crakePorzana pusilla miraBorneoOnly collected once in 1912.[86]

Cranes (family Gruidae)

Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Australian sarus craneGrus antigone gillaePhilippines and northeastern AustraliaThe extirpated Philippine population was described as the subspecies G. a. luzonica on the basis of differences with the Indian (G. a. antigone) and Indochinese subspecies (G. a. sharpii), but genetic studies indicate that it was identical to the Australian subspecies.[91]

Shorebirds (order Charadriiformes)

Plovers, dotterels, and lapwings (family Charadriidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Javan lapwingVanellus macropterusJava and possibly Sumatra and TimorAll reliable and recent records are from Java, with those from other islands being open to interpretation. The last confirmed record was in 1940, and unconfirmed in 2002. Possibly a migratory species. The causes of extinction are unknown but could have been hunting and habitat degradation.[86]

Sandpipers (family Scolopacidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Slender-billed curlewNumenius tenuirostrisWestern Eurasia and North AfricaBred in Kazakhstan and southern Siberia, and wintered in western Morocco and Tunisia. It likely disappeared as a result of habitat alteration in Asia and overhunting in Africa. There have been no confirmed reports worldwide since 2001.[86]

Buttonquails (family Turnicidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Tawi-tawi buttonquailTurnix sylvaticus suluensisJolo and Tawi-tawi, PhilippinesLast recorded in the 1950s. It could have disappeared due to severe deforestation and introduced predators.[86]
Turnix sp.TimorMost recent remains dated to 650 CE.[12]

Boobies, cormorants, and relatives (order Suliformes)

Cormorants and shags (family Phalacrocoracidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Spectacled cormorantUrile perspicillatusCommander Islands and possibly Kamchatka, RussiaLast collected in 1840-1850. It was hunted to extinction.[92]

Pelicans, herons, and ibises (order Pelecaniformes)

Herons (family Ardeidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bennu heronArdea bennuidesArabian PeninsulaMost recent remains at Umm Al Nar, United Arab Emites, dated to around 2500 BCE. It possibly disappeared due to wetland degradation.[5]
Bonin nankeen night heronNycticorax caledonicus crassirostrisChichi-jima and Nakōdo-jima, Bonin IslandsLast collected in 1889. The cause of extinction is unknown.[86]

Ibises and spoonbills (family Threskiornithidae)

Locally extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Northern bald ibisGeronticus eremitaMediterranean regionLast wild individual recorded at Palmyra, Syria in 2014. The birds of this region migrated to Ethiopia and Djibouti in the winter by way of Jordan and eastern Saudi Arabia, where they were hunted and sometimes killed in unprotected electric wires. Another reason for decline was the degradation of habitat in Syria due to aridification, livestock grazing, and firewood collection, along with poisoning by pesticides in Turkey.[93] A semi-wild population survives in Birecik, Turkey where birds range free for part of the year but are recluded and fed at the time of migration.[94]

Hawks and relatives (order Accipitriformes)

Hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures (family Accipitridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Car Nicobar sparrowhawkAccipiter butleri butleriCar Nicobar, Nicobar IslandsLast recorded in 1901. There was an unconfirmed sighting in 1977.[86]

Owls (order Strigiformes)

True owls (family Strigidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsImages
Siau scops owlOtus siaoensis[95]Siau Island, IndonesiaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1866, it is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Sulawesi scops owl (Otus manadensis). Likely disappeared due to deforestation.[86]

Barn-owls (family Tytonidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Natuna Bay owlPhodilus badius arixuthusBunguran Island, IndonesiaKnown only from the holotype described in 1932.[96] The reasons of extinction are unclear.[86]
Samar bay owlPhodilus badius riveraeSamar Island, PhilippinesOnly known from the holotype described in 1927 and lost in the destruction of the Bureau of Science in Manila in 1945. It has been ruled invalid by some authors because the original description (as the full species Phodilus riverae) did not include comparison with other subspecies.[96]

Hornbills and hoopoes (order Bucerotiformes)

Hornbills (family Bucerotidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Ticao tarictic hornbillPenelopidis panini ticaensisTicao Island, PhilippinesLast recorded in 1971; it likely disappeared due to hunting and widespread deforestation. The subspecies status is uncertain and is sometimes considered a color morph instead.[86]

Kingfishers and relatives (order Coraciiformes)

Kingfishers (family Alcedinidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Sangihe dwarf kingfisherCeyx fallax sangirensisSangihe Island, IndonesiaLast recorded in 1997. Likely extinct due to deforestation caused by intense logging and agriculture.[86]
Ryukyu kingfisherTodiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensisMiyako Island, Ryukyu, JapanOnly known from the holotype collected in 1887. Its exact nature is suspect, as the island is unsuitable for kingfishers, the bill's sheath is missing from the holotype, and the length of flight feathers noted in the original description may have been an artefact of preservation. Otherwise the type is similar to the Guam kingfisher.[86]

Woodpeckers and allies (order Piciformes)

Woodpeckers (family Picidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Cebu white-bellied woodpeckerDryocopus javensis cebuensisCebu, PhilippinesLast recorded in the 1940s or 1950s. It became extinct due to deforestation.[86]

Parrots (order Psittaciformes)

Old World parrots (family Psittaculidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Cebu hanging parrotLoriculus philippensis chrysonotusCebu, PhilippinesThe last individuals in captivity died in London in 1943, after being caught in the wild in 1929. The date of extinction in the wild is unclear, but was likely caused by widespread deforestation in the 19th and 20th centuries. 2004 reports likely belonged to other subspecies subsequently introduced to the island.[86]
Siquijor hanging parrotLoriculus philippensis siquijorensisSiquijor, PhilippinesLast recorded in 1908; a claimed individual collected in 1954 was actually a escaped cage bird. The subspecies likely disappeared due to deforestation and capture for the pet trade.[86]

Perching birds (order Passeriformes)

Cuckooshrikes (family Campephagidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Cebu bar-bellied cuckooshrikeCoracina striata cebuensisCebu, PhilippinesLast collected in 1906, with an unconfirmed report in 2000.[86]
Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Cebu blackish cuckooshrikeCoracina coerulescens alteraCebu, PhilippinesLast collected in 1906, with an unconfirmed report in 2000. It likely disappeared due to deforestation.[86]

Dippers (family Cinclidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Cyprus dipperCinclus cinclus olympicusCyprusExtinct since 1945.[97]

True finches (family Fringillidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bonin grosbeakCarpodacus ferreorostrisChichi-jima, Bonin IslandsLast collected in 1828; claims of survival until 1890 are not substantiated. Likely disappeared because of deforestation and predation by introduced rats and cats.[98]

Swallows (family Hirundinidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
White-eyed river martinEurochelidon sirintaraeCentral ThailandLast confirmed record in 1978, with an unconfirmed one in 1980. It was a migratory species that wintered in central Thailand but the summer range is unknown. Possibly became extinct due to hunting, deforestation, and capture for the exotic pet trade.[86]

Monarch flycatchers (family Monarchidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Negros celestial monarchHypothymis coelestis raboriNegros and possibly Sibuyan Island, PhilippinesOnly collected once on Sibuyan in 1892. Last recorded on Negros in the 1990s, where it declined as a consequence of deforestation.[86]

Old World flycatchers (family Muscicapidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Rück's blue flycatcherCyornis ruckiiNear Medan?, Sumatra, IndonesiaLast collected in 1918. There are some doubts about the original distribution, as only four skins are known: two acquired in Peninsular Malaysia where they were certainly imported from elsewhere, and two from Medan. If not migratory, it probably became extinct as a result of widespread deforestation in Medan.[86]

Orioles (family Oriolidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Cebu dark-throated orioleCebu, PhilippinesOriolus steerii assimilisLast collected in 1906. Disappeared due to deforestation.[86]

Tits (family Paridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Daito varied titSittiparus varius oriiKitadaitōjima and Minamidaitōjima, Daito IslandsLast recorded in 1938. It quickly declined as a result of deforestation for sugar cane agriculture and military construction.[86]

Thrushes (family Turdidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Bonin thrushZoothera terrestrisChichi-jima, Bonin IslandsLast collected in 1828. Probably extinct due to predation by introduced rats and cats.[99]

White-eyes (family Zosteropidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Mukojima white-eyeApalopteron familiare familiareMukojima, Nakodo-jima, and probably Chichi-jima, Bonin IslandsLast recorded in 1941. Disappeared due to deforestation.[86]

Reptiles (class Reptilia)

Crocodilians (order Crocodilia)

Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae)

Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Nile crocodileCrocodylus niloticusSubsaharan Africa, Egypt, and the LevantPresent in Palestine and western Syria until the beginning of the 20th century.[100]

Gharials (family Gavialidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Chinese gharialHanyusuchus sinensisSouth ChinaLast recorded in Hainan, western Guangxi, and the Han River delta in 1292-1630. It was subjected to an official policy of extermination from the Bronze Age to the Ming Dynasty.[101]

Squamates (order Squamata)

Monitor lizards (family Varanidae)

Scientific nameRangeComments
Varanus hooijeriFlores and Sumba, IndonesiaLast dated to the Holocene on both islands.[12]

Turtles and tortoises (order Testudines)

Tortoises (family Testudinidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Ryukyu tortoiseManouria oyamaiRyukyu Islands, JapanMost recent remains dated to around 9050 BCE.[102]

Amphibians (class Amphibia)

Frogs (order Anura)

Fork-tongued frogs (family Dicroglossidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Gunther's streamlined frogNannophrys guentheriSri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1882. The reasons of extinction are unknown.[103]

Shrub frogs (family Rhacophoridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Sri Lanka bubble-nest frogPseudophilautus adspersusNuwara Eliya, Sri LankaLast collected in 1886. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[104]
Pseudophilautus dimbullaeDimbula, Sri LankaKnown only from holotypes collected in 1933. The causes of extinction are unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[105][106]
Pseudophilautus eximius
Pseudophilautus extirpoSri LankaLast recorded in 1882. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[107]
Pseudophilautus halyiPattipola, Sri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1899. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[108]
Whitenose bubble-nest frogPseudophilautus leucorhinusSri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected before 1856. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[109]
Pseudophilautus maiaRamboda, Sri LankaOnly known from two specimens collected in 1876 or earlier. Possibly disappeared when the local forest was cleared in 1978, which also resulted in the extinction of the endemic tree Albizia lankaensis.[110]
Pseudophilautus malcolmsmithiSri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1927. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[111]
Pseudophilautus nanusSouthern Sri LankaOnly known from the lectotype collected in 1869. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[112]
Sharp-nosed bush frogPseudophilautus nasutusSri LankaLast recorded in 1869; later observations in Sri Lanka and Southern India are misidentifications. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[113]
Pseudophilautus oxyrhynchusSri LankaOnly known from the lectotype collected in 1872. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[114]
Pseudophilautus pardusSri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected before 1859. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[115]
Pseudophilautus rugatusTaralanda, Sri LankaOnly known from the holotype collected in 1927. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[116]
Pseudophilautus temporalisSri LankaOnly known from the lectotype and type series collected in 1864. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[117]
Variable bush frogPseudophilautus variabilisSri LankaOnly known from the lectotype collected in 1858. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[118]
Pseudophilautus zalSri LankaNot recorded since before 1947. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[119]
Pseudophilautus zimmeriPoint de Galle, Sri LankaNot recorded since 1927. The given range is now heavily urbanized, suggesting habitat destruction as the reason of extinction.[120]

Salamanders (order Urodela)

True salamanders and newts (family Salamandridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Yunnan lake newtHypselotriton wolterstorffiKunming Lake, Yunnan, ChinaLast recorded in 1979. Extinct due to predation by introduced fish and frogs, and habitat degradation caused by general pollution, land reclamation, and domestic duck farming.[121]

Ray-finned fish (class Actinopterygii)

Sturgeons and paddlefishes (order Acipenseriformes)

Sturgeons (family Acipenseridae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Syr Darya sturgeonPseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoiSyr Darya RiverLast recorded in the 1960s.[122] Several dams, pollution and water substraction for agriculture massively altered the hydromorphology of the river. The species was also fished deliberately and accidentally.[123]
Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Yangtze sturgeonAcipenser dabryanusYangtze River basin, ChinaLast recorded in the lower Yangtze around 1995. Captive animals were reintroduced to the upper and middle parts of the river in 2007, but there is still no sign of reproduction in the wild. The species declined due to fishing (both direct and accidental), pollution, deforestation on the river margins, and the construction of the Gezhouba Dam, Three Gorges Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, which changed the temperature and hydrology and prevented the sturgeon from reahcing the lower part of the river.[124]
Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
European sea sturgeonAcipenser sturioCoastal waters of Europe and northern Anatolia[125]Last recorded in Turkey in the 1980s.[126]

Paddlefishes (family Polyodontidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Chinese paddlefishPsephurus gladiusYangtze and Yellow River basins, ChinaLast recorded in 2003. The construction of the Gezhouba Dam in the middle part of the Yangtze blocked the migration route to spawn in the upper river. It was also heavily fished historically, which depleted the species as it had a long generation time.[127]

Herrings and anchovies (order Clupeiformes)

Herrings (family Clupeidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Manila Bay herringClupea manulensisManila Bay, PhilippinesNot recorded since its description in 1822.[128]

Minnows and allies (order Cypriniformes)

Carps, minnows, and relatives (family Cyprinidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Beyşehir bleakAlburnus akiliLake Beyşehir, TurkeyExtinct due to predation by zanders introduced in 1955. It could also have hybridized with the also introduced Sakarya bleak.[129]
Anabarilius macrolepisYilong Lake, Yunnan, ChinaDisappeared when the lake dried completely for 20 days in 1981, as a result of water substraction.[130]
PaitBarbodes amarusLake Lanao, PhilippinesLast recorded in 1982. Disappeared along with most of the original ichthyofauna of the lake (see below) due to excesive and unsustainable fishing practices such as dynamite fishing, extraction of water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use; illegal logging and pollution, and predation by accidentally introduced tank goby and snakehead gudgeon. The latter species is now the most common fish in the lake.[131]
BaolanBarbodes baoulanLast recorded in 1991.[132]
BaganganBarbodes clemensiLast recorded in 1975.[133]
Barbodes disaLast recorded in 1964.[134]
Katapa-tapaBarbodes flavifuscusLast recorded in 1964.[135]
Barbodes herreiLast recorded in 1974.[136]
Barbodes katoloLast recorded in 1977.[137]
KandarBarbodes lanaoensisLast recorded in 1964.[138]
Barbodes manalakLast recorded in 1977.[139]
BitunguBarbodes pachycheilusLast recorded in 1964.[140]
Barbodes palaemophagusLast recorded in 1975.[141]
Barbodes palataLast recorded in 1964.[142]
Bagangan sa erunganBarbodes resimusLast recorded in 1964.[143]
Barbodes trasLast recorded in 1976.[144]
BitunguBarbodes truncatulusLast recorded in 1973.[145]
Yilong carpCyprinus yilongensisYilong Lake, Yunnan, ChinaDisappeared when the lake dried completely for 20 days in 1981, as a result of water substraction.[146]
Hula breamMirogrex hulensisLake Hula, IsraelDisappeared in 1957-1963, after most of the lake was drained to turn the bottom into farmland.[147]
Schizothorax saltansTalas River basin, KazakhstanLast recorded in 1953. Disappeared due to habitat loss caused by water substraction, high pollution, and fishing.[148]
Possibly extinct
Scientific nameRangeComments
Barbodes cataractaeMisamis Occidental and Lake Lanao, PhilippinesThe holotype was collected in an unidentified river in Misamis Occidental in 1934. It was only known from Lake Lanao otherwise, and was last recorded there before 1973.[149]
Barbodes lindogLake Lanao, PhilippinesLast recorded in 2008.[150]
Barbodes sirangLast recorded in 2007.[151]

Catfishes (order Siluriformes)

Schilbid catfishes (family Schilbeidae)

Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Siamese flat-barbelled catfishPlatytropius siamensisChao Phraya and Bang Pakong River basins, ThailandLast recorded in 1975-1977. Disappeared due to damming and canalization of the rivers, pollution, and reclamation of wetlands around Bangkok.[152]

Salmon, trout and relatives (order Salmoniformes)

Salmon, trout and relatives (family Salmonidae)

Extinct in the wild
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
KunimasuOncorhynchus kawamuraeLake Tazawa, JapanExtirpated from its original range in 1940, when acidic water was released to the lake during the construction of hydroelectric power infrastructure. Survives in Lake Saiko, where the species was introduced in 1935.[153]
BeloribitsaStenodus leucichthysCaspian Sea, Volga, Ural, and Terek River drainagesLast recorded in the Ural in the 1960s. All spawning grounds were lost after dams were built in the Volga, Ural, and Terek river drainages. The species continues to exist in captivity, from which it is released periodically in its native range. However, illegal fishing and hybridization with the introduced nelma remain threats to its survival.[154]

Gobies and relatives (order Gobiiformes)

Gobies (family Gobiidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
BiaExyrias volcanusTaal Lake, PhilippinesLast recorded in 1927. Possibly disappeared due to overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation, and invasive species among other reasons.[155][156]
Yellow-bellied gobySilhouettea flavoventris

Cichlids and convict blennies (order Cichliformes)

Cichlids (family Cichlidae)

Scientific nameRangeComments
Tristramella intermediaLake Hula, IsraelDisappeared when the lake and most adjacent marshes were drained in the 1970s.[157]
Tristramella magdelainaeDamascus, SyriaLast collected in the 1950s. Possibly disappeared due to drought, pollution, and water extraction.[158]

Silversides and rainbowfishes (order Atheriniformes)

Priapium fishes (family Phallostethidae)

Possibly extinct
Scientific nameRangeComments
Neostethus ctenophorusLaguna de Bay, Luzon, PhilippinesNot recorded since its description in 1937. Likely disappeared due to pollution.[159]

Cartilaginous fish (class Chondrichthyes)

Ground sharks (order Carcharhiniformes)

Requiem sharks (family Carcharhinidae)

Possibly extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeComments
Lost sharkCarcharinus obsoletusSouthern South China SeaLast collected in 1934. The coasts it inhabited are heavily exploited, both for fishing and shark fishing, as well as degraded for use in aquaculture, pollution, and destruction of coral reefs.[160]

Shovelnose rays and allies (order Rhinopristiformes)

Sawfishes (family Pristidae)

Locally extinct
Common nameScientific nameRangeCommentsPictures
Smalltooth sawfishPristis pectinataMid-Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean SeaLast caught in Israel before 1956.[161]

Insects (class Insecta)

Dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata)

White-legged damselflies (family Platycnemididae)

Possibly extinct
Scientific nameRangeComments
Risiocnemis lagunaPaete, Luzon, PhilippinesOnly known from three specimens collected in 1916. The only known locality is now heavily developed and urbanized, making it likely that it disappeared due to habitat destruction.[162]

Beetles (order Coleoptera)

Ground beetles (family Carabidae)

Scientific nameRange
Rakantrechus elegansJapan[163]

Clitellates (class Clitellata)

Scientific nameRangeComments
Amynthas japonicusPossibly Dejima or Nagasaki, JapanLast collected in the 1820s. It could have disappeared due to habitat loss, though the exact locality of origin is unknown.[163]

Slugs and snails (class Gastropoda)

Scientific nameRange
Lamellidea monodontaBonin Islands, Japan[164][165]
Lamellidea nakadai
Scientific nameRange
Vitrinula chaunaxBonin Islands, Japan[166][167][168]
Vitrinula chichijimana
Vitrinula hahajimana

Family Charopidae

Scientific nameRange
Hirasea planulataBonin Islands, Japan[169]
Scientific nameRangePictures
Xerocrassa picardiIsrael[170]

Periwinkles (family Littorinidae)

Scientific nameRange
Littoraria flammeaChinese coast[171]

Whorl snails (family Vertiginidae)

Scientific nameRange
Gastrocopta chichijimanaBonin Islands, Japan[172][173]
Gastrocopta ogasawarana

See also

Notes

References