In addition to extinct species, this website also records species, subspecies and varieties that are ‘extinct in the wild’ (EW) and ‘possibly extinct in the wild’ (PW). These animals and plants are now only found in captivity, cultivation or as naturalized population. Extinct in the wild species, subspecies and varieties no longer play a functional role in their ecosystems and are because of that in many respects extinct. Sadly, it can also not be assumed that most of these animals and plants will be restored in the wild, because successful re-introductions are rare. (Baillie et al. 2004)
The number of EW species (animals and plants) at the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has increased from 50 in 2000, 60 in 2004 and to 65 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 (Baillie et al. 2004; Vié et al. 2009; IUCN 2010). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-2 contained 68 species and 6 subspecies as extinct in the wild (IUCN 2017). It is easier to document the growth in the number of animals and plants extinct in the wild, because these are most of the times well monitored while keeping it alive in captivity or cultivation. However, proving that a species, subspecies or variety is extinct in the wild can be as hard as with globally extinct organisms, as it requires confirmation that the last wild individual has died. (Baillie et al. 2004)
What is happening with the species that currently are listed as ‘extinct in the wild’, and what has happened with those species that have disappeared form that list? Have they been reintroduced into the wild? Visit: Last stand in captivity or cultivation: successes and failures.
Do you know any species or subspecies that should be added to this list or that has been rediscovered or reintroduced? Contact this website.
Mammals (Mammalia)
The subjoined table shows the mammal species that recently became extinct in the wild. The Barbary Lion (Panthera leo leo) is often classified as ‘Extinct in the Wild’ as well. The current royal lions in Rabat Zoo have not only the right Barbary looks, but also, very importantly, the right pedigree supported by circumstantial evidence. Although it may not be very solid, the existence of such evidence clearly separates the royal lions from all the other big-maned lions whose pedigrees are untraceable. (Yamaguchi and Haddane, 2002) However, the genetic distinctiveness of the historical Barbary lion has not yet been fully established and the question over whether the famous Royal Lions from Morocco and their descendants are true Barbary lions remains unanswered (Dubach et al. 2005; Yamaguchi 2005; Barnett et al. 2006; Burger and Hemmer 2006; Antunes et al. 2008; Black et al. 2009). Therefore there is currently no conclusive evidence that true and pure Barbary Lions survive in captivity.
| Species (3) | ||||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting | TSEW | IUCN |
| Camelus dromedarius | Dromedary | 3000 BCE? | EW | NE |
| Elaphurus davidianus | Père David’s Deer | 1939 | EW | EW |
| Oryx dammah | Sahara Oryx | 1988 | EW | EW |
| Subspecies (5) | ||||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting | TSEW | IUCN |
| Ceratotherium simum cottoni | Northern White Rhinoceros | 2007 (2009?) | PW | CR |
| Cervus nippon grassianus | Shanxi Sika Deer | Before 1990 | PW | NE |
| Cervus nippon mandarinus | Mandarin Sika Deer | Before 1990 | PW | NE |
| Cervus nippon pseudaxis | Vietnamese Sika Deer | 1990 | PW | NE |
| Panthera tigris amoyensis | South China Tiger | 2002? | PW | CR |
Birds (Aves)
The subjoined table shows the bird species that recently became extinct in the wild.
| Species (7) | ||||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting | TSEW | IUCN |
| Corvus hawaiiensis | Hawaiian Crow | 2002 | EW | EW |
| Crax pinima | Belem Curassow | 1978 | PW | CR |
| Cyanopsitta spixii | Belem Curassow | 2000 (2016?) | PW | CR (PEW) |
| Hypotaenidia owstoni | Guam Rail | 1987 | EW | EW |
| Mitu mitu | Alagoas Curassow | 1984 (1987/1988?) | EW | EW |
| Todiramphus cinnamominus | Guam Kingfisher | 1986 | EW | EW |
| Zenaida graysoni | Socorro Dove | 1972 | EW | EW |
| Subspecies (1) | ||||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting | TSEW | IUCN |
| Garrulax rufifrons slamatensis | Central Javan Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush | 1925? | PW | NE |
Reptiles (Reptilia)
The subjoined table shows the reptile species that recently became extinct in the wild. The Black Soft-shell Turtle (Aspideretes nigricans) is listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Asmat 2002). However, genetic evidence showed that this turtle occurs not only in the shrine pond near Chittagong (Vietnam), but also in the wild in the neighbouring Indian state of Assam (Praschag et al. 2007). Also the Pinzón Island Tortoise or Duncan Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis duncanensis or Chelonoidis ephippium) is listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 1996), but this species still survives in the wild. The IUCN Red List still lists the Pinta Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni) as extinct in the wild. Sadly enough, the last known Pinta Island Tortoise, named Lonesome George, died in captivity on 24 June 2012.
| Species (2) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Cryptoblepharus egeriae | Christmas Island Blue-tailed Shinning-skink | EW | NE |
| Lepidodactylus listeri | Christmas Island Chained Gecko | PW | VU |
Amphibians (Amphibia)
The subjoined table shows the amphibian species that recently became extinct in the wild.
| Species (2) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Anaxyrus baxteri | Wyoming Toad | EW | EW |
| Nectophrynoides asperginis | Kihansi Spray Toad | RI | EW |
Ray-finned Fish (Actinopterygii)
The subjoined table shows the fish species that recently became extinct in the wild. The Yarkon Bleak (Acanthobrama telavivensis) and the Butterfly Splitfin (Ameca splendens) are listed as extinct in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, during 2006-2007 approximately 9,000 laboratory-born Yarkon Bleak fish were returned to nature. In surveys carried out in 2007-2009, thousands of juveniles were found at most sites. The “Extinct in the Wild” Yarqon Bleak has been successfully reintroduced to nature (Goren 2010). The Butterfly Splitfin has been declared extinct in the wild since 1996 (Contreras-Balderas & Almada-Villela 1996, IUCN 2010), but in 1997 a population was rediscovered living in springs at a water park (El Rincon) near the town of Ameca (Kelley et al. 2006). Also the Red-tailed Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) was thought to be extinct in the wild until recent information confirmed that the species is still extant, but very localised, in the Chao Phraya, Thailand (Vidthayanon 2011)
| Species (5) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Cyprinodon alvarezi | Potosi Pupfish | NE | EW |
| Cyprinodon longidorsalis | La Palma Pupfish | NE | EW |
| Megupsilon aporus | Catarina Pupfish | NE | EW |
| Skiffia francesae | Tiro | NE | EW |
| Stenodus leucichthys | Beloribitsa | NE | EW |
Crustaceans (Crustacea)
The subjoined table shows the crustacean species that recently became extinct in the wild.
| Species (1) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Thermosphaeroma thermophilum | Socorro Isopod | NE | EW |
Insects (Insecta)
The subjoined table shows the insect species that recently became extinct in the wild. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2010.4) lists the Oahu Deceptor Bush Cricket (Leptogryllus deceptor) as ‘extinct in the wild’ (Orthopteroid Specialist Group 1996). However, this seems to be an error (Zippel 2010). The Sixth Extinction and others aren’t able to find any captive population of this species and therefore it has been moved to the list of possibly extinct species.
| Species (0) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| – | – | – | – |
Molluscs (Mollusca)
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (version 2011.1) lists the freshwater snail Aylacostoma chloroticum as extinct in the wild, thought to have disappeared from the wild after the construction of the Yacyreta Hydroelectric power plant in the Pananá River. However, Aylacostoma chloroticum persists in two relictual populations at the upstream section of the reservoir (Ostrowski de Núñez & Quintana 2008). The Moorean Viviparous tree snail Partula taeniata elongata is listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, but in 2003 a small population was rediscovered in the wild. The subjoined table shows the mollusc species and subspecies that recently became extinct in the wild.
| Species (13) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Aylacostoma guaraniticum | Unknown (gastropod from Argentina & Paraguay) | NE | EW |
| Aylacostoma stigmaticum | Unknown (gastropod from Argentina & Paraguay) | NE | EW |
| Partula dentifera | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Partula faba | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Partula hebe | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Partula mirabilis | Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail | NE | EW |
| Partula mooreana | Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail | NE | EW |
| Partula nodosa | Tahiti Tree Snail | NE | EW |
| Partula rosea | Huahine Tree Snail | NE | EW |
| Partula suturalis 1 | Sutural Partula | NE | EW |
| Partula tohiveana | Moorean Viviparous Tree Snail | NE | EW |
| Partula tristis | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Partula varia | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Subspecies (2) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Partula taeniata nucleola | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
| Partula taeniata simulans | Unknown (terrestrial snail from French Polynesia) | NE | EW |
Plants (Plantae)
The subjoined table shows the plant species and subspecies that recently became extinct in the wild. The Punaluu Cyanea (Cyanea truncata) was listed here as extinct in the wild, however in February 2004 a new wild population was found on state and private land in a gulch in Kahana Valley, which adjoins Makaua Gulch. This population consisted of three plants, only two of which were mature. As of February 2006, all three plants were still alive, and the largest, most vigorous individual has been observed to flower and fruit year-round. (USFWS 2007)
| Species (35) / Subspecies (0) | |||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | TSEW | IUCN |
| Betula szaferi | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Bromus bromoideus | Ardennes Brome | NE | EW |
| Bromus interruptus | Interrupted Brome | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia arborea | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia aurea | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia insignis | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia sanguinea | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia suaveolens | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia versicolor | ? | NE | EW |
| Brugmansia vulcanicola | ? | NE | EW |
| Corypha taliera | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Cryosophila williamsii | Lago Yojoa Palm |
NE
|
|
| Cyanea pinnatifida | Sharktail Cyanea |
NE
|
|
| Cyanea superba 3 | Superb Cyanea |
NE
|
|
| Cyrtandra waiolani | Fuzzyflower Cyrtandra |
NE
|
|
| Encephalartos brevifoliolatus | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Encephalartos nubimontanus | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Encephalartos relictus | Relictual Cycad |
NE
|
|
| Encephalartos woodii | Wood’s Cycad |
NE
|
|
| Erythroxylum echinodendron | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Euphorbia mayurnathanii | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Firmiana major | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Franklinia alatamaha | Franklin Tree |
NE
|
|
| Kokia cookei | Cooke’s Kokio |
NE
|
|
| Lysimachia minoricensis | Menorca Loosestrife |
NE
|
|
| Mammillaria glochidiata | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Mammillaria guillauminiana | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Mangifera casturi | Kalimantan Mango |
NE
|
|
| Mangifera rubropetala | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Nymphaea thermarum | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Rhododendron kanehirai | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Senecio leucopeplus | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Sophora toromiro | Toromiro |
NE
|
|
| Terminalia acuminata | Unknown |
NE
|
|
| Trochetiopsis erythroxylon | St. Helena Redwood |
NE
|
|
Notes
- The partulid species Partula suturalis has one extinct subspecies (Partula suturalis suturalis), and two subspecies (Partula suturalis strigosa and Partula suturalis vexillum) that are extinct in the wild. Therefore, this page only lists the whole species as extinct in the wild and not the surviving subspecies separately.
- The Pele Clermontia (Clermontia peleana), an endemic Hawaiian plant species, has one extinct subspecies (Clermontia peleana singuliflora), and one subspecies (Clermontia peleana peleana) that is extinct in the wild. Therefore, this page only lists the whole species as extinct in the wild and not the two surviving subspecies separately.
- The Superb Cyanea (Cyanea superba), an endemic Hawaiian plant species, has one extinct subspecies (Cyanea superba regina), and one subspecies (Cyanea superba superba) that is extinct in the wild. Therefore, this page only lists the whole species as extinct in the wild and not the surviving subspecies separately.
References
Asmat, G.S.M 2002. Nilssonia nigricans. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 May 2011.
Baillie, J.E.M., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Stuart, S.N. (eds) (2004). 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A Global Species Assessment. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. [Available via http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/html/Red%20List%202004/completed/cover.html].
Contreras-Balderas, S. & Almada-Villela, P. (1996). Ameca splendens. In: IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 May 2011.
Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). Anaxyrus baxteri. In: IUCN (2011). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 27 August 2011.
Goren, M. (2010). Re-introduction of the “Extinct in the Wild” Yarqon bleak, Israel. In: Soorae, P. S. (ed.) (2010) GLOBAL RE-INTRODUCTION PERSPECTIVES: Additional case-studies from around the globe. IUCN/
SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, xii + 352 pp.
IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 November 2010.
IUCN (2011). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 12 August 2011.
IUCN (2012). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2013.
IUCN (2017). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013-2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 12 November 2017.
Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Márquez, C., Snell, H. L. (2011). CDF CheckIUCN (2013). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 02 July 2013.list of Galapagos Reptiles – FCD Lista de especies de Reptiles de Galápagos. In: Bungartz, F., Herrera, H., Jaramillo, P., Tirado, N., Jímenez-Uzcategui, G., Ruiz, D., Guézou, A. & Ziemmeck, F. (eds.). Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist – Lista de Especies de Galápagos de la Fundación Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin Foundation / Fundación Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/vertebrates/reptilia/. Last updated 07 Jul 2011.
Kelley, J.L.; Magurran, A.E. & Macías García, C. (2006): Captive breeding promotes aggression in an endangered Mexican fish. Biological Conservation 133(2): 169–177. (Available online: http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/AnimPersInst/Animal%20Personality%20PDFs/K/Kelley%20et%20al%202006.pdf)
Orthopteroid Specialist Group (1996). Leptogryllus deceptor. In: IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 16 December 2010.
Ostrowski de Núñez, M., Quintana, M.G. (2008). The life cycle of Stephanoprora aylacostoma n.sp. (Digenea: Semiautomatische), parasite of the threatened snail Aylacostoma chloroticum (Prosobranchia, Thiaridae), in Argentina. Parasitol Res, Volume 102, Number 4, 647-655, DOI: 10.1007/s00436-007-0806-2.
Poulakakis, N., Glaberman, S., Russello, M., Beheregaray, L., Ciofi, C., Powell, J., Caccone, A.. (2008). Historical DNA analysis reveals living descendants of an extinct species of Galapagos tortoise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105:15464-15469.
Praschag, P.; Hundsdörfer, A.K.; Reza, A.H.M.A. & Fritz, U. (2007): Genetic evidence for wild-living Aspideretes nigricans and a molecular phylogeny of South Asian softshell turtles (Reptilia: Trionychidae: Aspideretes, Nilssonia). Zool. Scripta 36(4): 301–310. Available online: http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Articles/Praschag_etal_2007a.pdf.
Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (1996). Chelonoidis nigra ssp. duncanensis. In: IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 May 2011.
Vié, J.-C., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Stuart, S.N. (eds.) (2009). Wildlife in a Changing World – An Analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 180 pp.
Vidthayanon, C. (2011). Epalzeorhynchos bicolor. In: IUCN (2011). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 12 August 2011.
Zippel, K.C. (2010). (Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), Amphibian Program Officer), Personal communication, October 2010. This web page is based on an unpublished excel-document (Last Stand in Captivity: A preliminary analysis of all species that were ever “extinct in the wild”) prepared by K.C. Zippel for IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.
| Citation: | Maas, P.H.J. (2017). Extinct in the Wild. In: TSEW (2017). The Sixth Extinction. http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct. Downloaded on . |
| Feedback: | If you see any errors, questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please contact us so that we can correct or extend the information provided. |
| Updated: | 12 November 2017 |