18 animals that recently went extinct

Found in China’s Yangtze River, the Chinese paddlefish was one of the largest freshwater fish on Earth before its extinction. It was officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2019, and it perished due to a combination of overfishing and dam construction in the Yangtze.

Chiriqui harlequin frog

Scientific name: Atelopus chiriquiensis
Date of extinction: 2019

Yet another victim of the Bd fungus, the Chiriqui harlequin frog was formerly found in Panama and Costa Rica. Although the frog wasn’t labelled extinct until 2019, it hadn’t been seen since 1996. Like many other amphibians affected by Bd, the sudden disappearance of this species made conservation efforts almost impossible.

Splendid poison frog

Scientific name: Oophaga speciosa
Date of extinction: 2018

Found in the forests of Panama, this bright red frog was last seen in 1992 as part of the illegal pet trade. Due to little evidence of it persisting in the wild, the frog was finally declared extinct in 2018. Again, it is likely that the Bd fungus played a significant role in the loss of this animal in the wild.

Poʻouli

Scientific name: Melamprosops phaeosoma
Date of extinction: 2019

The poʻouli, a bird found in the forests of Maui, Hawaii, was not discovered until 1973 and has already been declared extinct. It was found in a relatively limited range on the island, making the habitat degradation it faced even more pronounced. It was thought to be threatened by rat predation and competition with other species.

Alagoas foliage-gleaner

Scientific name: Philydor novaesi
Date of extinction: 2019

Found in the lowland forests of Brazil, the Alagoas foliage-gleaner, a small bird species, had a very limited range, located only in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas. Unfortunately, the forests it called home have been almost entirely destroyed in these regions, leading to the fragmentation and loss of the bird’s habitat and, in turn, its eventual extinction.

Corquin robber frog

Scientific name: Craugastor anciano
Date of extinction: 2019

According to the IUCN assessment, the corquin robber frog was only found in two sites in western Honduras at a specific altitude range and had not been seen since 1990. Living in the forests of a single mountain made this species incredibly vulnerable to habitat loss, one of the leading causes of its eventual extinction. It is likely that the Bd fungus was also a factor in the corquin robber frog’s extinction.

Cryptic treehunter

Scientific name: Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti
Date of extinction: 2019

The cryptic treehunter, a small brown bird, was only discovered in 2014 but may have gone extinct before the paper first describing it was even published. As with many of the animals on this list, the cryptic treehunter was only found in a very limited range in the mountains of Brazil, increasing its vulnerability to habitat loss from human activity. This is a case of extinction happening so rapidly and suddenly that any attempts at conservation became essentially impossible.

Bramble Cay melomys

Scientific name: Melomys rubicola
Date of extinction: 2016

The Bramble Cay melomys, a small rodent, was found only on the tiny island of Bramble Cay between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The extinction of this species has been described as ‘the first mammalian extinction caused by human-induced climate change’. The Bramble Cay melomys population was devastated by storms and loss of vegetation on the island, primarily driven by impacts of climate change. The rodent has now been officially recognised as extinct by the Australian government as of 2019.

Christmas Island pipistrelle

Scientific name: Pipistrellus murrayi
Date of extinction: 2016

As their name suggests, this bat was native to Christmas Island, inhabiting the forests of this Australian territory. The Christmas Island pipistrelle was the first mammal to go extinct in Australia in 50 years, although it is unclear exactly why it went extinct. Some species did experience habitat loss on Christmas Island. However, many of the forests the bats called home remained intact while populations declined. Much of their decline may have been due to predation and competition from other species.

Christmas Island whiptail-skink

Scientific name: Emoia nativitatis
Date of extinction: 2017

Another species native to Christmas Island, the last known Christmas Island whiptail-skink died in captivity in 2014. The species was then officially declared extinct by the IUCN in 2017. Much like the Christmas Island pipistrelle, these amphibians likely went extinct due to competition and predation from invasive species.

Specifically, explosions in the populations of yellow crazy ants and the introduction of the Indian wolf snake to the island in 1980 are likely the driving factors behind the decline and eventual extinction of the Christmas Island whiptail-skink.

Jalpa false brook salamander

Scientific name: Pseudoeurycea exspectata
Date of extinction: 2019

Last seen in 1976, experts have been unable to find any trace of Jalpa false brook salamander populations in the wild in the following decades, leading to the species being declared extinct by the IUCN in 2019. The main threats to the species were habitat destruction through human activity in the forms of logging, agriculture, and aquaculture in its native Guatemala.

Bridled white-eye

Scientific name: Zosterops conspicillatus
Date of extinction: 2016

The bridled white-eye, a bird found only on Guam, is considered a subspecies by some sources but is classed as its own species by the IUCN. It is unknown how these birds went extinct; however, it has been speculated that predation from snakes may have been a cause behind their decline. There may have been other invasive species that played a role, but this is not confirmed.

The bridled white-eye is survived by its closest relative, the Saipan white-eye, which is native to the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Kauaʻi ʻakialoa

Scientific name: Akialoa stejnegeri
Date of extinction: 2016

Formerly found on the island of Hawaii, the bird known as the Kauaʻi ʻakialoa has not been seen for 60 years and is presumed extinct. The IUCN officially declared the species extinct in 2016. It is likely that disease—in particular, avian pox—played a role in these birds’ decline. There is also evidence that habitat destruction, predation from introduced species, and hurricane damage contributed to their extinction.

Let’s protect endangered species before it’s too late

Protecting the planet and the plants and animals that we share it with is everyone’s responsibility. We all must work together to curb the effects of climate change, safeguard animal species, and prevent further biodiversity loss.

Many animals play essential roles in their local ecosystems and can help fight climate change through their natural behaviours. When species go extinct from human causes, the carefully controlled ecosystems to which they belong become even more unbalanced and vulnerable, which harms other animals and people in the long term. Without animals, our planet as we know it cannot exist.

Concerted efforts are in place to address species endangerment and extinction. The US 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a good example. The ESA puts programs in place for the conservation of at-risk animals and plants in their natural habitats. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) currently implements the ESA in collaboration with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

The ESA has proved a tremendous success, and in the 50 years since its inception, it has saved 99% of listed species from extinction. This includes some iconic American animals like the bald eagle and certain species of alligator. However, other species have been removed from the list due to their recent extinction.

While initiatives like the ESA are great a start, as we can see from this list, we still have more work to do.

At IFAW, we work to protect animals and partner with them to tackle the climate crisis.