Slur slur slur

Are you flamingoing somewhere?🦩

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Extinct species #7: the Onilahy river cichlid

The Onilahy river cichlid (Ptychochromis onilahy) was a small, ~9 cm big cichlid species endemic to the Onilahy river in Madagascar. Not much is known about it, as it was only seen in 1962, when 5 individuals were collected. Since then, the species wasn't seen, and was declared extinct.

Extinction: like many other Madagascar endemic species, habitat degradation and invasive species quickly decreased their population. Although multiple researchers visiting the region, the species probably went extinct around 1962.

You can use this drawing if you want, but please credit me!

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How To Train Your Dragon fanmade species #6: the Bogbear

~6 meters long, Mystery class

Breath: Light grey, almost white smoke, which quickly covers everything

Shot limit: 10

Description: Viking children are often told to go bed in timeor else the bogbear will take them. And for those living near swamps or mires it's a real danger. Bogbears are the one of the sneakiest dragons: although they can't their colour, they can emit a light grey smoke from their mouth. It not only hides them from eyes, but it mutes every sound inside it. This allows the bogbears to catch anyone off-guard. They are adept climbers, as their 2 outer toes are reversible, like those of an owl. Their eyes can move independently from each other, and on top of that they have a long, prehensile tongue. In return, bogbears are clumsy fliers, and won't take off unless it's necessary. They hide their eggs in the mud, and then leave them alone, but the eggs produce a strange, blue-ish mist which has a terrible taste, so other animals will leave them alone.

Tips for taming: seeing flames can mesmerise a bogbear: it'll became tame and you can start to slowly gain its trust.

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Extinct species #5: the Javan lapwing

Date of extinction: ~1940

The Javan lapwing (Vanellus macropterus) is considered officially as Critically endangered, but it hasn't been seen since 1940. It lived in a few areas both on the island's northern and southern coasts, mainly inhabiting swamps and river deltas.

Not much is known about its lifestyle, but it was probably similar to those of other lapwings. The Javan lapwing fed on smaller invertebrates, and probably nested on the ground. It was around 30 cm in length.

Extinction: The main reason for the lapwing's extinction was habitat degradation. Java faces significant amount of unsustainable logging, and it destroyed the few restricted areas where the bird lived. However, it was uplisted to Critically endangered from Extinct, because some possible habitat wasn't studied, and there were a few unconfirmed sightings.

You can use this drawing, as long as you credit me

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Extinct species #4: the Sea mink

Date of extinction: ~1894

The sea mink (Neogale macrodon) was a species of mink closely related to the american mink (it was even thought to be a subspecies of it). It lived in North America, around the Gulf of Maine, though it is believed that its range extended a bit souther during the last glacial period.

As the name suggests, the sea mink lived in coastal waters, in dens made between rocks. Individuals had home ranges, which they defended from conspecifics. It was similar to the american mink, although a bit bigger and probably had redder fur.

It was a carnivore just like its relative, with a diet of seabirds, fish and snails. They were one of the 3 marine mustelids (the others being the sea otter and the marine otter) and they were also the most aquatic ones after otters. The sea mink was ~90 centimeter long from head to tail, making it the largest of the minks. They probably also had some white patch between their forelimbs. The males were likely larger than females. The sea mink's teeth were also better adapted to crunching shells than those of an american one.

Extinction: Due to its larger size than of the american mink, sea minks were favored by fur traders. By 1860, they were rarely sighted. The last ones were killed in 1894 (although those might be just larger american minks).

You can use this drawing, as long as you credit me

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Extinct species #3: the North Island adzebill

Date of extinction: ~1300

Adzebills are a family of flightless birds consisting 2 (probably 3) extinct species. Their closest relatives were the flufftails and the wood rails, all belonging to the order Gruiformes(a group consisting cranes, rails, coots, etc.) Adzebills were entirely flightless, having smaller wings than the dodo compared to their body size. They were 80 cm tall, and was the largest land predator in New Zealand. When their fossils were first discovered, they were thought to be some species of moa. They got their name after their adze-like beaks.

Adzebills were carnivorous, probably hunting and snatching any small animal they could find, for example lizards, bird chicks, eggs, insects or even bats. They probably had a similar breeding style of other gruids, like having ornamental feather and head fluffs, as well as more colourful feathers during mating season. They nested on the ground, with either both parents caring about the eggs and chicks (like most gruids) or mostly just the males (like kiwis).

Extinction: since they were rarer than other birds, adzebills faced bigger pressure from native maori hunters. The invasive rats and feral dogs also hunted their chicks, which lead to the decline of both the South island and the North island species. They went extinct somewhere in the 1300s.

You can use this drawing, but please credit me!

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Extinct species #2: Round Island burrowing boa (Bolyeria multocarinata)

Extinction: ~1974

The Round Island boa was a 1-1,4 m long snake found on the island of Mauritius, Round Island and other nearby islets. This species could be also known from the book "Golden Bats And Pink Pigeons", written by Gerald Durrel. This species also represents a whole different family of snakes, with no direct relation to true boas, with only one other known species in it.

The Round Island burrowing boa hunted lizards, bird chicks and eggs for food. It was oviparous, laying ~5 eggs at once. Since it's closest (and only living) relative, the Round Island boa, can change it's colour depending on the time of the day, I drew as if this species also could do something similar, having a "darker morph" (at night), and a "lighter morph" (during the day). This species was a constrictor snake, hunting by digging into the soil and waiting for prey.

Extinction: Shortly after the colonisation of Mauritius, the introduced pigs, rats and mongooses extirpated both species from much of their range, only leaving them on the Round Island. But after rabbits and goats were introduced on the island (to provide easily accessible food for sailors), this species was doomed: the herbivores quickly decimated most of the island's vegetation, and the boa couldn't keep up with the habitat destruction. It was last seen in 1974. At least, the other endemic reptile species could be saved, mostly thanks to the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

This drawing can be used, but please credit me!

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Extinct species #1: Saint Helena cuckoo (Nannococcyx psix)

Extinction: ~18th century

This bird species is only known from a humerus, but it still tells us, that this cuckoo was very small (might be even the smallest cuckoo), with relatively short wings, suggesting that it was a poor flier. It's closest relatives were the cuckoos from genus Chrysococcyx.

This cuckoo probably fed on various insects and other arthropods, like spiders. It isn't known what species they used as host for breeding (this species was also a brood parasite), since we haven't found suitable bird species for that.

Extinction: As the name suggests, this species was only found on the island of Saint Helena. After the island became colonised in the 18th century (although it was it was already discovered before), humans deforestated almost the whole island. They also introduced cats and rats, but the habitat loss hit the cuckoos much harder. They quickly became extinct, without much evidence.

This drawing was based on the Chrysococcyx species, with a bit of speculative details.

This illustration is free to use, but credit me!

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How to train your dragon fanmade dragon species: Cuckoo worm

~2 meters long, Tracker class

Breath: Basic, fireball-like flames

Shot limit: 5

Abilities: The cuckoo worms are believed to have a 6th, "nest locater" sense for their unique breeding habits: they search for other dragons' nests to sneak their eggs into it. The egg will look like the foster parent's and it'll hatch just when its foster siblings. Young cuckoo worms' throat and inner mouth can mesmerise with changing colours, which'll push the foster parents into feeding them more. As soon as the worm learns to fly and hunt (which happens pretty soon), it'll quickly flee away from the nest. Msot dragon species hate adult cuckoo worms and will harass ( the smaller species) or even attack them (the bigger ones). For defense, cuckoo worms inflate their spiky throat and open tehir head crest trying to look really big. It's also theorized that their head is meant to mimic a speed stinger for this reason. They eat mostly smaller animals, but will eat anything if needed.

Tips for taming: They can be easily tamed if someone gives them food and a few scratches. The hard part is teaching other dragon companions to not attack/hate them. It's a long process, but it definitely worths it, considering how big snuggle bugs cuckoo worms are.

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Super starfish fish ideas #17: Ailoo, the rubber eel

Text: The name "Rubber eel" is misleading, because they're in reality a fully aquatic species of caecilian , a group of legless amphibians. They mostly breath through their skin.

Group: Amphibs (amphibians), 5 of 5

Photo from:

Rubber Eel

Image: brian.gratwicke via Flickr Typhlonectes natans It's the Rubber Eel! Occasionally called the Sicilian Worm! " Sicilian Worm "?

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Super starfish fish ideas #16: Glossoo, the three-toed amphiuma

Text: Three-toed amphiumas have 3 toes on their legs, unlike the two-toed and one-toed amphiumas, but their legs are useless anyway. They also have the largest red blood cells on Earth.

Group: Amphibs (amphibians), 4 of 5

Photo from: https://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Amphiuma/Amphiuma.shtml

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Super starfish fish ideas #15: Erythroo, the greater siren

Text: Sirens can breath underwater through their gills, which resemble those of an Axolotl's. They have no hind legs, because they spend most of their lifes underwater.

Group: Amphibs (amphibians), 3 of 5

Photo from: https://critter.science/the-greater-siren/

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Super starfish fish ideas #14, Thalassa, the african dwarf frog

Text: They have no teeth or tongue, so they help with their legs to catch food. African dwarf frogs have claws on their hind legs, but those are fragile and often break off.

Group: Amphibs (amphibians), 2 of 5

Photo from: me (Petit Pois junior, my girl :D)

[i-am-bored-bxjshsbdjaj]

Finished it :D

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Yass, Stormfly

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Super starfish fish ideas #13: Tryppo, the surinam toad

Text: Surinam toads live their whole life in water. They mimic a leaf or debrish to get close to their prey. Trypophobia warning! Mothers wear their eggs in holes on their back's skin until they hatch. Quite an unusual family!

Group: Amphibs (amphibians), 1 of 5

Photo from: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/25462-Pipa-pipa

[tribbetherium]

oh hey, it's the 5th anniversary of the Hamster's Paradise remake

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Super starfish "fish" (?) ideas #12: Petraa, the european river lamprey

Text: Lampreys are jawless, so they use their sucking disc to parasite on other fishes. They are anadromous like salmons, swimming from sea to breed. This time, they also lift rocks with their mouths!

Group: Nixgnats (jawless fishes), 2 of 2

Photo from: https://niclasahlberg.se/portfolio-item/european-river-lamprey-lampetra-fluviatilis/?lang=en

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Super starfish "fish"(?) ideas #11: (The first rares!!) Muceen, the hagfish

Text: Hagfish can release mucus when threatened, which will clog the gills or mouth of the attacker. They also have the ability to gain nutriens through their skin, which is extra useful, considering that they have no jaws.

Group: Nixgnats (jawless fishes), 1 of 2

Photo from: https://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-researchers-exploration-hagfish-genome-published-nature