#possibly extinct

[sayjoart]

Old art

“Chiriqui Hatequin frog

Atelopus chiriquisis

Costa Rica and Panama

Hasn’t been seen since 1996”

[rockdove2]

Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata)

This species was declared extinct in 1916, however sightings since have lead to some believing they survived much longer or are still alive.

In 1964, three Russian students saw 3 of these shelducks- two females and one male- with a flock of harlequin ducks, and there were further reported sightings in ‘71 and ‘85, although these are disputed.

There have been numerous unconfirmed reports, including a Chinese forest worker claiming to have shot and eaten two of them in 1984, and a Chinese bird collector recalling having attempted to shoot a female in 1983.

Due to these unconfirmed sightings, with the last confirmed sighting occurring in 1971, the Created Shelduck is not classified as extinct, but rather critically endangered. It is estimated that if this species is extant, it’s population is less than 50 individuals.

Hunting, over-collecting and habitat loss were thought to have been contributing factors to this bird’s possible extinction. However, if it is still alive, it’s population is now so low that accidental extinction is thought to be it’s biggest threat.

Search for information on all of the world's bird species.

UNEP-WCMC - Crested Shelduck

Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata) - BirdLife species factsheet

[nearcrested]

Some taxidermy animals at the Harvard Museum of Natural History that are extinct or close to it. I'll link the Wikipedia articles that I got the info from.

Geocapromys thoracatus is called the South Island hutia on the plaque but otherwise called the Little Swan Island hutia. They declined due to introduced cats in the 50s and Hurricane Janet in 1955.

The ivory-billed woodpecker is considered critically endangered, but likely extinct. Their habit was lost from logging and the last confirmed sighting was in 1944.

The Père David's deer is extinct in the wild, but more than 5,000 individuals survive in captivity, and some are being reintroduced to the wild. After nearly being hunted to extinction, Emperor Tongzhi had the last herd in China until they were killed and eaten by German troops during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The 11th Duke of Bedford had a herd in England, and all of the remaining deer are descendants of just 3 of those deer.

[sixth-extinction]

Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology has a collection of over 60 ivory billed woodpecker specimens. Photograph from Joel Sartore’s PhotoArk.

[dinodorks]

Tasmanian tiger by damir-g-martin

[cryptids-cryptids-blog]

Is the Moa extinct? Or could there be surviving members of the species? 

The moa was a New Zealand bird, distinguishable by its great height (up to 13 feet), its lack of wings, and its spurred feet. When New Zealand was first settled by people ~1280, the population was estimated to be 58,000. Unfortunately, the birds reportedly went extinct sometime between 1300-1500 due to overhunting. 

Despite the species’ apparent extinction, sightings have been reported as recently as 2008. Some people believe that these sightings are really just of large known birds (such as the emu or cassowaries), while others believe that a small species of moas have survived. 

[allosauroid]

What is your favorite cryptid???

Honestly I think I’d have to go with the thylacine,I used to be absolutely obsessed with the creature four or five years ago and will always have a soft spot for it.

[ainawgsd]

York Chocolate

The York Chocolate (or simply York) is an uncommon and relatively recent American breed of show cat, with a long, fluffy coat and a tapered tail and most of them are mostly or entirely chocolate-brown. The breed was named after New York state, where it was established in 1983. This breed was created by color-selecting domestic long-haired cats of mixed ancestry. The breed is not widely recognized by cat registries.

The breed was created by Janet Chiefari in 1983. The father was a black longhaired cat and the mother was a longhaired black and white cat. Their Siamese ancestors created the brown coloring in one kitten: Brownie. Brownie had a litter that subsequent summer with a black longhaired tom. There were two kittens in the litter: a chocolate male and a white and chocolate female. Upon noticing similarities in coat and body types, Chiefari began her own breeding program.

The breed is recognized, under the shorter name York, by the recently founded World Cat Federation based in Germany, and with some differences from previously published standards, most of which seem to be lost. The breed is not recognized by any major, long-established international cat fancier organizations, nor even US national groups such as the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA). In March 1990, the Cat Fanciers' Federation of the New England area of the US recognized York Chocolates as an "experimental" cat breed, and allegedly gave it championship status within the group in March 1992, but publishes no breed standard or any other information about the breed today. In March 1990, the Cat Fanciers' Federation of the New England area of the US recognized York Chocolates as an "experimental" cat breed, and allegedly gave it championship status within the group in March 1992, but publishes no breed standard or any other information about the breed today.

The York Chocolate is a very friendly, even-tempered breed that is very content as a lap cat. They love to be held and cuddled. The cats are intelligent, energetic, and curious, happily following their owner around. They are reportedly good companions and good hunters. They seem to be enamored with water and are sometimes shy.