By Demian Bilokoz Form 5 “Sosny” school Teacher V.N. Sharapova 2014 Extinct Animals By Demian Bilokoz Form 5 “Sosny” school Teacher V.N. Sharapova 2014

DODO The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo was not discovered on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius until about the 1590s. It was a bird that had no fear of humans, having not encountered them before, so it was easy for sailors to catch and eat, even though most reports of the meat were that it was tough and sometimes unpalatable (usually due to cooking it for too long). It was a flightless bird, and quite heavy - around 20 kg, so it was not believed to be a fast- moving bird, although scientists differ in opinion on this. This meant it lacked the ability to escape terrestrial predators.

Why did dodos become extinct? When humans settled permanently on Mauritius, they cleared native dodo habitat, destroying nesting grounds. They also introduced various new species, all of which were a threat to the dodo. Dogs and pigs killed the birds; cats and preyed on the young chicks; and Crab-eating Macaques were introduced from Asia - these ate the eggs of the dodo.

Passenger Pigeon

Passenger Pigeon The Passenger Pigeon was the largest species of birds, during the 1800's. It contained more individuals than all other North American birds combined. But sadly, by 1900s that powerful population had been reduced to one bird named," Martha" who died on September 1, 1914 in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. Martha

Why did passenger pigeons become extinct? The biggest reason was over hunting, but deforestation also contributed.

Quagga

Quagga The quagga was a large, hoofed type of zebra that went extinct in the 1880's. It went extinct in the wild in the 1870's; it was hunted to extinction for its meat and hide. The last quagga, a mare (an adult female), died in captivity in the Amsterdam Zoo on August 12, 1883.

Why did Quaggas become extinct? It is believed that the Quaggas became extinct due to ruthless hunting by humans because their flesh was a source of food. Another reason could also be lack of wild grass to feed on. That is, the Quaggas fed on grass which later became scarce due to existence of sheep, goats and other livestock.

Epilogue ALL these animals extinct of people activities, and if You don’t want to have more extinct animals on our planet, You and other people should help such special organizations as WWF to protect many endangered species to survive.…