30 Extinct Animals We Never Knew Existed

1. Haast's Eagle

Image Source: Reddit

This massive eagle was native to New Zealand and is the largest eagle ever known. With a wingspan of up to 10 feet, it soared through the skies, preying on large, flightless birds. Skeleton finds have shown that this extinct eagle had a bill and legs that were stronger than some of the most powerful living vultures. Believe it or not, this eagle’s feet and claws were as large as a tiger’s!

2. Megatherium

Image Source: Reddit

This enormous ground sloth from South America dwarfed its modern-day relatives, reaching the size of an elephant. Its sturdy claws helped it feed on vegetation and defend against predators. It was a slow-moving, gentle creature, but if it was provoked, it could become aggressive. The Megatherium looked very similar to a bear and would wander around on its hind legs.

3. Quagga

Image Source: Reddit

A subspecies of zebra from South Africa, the Quagga displayed a striking pattern of stripes on its head and neck, while its body faded into a solid brown. Tragically, it became extinct due to overhunting. Interestingly, the quagga was the first extinct animal to have its DNA examined by scientists. They found that the species was more closely related to the zebra than the horse, with shared ancestors dating back to millions of years ago.

4. Dodo

Image Source: Reddit

The Dodo, a flightless bird from Mauritius, was an unfortunate victim of human-induced extinction. With its plump body (larger than a turkey!), small wings, and friendly demeanor, it fell victim to hunting and habitat destruction, vanishing by 1681. Due to advancements in genetics, there have been debates about using de-extinction to resurrect the Dodo.

5. Irish Elk

Image Source: Reddit

Despite its name, the Irish Elk was not exclusively found in Ireland, and it was not an elk. This huge deer, sporting extraordinarily large antlers that spanned over 12 feet, once roamed across Eurasia. It went extinct around 7,700 years ago, likely due to environmental changes and subarctic conditions that plagued the planet around that time. It’s thought that the larger the antlers, the more desirable the Irish Elk was to females.

6. Tasmanian Tiger

Image Source: Reddit

The Thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian Tiger, was a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Unfortunately, it was declared extinct in the 20th century, with the last known tiger dying in captivity in 1936. This unique creature possessed a striking appearance, resembling a large dog with tiger-like stripes across its back, hence its nickname.

7. Glyptodon

Image Source: Reddit

This creature was a massive, prehistoric mammal that resembled a huge armadillo. They lived during the Pleistocene epoch, around two million years ago. The Glyptodon reached up to 11 feet long and weighed up to two tons. Its distinguishing feature was the extensive bony armor that covered its body, offering protection against predators, like Saber-toothed cats and large, carnivorous birds.

8. Steller's Sea Cow

Image Source: Britannica

The Steller's Sea Cow was an enormous marine mammal that once inhabited the Bering Sea. Discovered by Georg Wilhelm Steller in 1741, the se cow measured up to 30 feet in length and weighed up to 10 tons. Sadly, human exploitation led to their rapid extinction just 27 years after their discovery. Hunted for their meat, blubber, and hide, the population rapidly declined until 1768.

9. Moa

Image Source: Reddit

The Moa was a massive, flightless bird native to New Zealand. These magnificent creatures once roamed the islands in prehistoric times. They stood up to 12 feet tall, had no wings, and weighed over 1,000 pounds, making them one of the largest birds ever to have existed. Sadly, human arrival in New Zealand led to their extinction around the 15th century, primarily due to hunting and habitat destruction.

10. Saber-toothed Cat

Image Source: Reddit

The Saber-toothed Cat roamed the Earth 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. Known for its fearsome and intimidating appearance, it possessed long, curved canine teeth, which could reach up to 11 inches in length. Its robust build and strong forelimbs allowed it to take down its prey with precision and power. Sadly, the Saber-toothed Cat eventually became extinct.

11. Great Auk

Image Source: Reddit

The Great Auk was a flightless seabird that once populated the North Atlantic's colder regions. It possessed a distinct black and white plumage, making it an iconic species. These birds were exceptional divers, using their wings as paddles to navigate underwater. Sadly, excessive hunting for its down feathers, eggs, and meat led to its tragic extinction in the mid-19th century.

12. Megalodon

Image Source: Reddit

The Megalodon was an enormous, prehistoric shark, considered one of the largest predators in history. With teeth that measured up to 7 inches, it ruled the oceans for millions of years. Its immense size, around 50-60 feet in length, made it a powerful force in the ancient seas. However, environmental changes and competition led to its extinction more than three million years ago.

13. Aurochs

Image Source: Reddit

The Aurochs were wild cattle that once roamed the grasslands of Europe, leaving behind cave paintings depicting their imposing presence. Standing over six feet tall, they had formidable horns and were characterized by their immense size, powerful build, and distinctive curved horns. Sadly, the last Aurochs perished from Poland in the early 17th century.

14. Ground Sloth

Image Source: Reddit

A diverse group of herbivorous mammals, Ground Sloths roamed the Earth for millions of years. Ranging in size from small to colossal, they had sturdy limbs, long claws, and robust bodies. Some species, like the Giant Ground Sloth, grew as large as modern-day elephants. Climate change, along with human impact, led to their extinction around 11,000 years ago.

15. Moeritherium

Image Source: Reddit

An ancient creature resembling a small elephant with a long trunk, Moeritherium inhabited Africa around 37 million years ago. It possessed unique adaptations for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, with specialized teeth for browsing on aquatic plants, slender legs, and a trunk-like nose. As the climate shifted, its habitat changed, and Moeritherium eventually vanished from the fossil record.

16. Diprotodon

Image Source: Reddit

Weighing up to three tons, the Diprotodon was a giant marsupial that inhabited Australia until around 50,000 years ago. It resembled a massive wombat and was the largest-known marsupial to have ever existed. With a robust build and a broad diet, it thrived across diverse habitats. However, hunting pressure from early humans and environmental changes contributed to its extinction.

17. Quetzalcoatlus

Image Source: Reddit

Quetzalcoatlus, an awe-inspiring Pterosaur, ruled the Late Cretaceous skies 68 to 66 million years ago. Named after the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, it was the largest flying animal to have ever lived. With an astonishing wingspan of up to 33 feet, it soared gracefully through prehistoric skies. Despite its intimidating size, Quetzalcoatlus was believed to be a gentle giant, primarily scavenging for food. Today, its fossil remains continue to intrigue paleontologists.

18. Megalania

Image Source: Reddit

Imagine a gigantic monitor lizard, and you have the Megalania, the largest known lizard to have ever existed. Native to Australia, this powerful, intimidating reptile reached lengths of up to 23 feet and likely had a predatory lifestyle. Although it went extinct around 50,000 years ago, it is often considered Australia's version of the legendary dragon.

19. Indricotherium

Image Source: Reddit

Indricotherium, also known as the "Giant Rhinoceros," was a huge, hornless mammal that once roamed across Eurasia and survived on a herbivorous diet. Standing over 18 feet tall and weighing up to 20 tons, it holds the title for the largest land mammal that ever lived. Climate change and ecological shifts led to this gentle giant’s extinction around 23 million years ago.

20. Pyrenean Ibex

Image Source: Reddit

This wild mountain goat once inhabited the Pyrenees Mountains. These agile creatures were well-adapted to the rugged terrain of their habitat and used their sharp hooves to navigate rocky cliffs. Sadly, it became the first species to go extinct twice when the last known goat died in 2000. However, scientists have made efforts to revive the species through cloning techniques using preserved DNA.

21. Baiji Dolphin

Image Source: Reddit

The Baiji Dolphin, also known as the Yangtze River dolphin, was a freshwater dolphin species native to China's Yangtze River. With its long, narrow beak, it was hailed as the "Goddess of the Yangtze." Tragically, it was declared extinct in 2006, primarily due to habitat loss, overfishing, pollution, boat traffic, and accidental entanglement in fishing gear.

22. Carolina Parakeet

Image Source: Reddit

Native to the eastern United States, the Carolina Parakeet was the only parrot species native to the country. Renowned for its vibrant plumage, social behavior, and ability to survive in various habitats, this beautiful species fell victim to extensive hunting and habitat destruction. The last known parakeet died in captivity in 1918, marking its extinction.

23. Rodrigues Solitaire

Image Source: Reddit

The Rodrigues Solitaire was a flightless bird endemic to the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. It was closely related to the Dodo and possessed a distinctive hooked beak. Although the exact cause of its extinction remains uncertain, habitat degradation, hunting, and the introduction of invasive species likely played a role. The last known bird perished in the 18th century.

24. Falkland Islands Wolf

Image Source: Reddit

The Falkland Islands Wolf, also known as the warrah, was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands. It resembled a fox, with its lean body and bushy tail, and inhabited the South Atlantic Islands for thousands of years. Unfortunately, human activities, including hunting and the introduction of non-native predators, such as dogs, led to its extinction in the early 19th century.

25. Caribbean Monk Seal

Image Source: Reddit

The Caribbean Monk Seal was the only seal species native to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Renowned for its playful nature and distinctive appearance (a slender body with short fur), it faced extensive hunting by humans seeking its valuable blubber and skins. Coupled with habitat destruction and competition for food, this led to its extinction by the mid-20th century.

26. Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Image Source: Reddit

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was one of the largest woodpecker species in the world, with gorgeous black and white plumage, a distinct and sharp ivory bill, and a striking red chest. Once found in the southeastern United States and Cuba, it suffered from habitat loss and extensive hunting. Although reports of sightings persist, it is widely considered functionally extinct.

27. Atlas Bear

Image Source: Reddit

The Atlas Bear was a subspecies of brown bear that once roamed the mountains of North Africa, including the Atlas Mountains. Its unique features included brown fur and a white patch on its chest. With a reputation for strength and aggression, it became a target for hunting and was driven to extinction by the late 19th century due to a combination of factors, including habitat loss and direct persecution.

28. Passenger Pigeon

Image Source: The Scientific American

The Passenger Pigeon was once the most abundant bird species in North America, forming immense flocks that darkened the skies for hours. Rapid industrialization, habitat loss, and uncontrolled hunting for meat and feathers led to its tragic decline. The last known passenger pigeon, Martha, died in captivity in 1914, marking the extinction of this once iconic species.

29. Woolly Mammoth

Image Source: Reddit

The Woolly Mammoth was a magnificent Ice Age mammal that adapted to the frigid environments of the Northern Hemisphere. With its long, shaggy fur and enormous curving tusks, these creatures were an iconic symbol of the ancient past. However, climate change, overhunting by early humans, and habitat loss contributed to its extinction around 4,000 years ago.

30. Tecopa Pupfish

Image Source: Reddit

The Tecopa Pupfish was a small, freshwater fish species endemic to the hot springs of the Mojave Desert in California. It inhabited warm pools and survived extreme temperature fluctuations. Unfortunately, habitat degradation, invasive species, and water diversions caused its populations to diminish. By the 1970s, the Tecopa Pupfish was declared extinct.

31. Helicoprian

image source: cnet.com

This one is the stuff of nightmares, and especially if you were already afraid of the ocean! The Helicoprion was an ocean predator that looks similar to a shark, with huge sharp teeth. If that's not scary enough, its teeth actually grew to form a wheel - leading scientists to name it the "buzzsaw killer", because you can imagine the damage that wheel could do...

32. Edestus

image source: cnet.com

This one has been considered something between a dinosaur and a shark, but the exact form it took is still unknown. One thing is for certain, though - it's teeth! This creature never lost any of its teeth, and instead new teeth would grow at the back of its mouth, resulting in old teeth being pushed forward and leaving a mouth full of rows of teeth!

33. Titanoboa

image source: cnet.com

Giant snake? No thanks. A 50-foot-long giant snake? NO THANKS. This one was believed to have been around after the dinosaurs had gone extinct, known as the Titanoboa. Because the dinosaurs were no longer around, this thing took the top spot for being the biggest and most feared predator on the plant. As well as being 50 feet long, they weighed 2,500 pounds.

34. Pentecopterus

image source: cnet.com

Scorpions today are not natural swimmers - but this extinct creature sure was. This one was something of an extra large scorpion with a body shaped like a paddle, ensuring it could lurk and swim in the ocean waters. It was also 5 feet long! Believed to have been around an estimated 460 million years ago, it has distant relations today in the form of lobsters.

35. Hallucigenia fortis

image source: cnet.com

Yep, that's a big walking worm. Despite the name, you're no hallucinating! This species, known as Hallucigenia fortis, was a matter of debate in terms of what it actually was. Mostly considered as a worm that could walk on legs, it also might have had tentacles instead of legs, and whatever they were may also have had tiny mouths on the end of them...

36. Meganeura

image source: cnet.com

Have you ever had a dragonfly suddenly launch at you out of nowhere, or cross your path? They're beautiful and they mean you no harm, but they're loud and large. Now imagine that but this extinct version of one... which was similar to a dragonfly, but it had a wingspan that could be as wide as two feet compared to the couple of inches we're used to these days! Mega indeed.

37. Dunkleosteus

image source: cnet.com

There's nothing more scary than the thought of what lurks under the ocean, and especially weird fish with very sharp teeth. Enter the Dunkleosteus, which was around roughly 360 million years ago, and even had its own set of armor! It was 30 feet in length and its sharp bite was strong enough to break into any other armored fish. Some believe it might have even preyed on its own species because of this.

38. Deinosuchus

image source: cnet.com

The name of this extinct beast translates as "terrible crocodile", which just about sums it up. And what makes them even more terrifying is that they could go up against T-Rexes with no issues. Fossils of T-Rexs have shown teeth marks from this huge crocodile, which means they regularly got into fights. It's believe the Deinosuchus reached lengths of 35 feet!

39. Phoberomys

image source: cnet.com

This extinct beast is also known as the 'ratzilla' amongst scientists - so you can imagine what we're dealing with here. It was basically a large rat, but we're talking the same size as a bull or a cow. It's also believed they had a tail that reached around 5 feet long. The good news is that they were herbivores, not carnivores - but that doesn't change the fact they had HUGE teeth!

40. Anomalocaris

image source: cnet.com

If you're a bit icky about sea creatures, you probably don't take well to the idea of things like huge squids or shrimp. Well, you might not like this one, then. The extinct Anomalocaris was a creature around 6 feet long, that resembled both a squid and a shrimp. Its tentacles even had their own teeth! Its name actually translates to "abnormal shrimp".

41. Arcdotus

image source: cnet.com

This extinct animal is also known as the 'short-faced bear', which doesn't sound too bad by today's standards - especially if it has a smaller face to contend with - but the main issue was their huge appetite, and the fact that they wanted meat, and only meat. They needed to eat around 35 pounds of meet a day, and despite the shorter face, were around 50% bigger than the BIGGEST polar bears!

42. Megapiranha

image source: cnet.com

The piranha is scary enough these days thanks to horror movies, but how about the biggest piranha in history? These now-extinct (luckily) piranhas were around the size of a boogie board, at least 3 feet long, and they had not one, but two rows of very sharp teeth. They were knocking around roughly 10 million years ago, so you can imagine how scared the other sea creatures were!

43. Gigantopithecus

image source: cnet.com

Also known pretty much as a Bigfoot that actually existed at one point, this now-extinct creature was known to be around in Asia until it went extinct around a 100,000 years ago. It's believed it's the ancestor of the modern ape or orangutan, and it reached a great size of 10 feet tall! It's likely they ate plants rather than meat, but that doesn't mean you'd want one walking towards you.

44. Argavantis

image source: cnet.com

This was a monstrous variation of what we know as the modern day vulture, except the Argavantis was known to have a HUGE wingspan - of 20 feet wide! This prehistoric bird was also so strong that it preyed on cattle, and when standing, would be as tall as the average human. You'd think with all that height and weight it wouldn't be able to lift itself off the ground, but it sure could!

45. Phorusrhacidae

image source: cnet.com

Most people who are afraid of birds might say it's that huge, sharp beak that's one of the main reasons - and this bird, also known as the 'terror bird', isn't going to help with that fear. Their beaks were so sharp, strong and hard that they were able to crack a skull as easily as a melon. They were around roughly 2 million years ago, and they could even be as tall as 10 feet!

46. The white-footed rabbit rat

image source: en.wikipedia.org

At least this one isn't as scary as some of the ones on this list! The last time a white-footed rabbit was seen is reported to be 1845 and now believed to be extinct. This one was related to rats and mice, as well as squirrels! It was native to Australia, and despite being called a rabbit, looked more like a squirrel, with a white belly and - of course - white feet.

47. Basilosaurus

image source: walkingwith.fandom.com

Anything that ends in 'saurus' is probably going to be something you're glad is extinct! Meet the Basilosaurus, which means 'king lizard', and while that might make you think of the T-Rex, this one was actually the king of the ocean! You could find this creature around 40 million years ago before they were wiped out, and whale ancestors like this actually lived on land before moving to the sea!

48. Tully monster

image source: earth.com

The tully monster was just plain weird - so much so it even had the professional bamboozled, and even in this picture it looks like a weird metal submarine rather than a living creature! This extinct creature was sort of like a very long worm, a foot in length, with eyestalks and very, very sharp teeth. Some scientists think it had a vertebrae, while others think it didn't.

49. Arthropleura

image source: azanimals.com

This extinct creature was very similar to woodlice, just much, much bigger. They actually reached lengths of six to eight feet, which is not what you want to hear when its a creepy crawlie creature! They're also believed to be the biggest arthropods to ever have existed. It's believed they fed on decomposing wood, and were around roughly 300 million years ago.

50. Josephoartigasia monesi

image source: reddit.com

Another dose of a far-too-big rodent here, this creature could reach the size of a horse, with those massive claws and teeth to boot. This one could be found in regions of South America, and are one of the two species of giant rodent, both now extinct. It could stand up to a height of around 5 foot tall, whilst being around 9 foot in length! Their teeth were also a whopping 10 inches long!