Today we will learn about extinct animals in Spain. Sadly, the human being has been the main cause of the disappearance of many species, although man has brought innovations to our planet that have made life easier for us, they have also caused a lot of damage to the environment and to living beings in general.
List of extinct animals in Spain
Next, let's get to know a little list of extinct animals in Spain, we will learn a little about them and their most outstanding characteristics. Surely, many of them will surprise you, because their peculiarities made them unique and extremely interesting. In addition, we will learn more about the Species extinction. Let's get started!
giant auk
This was one of the Types of birds non-flying aircraft that were in different European countries, especially within Spain, Iceland, Greenland and Morocco. Although it was a bird that could not take flight, it was recognized due to its excellent ability as a swimmer and diver. This animal was physically very similar to the penguins that exist today.
Its height could reach up to over 60 centimeters, since the studied specimens managed to reach a meter and twenty centimeters in height and weigh approximately 5 kilos. According to the studies and evidence that have been found, these animals have been on our planet since prehistoric times, so, in life, they were one of the oldest. In this way, the reason for their size, characteristics and the way in which they migrated is better understood.
The man began to hunt it for many years, this at the rate of being able to eat its meat and obtain the eggs of this bird, which were of a large size. This is how, little by little, the species began to decline and decrease in numbers until it finally became extinct, not only in Spain, but in all the countries where it lived.
When they were in danger, the few remaining specimens were found in Greenland, this was approximately in the mid-nineteenth century, however, hunting continued and there was no society to protect it, so the ambition and lack of consciousness of the human being led to extinction. It was not until 1852, when it was officially announced that it was one of the extinct species in Spain, because its last known specimen had already perished.
lusitanian goat
This animal was originally from Portugal, however, it could be found in some other places such as Galicia and Austrias today. He was considered one of the animals in danger of extinction in Galicia. This animal has a physical resemblance to the bucardo, a species that is also currently extinct, but which, however, is better known because it is one of the recently extinct animals.
Currently, there are still different opinions about the real cause for which the species has become extinct, some believe that it was due to genetics, since it is said that this species tended to have a greater population of males than females, because each time The offspring that were born as males were larger, which is why it is believed that this was the problem that led them to become extinct.
However, there is a large number of studies and documents that indicate that it is one of the species extinct by manDue to the constant hunting of this species, these same studies say that human beings looked for these animals to eat their meat and use their skin, since it was believed that it had a kind of compound that could be used as stomach medicine.
Monk seal
This seal is not only extinct in Spain, but has also disappeared from all the places it used to inhabit. These animals are related to the Hawaiian and Mediterranean seals, which are currently a vulnerable and endangered species.
Again, we find an animal species that was so persecuted and killed by humans that, after a while, it became completely extinct. It was sought after for its skin and as food, as it was offered as an "exotic delicacy". When it was only considered as food, these animals drastically decreased in their population numbers, but it was not until their skin began to be used to make clothing that it reached the point of extinction.
The last specimen of these animals died in 1950, resulting in the official extinction of this species. Sad news for those who tried to protect and conserve the species.
Mollusk of San Vicente de Lérida
This species of mollusk was extremely special due to its size, since it was really very small, even being tiny.
For this reason, very few people knew of its existence. In addition, a very unique anecdote that can be told about these is that, it is the only Spanish species that has exact documentation of the moment of its extinction.
Currently, in San Vicente de Lérida, there is a famous and very popular spa that was named with the same name.
However, we must emphasize that, due to the construction of this place, the species of these molluscs became extinct, so we can affirm that despite being a species little known to man, once again the responsibility of their extinction falls on the human being and his unconsciousness with the environment.
It is one of the recently extinct species, since it was not until 1969, when the disappearance of this small species was officially documented. Although the species has been declared extinct, many biologists remain hopeful that it is still alive, but that, being so complex to find, no one has seen it yet.
Canary Unicolored Oystercatcher
This was a bird belonging to the Canary Islands, it was considered a medium-sized bird, since it did not measure more than 50 centimeters in length and did not weigh more than one kilogram. Its physical appearance consisted of having very bright and especially beautiful black feathers, around its eyes, it had small reddish feathers that delicately outlined them. Well, this is what is believed regarding its appearance, because in this way they are the sister species of this bird.
According to some studies carried out, it is believed that these birds nested and lived in the rocky areas around the coasts, in addition to this, they were not birds that migrated with others, this means that they never left their place of residence. The diet of these birds consisted of eating small crustaceans and some other small species that inhabit the seas and the coasts.
When the 1994th century arrived, these birds had already been considered as a disappeared species, this means that they had not been found again until that moment, but it was not until XNUMX, when it was announced that, the last An example of this species had died, so it was at that time that its extinction was officially announced.
The reasons that led this bird to extinction are varied, since it is said that one of these was having to compete with man for its food, this is because man also fished or hunted the same prey as the bird. Other reasons were having to survive the constant attacks that the rats had against them as well as the domestic cats of the people who inhabited those coasts.
After all this struggle to survive, the man began to hunt them to feed on it and its eggs, it was there when the few specimens that were left alive began to decline until they became extinct.
bucardo
This goat was not only belonging to the Spanish country, but could also be found in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Pyrenees. These animals were considered direct relatives and very close to the currently known mountain goats. The approximate weight of the bucardos was about 70 kilos.
These animals walked the earth since the Prehistoric Era. Even in those times, it was highly sought after to be consumed. Then, later, with the passing of the centuries and the arrival of the human being, these animals began to be hunted for human consumption, and not only that, the human being also killed them, to obtain their antlers, since the It was very striking, being much larger than that of other species of goats, which is why hunters exhibited them as a kind of trophy.
When the 2000th century began, these animals were already being considered a vulnerable species, almost extinct, however, a few specimens were still alive in Spain. But having to constantly compete for food with other species eventually led to extinction. The last specimen of the species, which was called Laña, died at the beginning of the XNUMXst century, in the year XNUMX.
This specimen had been cared for by biologists in order to try to study its species and conserve it, since the desire of the scientists was to clone the animal to recover the species. However, the multiple investigations regarding cloning and the constant attempts to keep the species alive, were not fruitful, since they could not achieve that it was maintained naturally, nor through cloning. It was when it was officially declared as another extinct species.
long-legged bunting
One of the Flying animals belonging to the Canary Islands. Today there is not much evidence about its physical appearance, however, it is said that it was a flightless bird due to its size. It is believed that it had very long legs and very small wings, very similar to the characteristics of the ostrich, but with a smaller size. Since it was not a flying bird, it is assumed that its diet consisted of those things that it could take from the ground or from the places it could reach.
Even today, the reason why these birds became extinct is not known for sure, but knowing the precedents of other extinct animals and what is currently happening on our planet, we can almost be sure that the disappearance of this bird is due to the intervention of man after the island was discovered.
Not only the hunting of the species could have led to its current extinction, but it may also have been due to the introduction of other species that made it compete for its food and habitat, although it is not believed, this type of competition leads because the "weaker" species ends up dying more quickly. Another factor that may have harmed them is the constant human population growth and therefore the destruction of their habitat.
It is very sad to know that the vast majority of birds belonging to the Spanish country are currently extinct or in danger of disappearing. The most unfortunate thing is knowing and being certain that the main culprit of all this is nothing more than the human being.
Levantine Iberian Wolf
It is believed that this animal belonging to the canid group is the brother of the common gray wolf that we know today. Nowadays, not much is known about these animals, what was their origin or what was the exact cause of their imminent extinction. One of the few things that is known about these wolves is that they lived in the Spanish region of Murcia. What we know about them and their physical characteristics are those that were studied from captive specimens found in Spanish zoos.
Studying the habitat where they lived, it is presumed that in their natural state, these animals had a coat in reddish tones and that they were not found in herds, but rather, that they were solitary. Until now, it is not known exactly when this species became extinct. Some biologists and scientists maintain the hope and belief that these animals are still alive but hidden and far from human beings, which is why, until now, no one has managed to see a specimen of this species.
Roque Chico Lizard
This is a species that has been very controversial regarding its extinction, because even today, there are certain dilemmas about whether it is really in extinction or not. This is another of the animals that inhabited the Canary Islands, in the year 1930, they were considered as a disappeared species.
It is assumed that the reason why they came to disappear is due, again, to the intervention of man, since they surely introduced other animals that could be predators of the species or that made them compete for their habitat or food, thus leading them to its extinction. Some others believe that the hunting of the lizard also led it to disappear, since they were not very common animals, so they were surely highly sought after.
This species was declared extinct in the middle of the last century. However, scientists who believed that this species was extinct were pleasantly surprised when, one day in 1974, a population with some specimens was found in the Canary Islands. Today it remains a very vulnerable species, so those still existing specimens are protected and exhaustive studies are being carried out for the conservation of the species.
Other extinct animals in Spain
Currently, there is no exact number of how many animals have become extinct in the world, however, we are going to know a small list of other extinct animals within Spain:
- Maspalomas Grasshopper (Dericorys minutus)
- La Palma giant lizard (Gattolia auaritae)
- Balearic giant rat (Myotragus balearicus)
- Mallorcan giant dormouse (Hypnomys morpheus)
- Canary Island Giant Tortoise (Geochelone vulcanica)
- Tenerife giant rat (Canariomys bravoi)
- Cave bear (Ursus spelaeus)
- Menorcan giant dormouse (Hypnomys mahonensis)
- Ibiza Rail (Rallus eivissensis)
- Majorca Hare (Lepus granatensis solisi)
- Malpais mouse (Malpaisomys insularis)