The 5 most impressive extinct animals in history

Are you interested in wildlife? Although there are currently many interesting species to observe, the reality is that both humans and other natural causes made several mythical and impressive animals become extinct.

For example, recently the newspaper El Tiempo mentioned that, in the midst of the quarantine, an animal believed to be extinct was sighted. Basically, it was a gray wolf from the European regions, which was seen in Upper Normandy, in France, thanks to infrared cameras from an inhabitant of the area.

Knowing this, we decided to find out some incredible species that did not suffer the same fate , since they are currently considered extinct. Some of them have incredible features, so we invite you to meet them.

1. Dodo Bird

We start with a rather interesting species. According to the La Vanguardia website, it was a type of bird that emerged in Mauritius and became extinct in the late 17th century due to the arrival of European settlers. Its main characteristics? A pointed beak and a rounded head.

In this case, we are talking about a bird that, paradoxically, could not fly. In that area there were no predators, so they lost that ability since they did not feel the need to escape. In return, their wings narrowed and they managed to develop huge legs.

2. Giant Alca

Let's continue with another animal that could not fly either, due to its size. Here we speak of a species that became extinct at the end of the 19th century, with a size different from that of the penguins that we know, since the adults grew to a meter in height and weighed about 5 kilograms.

The plumage of these animals was black on the wings and the back, neck and head . However, on the wings, they had two white spots. Unfortunately, when they were discovered, they were hunted to extinction by man.

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3. Irish Moose

Do moose impress you? Well, in this case, we refer to a species that had antlers that measured up to 3.5 meters from end to end. Despite the fact that it died out about 11,000 years ago, the EuroNews website mentions that in Northern Ireland they found the skull of one of them.

It was an animal of enormous dimensions. For example, the height was about 2.2 meters, while it weighed approximately 1.2 tons. However, females used to be smaller than males.

4. Woolly Mammoth

Also known as the Tundra Mammoth, it was an extinct mammal that had really large proportions. For example, it had a thick layer of hair that could reach 90 cm long, which added to a layer of fat of about 10 cm, allowed it to resist low temperatures.

Despite their enormous proportions (adult males could measure between 2.80 to 3.50 meters, weighing close to 6 tons), they could not avoid human hunting. Mainly, humans sought to remove their fangs, which could reach 4 meters, in addition to about 84 kilograms in weight.

5. Megalodon

Finally, we conclude with an animal that was "the terror of the seas". At almost 20 meters long and weighing approximately 50 tons, it was a type of predator that had an insatiable appetite.

Although it was similar to a white shark, its size was three times larger, which allowed it to attack almost any species that came close to it, such as other sharks, turtles and even some whales. The cause of its disappearance is still unclear.