thumb|300px|Biodiversity of large mammal species per continent before and after humans' arrival
Recently extinct mammals are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as any mammals that have become extinct since the year 1500 CE.
Extinction of taxa is difficult to confirm, as a long gap without a sighting is not definitive, but before 1995 a threshold of 50 years without a sighting was used to declare extinction. For example, a study found that 36% of purported mammalian extinction had been resolved, while the rest either had validity issues (insufficient evidence) or had been rediscovered.
As of March 2026, the IUCN listed 238 mammalian species as critically endangered, while 26% of all mammalian species were threatened with extinction.
Conventions
All species listed here as extinct (no known individuals remaining) are designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Species which are extinct in the wild only reside in captivity. Species listed as possibly extinct are classified as being critically endangered, as it is unknown whether or not these species are extinct. Extinct subspecies such as the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) are not listed here as the species, in this case Panthera tigris, is still extant. The IUCN Redlist classification for each species serves as a citation, and the superscripted "IUCN" by the date is a link to that species' page. A range map is provided where available, and a description of their former or current range is given if a range map is not available.
Causes of extinction
Anthropogenic (human caused) habitat degradation is the main cause of species extinctions now. The main cause of habitat degradation worldwide is agriculture, with urban sprawl, logging, mining and some fishing practices close behind. The physical destruction of a habitat, both directly (deforestation for land development or lumber) and indirectly (burning fossil fuels), is an example of this.
Also, increasing toxicity, through media such as pesticides, can kill off a species very rapidly, by killing all living members through contamination or sterilizing them. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), for example, can bioaccumulate to hazardous levels, getting increasingly dangerous further up the food chain.
Disease can also be a factor: white nose syndrome in bats, for example, is causing a substantial decline in their populations and may even lead to the extinction of some species.
Overhunting also has an impact. Terrestrial mammals, such as the tiger and deer, are mainly hunted for their pelts and in some cases meat, and marine mammals can be hunted for their oil and leather. Specific targeting of one species can be problematic to the ecosystem because the sudden demise of one species can inadvertently lead to the demise of another (coextinction) especially if the targeted species is a keystone species. Sea otters, for example, were hunted in the maritime fur trade, and their drop in population led to the rise in sea urchins—their main food source—which decreased the population of kelp—the sea urchin's and Steller's sea cow's main food source—leading to the extinction of the Steller's sea cow. The hunting of an already limited species can easily lead to its extinction, as with the bluebuck whose range was confined to and which was hunted into extinction soon after discovery by European settlers.
Australia
Island creatures are usually endemic to only that island, and that limited range and small population can leave them vulnerable to sudden changes. While Australia is a continent and not an island, due to its geographical isolation, its unique fauna has suffered an extreme decline in mammal species, 10% of its 273 terrestrial mammals, since European settlement (a loss of one to two species per decade). Furthermore, 21% of Australia's mammals are threatened, and unlike in most other continents, the main cause is predation by feral species, such as cats.
Extinct species
A species is declared extinct after exhaustive surveys of all potential habitats eliminate all reasonable doubt that the last individual of a species, whether in the wild or in captivity, has died.
|Perameles fasciata<br />
|Peramelemorphia
|data-sort-value="1850"|mid-19th century
|Australia
|frameless|180x180px
|-
|Southwestern barred bandicoot
| Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts and Nevis
|180px
|-
|Christmas Island pipistrelle
|Pipistrellus murrayi<br />
|Chiroptera
|2009
|Christmas Island
|-
|Bonin pipistrelle
|Pipistrellus sturdeei<br />
|Chiroptera
|1889
|Bonin Islands
|-
|Sardinian pika
|Prolagus sardus<br />
|Lagomorpha
|1774
|Corsica and Sardinia
|180px
|
|-
|Christmas Island shrew
|Crocidura trichura<br />
|Eulipotyphla
|1985
|Christmas Island
|
|-
|Marcano's solenodon
|Solenodon marcanoi<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| 1500s
|Dominican Republic
|
|-
|Puerto Rican nesophontes
|Nesophontes edithae<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Puerto Rico, Vieques Island, Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
|180px
|-
|Atalaye nesophontes
|Nesophontes hypomicrus<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Hispaniola
|
|-
|Greater Cuban nesophontes
|Nesophontes major<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Cuba
|
|-
|Western Cuban nesophontes
|Nesophontes micrus<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Cuba (including Isla de la Juventud)
|
|-
|St. Michel nesophontes
|Nesophontes paramicrus<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Hispaniola
|
|-
|Haitian nesophontes
|Nesophontes zamicrus<br />
|Eulipotyphla
| early 1500s
|Haiti
|
|-
|Small Samoan flying fox
|Pteropus allenorum<br />
|Chiroptera
|1856
|Samoa
|
|-
|Large Samoan flying fox
|Pteropus coxi<br />
|Chiroptera
|1839-1841
|Samoa
|
|-
|Lesser Mascarene flying fox<br />or dark flying fox
|Pteropus subniger<br />
|Chiroptera
|1864
|Réunion, Mauritius
|180px
|-
|Guam flying fox<br />or Guam fruit bat
|Pteropus tokudae<br />
|Chiroptera
|1968
|Guam
|
|-
|Dusky flying fox<br />or Percy Island flying fox
|Pteropus brunneus<br />
|Chiroptera
|1870
|Percy Islands (Australia)
|
|-
|Large Palau flying fox
|Pteropus pilosus<br />
|Chiroptera
|1874
|Palau
|
|-
|Large sloth lemur
|Palaeopropithecus ingens<br />
|Primates
|1620
|130px<br />In green
|130px
|-
|Aurochs
|Bos primigenius<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1627
|180px
|180px
|-
|Bluebuck
|Hippotragus leucophaeus<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1800
|180px
|180px
|-
|Red gazelle
|Eudorcas rufina<br />
|Artiodactyla
| late 1800s
|Algeria
|130px
|-
|Indo-Chinese warty pig
|Sus bucculentus<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1892
|Vietnam
|
|-
|Schomburgk's deer
|Rucervus schomburgki<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1932
|Thailand
|180px
|-
|Queen of Sheba's gazelle<br />or Yemen gazelle
|Gazella bilkis<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1951
|Yemen
|
|-
|Lemerle's dwarf hippopotamus
|Hippopotamus lemerlei<br />
|Artiodactyla
| early 1500s
|Madagascar
|180px
|-
|Falkland Islands wolf or warrah
|Dusicyon australis<br />
|Carnivora
|1876
|Falkland Islands
|150px
|-
| Dusicyon avus
|Dusicyon avus<br />
|Carnivora
| early 1500s
|Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay
|
|-
|Sea mink
|Neogale macrodon<br />
|Carnivora
|1894
|United States (Maine, Massachusetts) and Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland)
|
|-
|Japanese sea lion
|Zalophus japonicus<br />
|Carnivora
|data-sort-value="1975"|1970s
|Japan, Korea, Russia
|180px
|-
|Caribbean monk seal
|Neomonachus tropicalis<br />
|Carnivora
|1952
|Caribbean Sea
|180px
|-
|Giant fossa
|Cryptoprocta spelea<br />
|Carnivora
| before 1658
|130px
|180px
|-
|Lord Howe long-eared bat
|Nyctophilus howensis<br />
|Chiroptera
|data-sort-value="1972"| prior to 1972
|Lord Howe Island, Australia
|-
|Japanese otter
|Lutra nippon
<small>Imaizumi & Yoshiyuki, 1989</small>
|Carnivora
|1990s
|Japan
|180px
|-
|Christmas Island shrew
|Crocidura trichura<br />
|Eulipotyphla
|1985
|180px
|
|}
Extinct subspecies
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Common name!!Binomial name!!Species!!Order!!Date of extinction!!width=120pt|Former range!!Picture
|-
|Texas red wolf
|Canis rufus rufus<br />
|Red wolf (Canis rufus)
|Carnivora
|1970
|North America
|180px
|-
|Caucasian wisent
| Bison bonasus caucasicus<br />
||European bison (Bison bonasus)
|Artiodactyla
|1927
|Europe
|180px
|-
|Carpathian wisent
|Bison bonasus hungarorum<br />
|European bison (Bison bonasus)
|Artiodactyla
|1852
|Europe
|
|-
|Quagga
|Equus quagga quagga<br />
|Plains zebra (Equus quagga)
|Perissodactyla
|1883
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Japanese wolf
|Canis lupus hodophilax<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1905
|Asia
|180px
|-
|Hokkaido wolf
|Canis lupus hattai<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1889
|Asia
|180px
|-
|Atlas bear
|Ursus arctos crowtheri<br />
|Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
|Carnivora
|1890
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Bali tiger
|Panthera tigris sondaica<br />
|Tiger (Panthera tigris)
|Carnivora
|1950s
|Asia
|180px
|-
|Caspian tiger
|Panthera tigris tigris<br />
|Tiger (Panthera tigris)
|Carnivora
|1970s
|Asia
|180px
|-
|Javan tiger
|Panthera tigris sondaica<br />
|Tiger (Panthera tigris)
|Carnivora
|1980s
|Asia
|180px
|-
|Bubal hartebeest
|Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus<br />
|Hartebeest (Alcephalus buselaphus)
|Artiodactyla
|1925
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Portuguese ibex
|Capra pyrenaica lusitanica<br />
|Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
|Artiodactyla
|1892
|Europe
|180px
|-
|Pyrenean ibex
|Capra pyrenaica pyreneica<br />
|Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
|Artiodactyla
|2000, 2003
|Europe
|180px
|-
|Western black rhinoceros
|Diceros bicornis longipes<br />
|Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
|Artiodactyla
|2011
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Cape lion
|Panthera leo melanochaita<br />
|Lion (Panthera leo)
|Carnivora
|mid 19th century
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Barbary lion
|Panthera leo leo<br />
|Lion (Panthera leo)
|Carnivora
|1960s
|Africa
|180px
|-
|Southern Rocky Mountain wolf
|Canis lupus nubilus<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1935
|North America
|180px
|-
|Kenai Peninsula wolf
|Canis lupus occidentalis<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1925
|North America
|180px
|-
|Banks Island wolf
|Canis lupus arctos<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1952
|North America
|180px
|-
|Newfoundland wolf
|Canis lupus nubilus<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1911
|North America
|180px
|-
|Florida black wolf
|Canis rufus floridanus<br />
|Red wolf (Canis rufus)
|Carnivora
|1934
|North America
|180px
|-
|Cascade Mountains wolf
|Canis lupus nubilus<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1944
|North America
|180px
|-
|Mogollon mountain wolf
|Canis lupus nubilus<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1970s
|North America
|180px
|-
|Texas wolf
|Canis lupus nubilus<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|19th century
|North America
|180px
|-
|Sicilian wolf
|Canis lupus cristaldii<br />
|Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
|Carnivora
|1924
|Europe
|180px
|-
|Mexican grizzly bear
|Ursus arctos nelsoni<br />
|Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
|Carnivora
|1965
|North America
|180px
|-
|California grizzly bear
|Ursus arctos californicus<br />
|Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
|Carnivora
|1924
|North America
|180px
|-
|Tarpan
|Equus ferus ferus<br />
|Wild horse (Equus ferus)
|Perissodactyla
|1909
|Europe
|180px
|}
Extinct in the wild
A species that is extinct in the wild is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as only known by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due to massive habitat loss. A species is declared extinct in the wild after thorough surveys have inspected its historic range and failed to find evidence of a surviving individual.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Common name!!Binomial name!!Order!!Date of extinction!!Former range!!Picture
|-
|Père David's deer
|Elaphurus davidianus<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1939
|China
|180px
|}
Possibly extinct
Extinction of taxa is difficult to detect, as a long gap without a sighting is not definitive. Some mammals declared as extinct may very well reappear.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Common name!!Binomial name!!Order!!Last confirmed sighting!!Range!!Picture
|-
|Kouprey<br />or forest ox
|Bos sauveli<br />
|Artiodactyla
|1988
|180px
|180px
|-
|Garrido's hutia
|Capromys garridoi<br />
|Rodentia
|1989
|Cayo Maja, Cuba
|
|-
|Wimmer's shrew
|Crocidura wimmeri<br />
|Eulipotyphla
|1976
|130px
|
|-
|Baiji<br />or Yangtze river dolphin
|Lipotes vexillifer<br />
|Artiodactyla
|2002
|150px
|180px
|-
|Zuniga's dark rice rat
|Melanomys zunigae<br />
|Rodentia
|1949
|Peru
|
|-
|Dwarf hutia
|Mesocapromys nanus<br />
|Rodentia
|1937
|150px
|
|-
|San Felipe hutia<br />or little earth hutia
|Mesocapromys sanfelipensis<br />
|Rodentia
|1978
|Cuba
|
|-
|One-striped opossum
|Monodelphis unistriata<br />
|Didelphimorphia
|1899
|130px
|
|-
|Gloomy tube-nosed bat
|Murina tenebrosa<br />
|Chiroptera
|1962
|Tsushima Island and possibly Yaku Island,<br />Japan
|
|-
|New Zealand greater short-tailed bat
|Mystacina robusta<br />
|Chiroptera
|1967
|Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island, New Zealand
|180px
|-
|Ethiopian amphibious rat<br />or Ethiopian water mouse
|Nilopegamys plumbeus<br />
|Rodentia
|1920s
|Mouth of the Lesser Abay River,<br />Ethiopia
|
|-
|Angel Island mouse
|Peromyscus guardia<br />
|Rodentia
|1991
|Isla Ángel de la Guarda,<br />Mexico
|
|-
|Puebla deer mouse
|Peromyscus mekisturus<br />
|Rodentia
|1950s
|Ciudad Serdan and Tehuacán,<br />Mexico
|
|-
|Telefomin cuscus
|Phalanger matanim<br />
|Diprotodontia
|1997
|180px
|
|-
|Montane monkey-faced bat
|Pteralopex pulchra<br />
|Chiroptera
|1990s
|130px
|
|-
|Aru flying fox
|Pteropus aruensis<br />
|Chiroptera
|1877
|180px
|
|-
|Emma's giant rat
|Uromys emmae<br />
|Rodentia
|1990s
|Papua Province,<br />Indonesia
|
|-
|Emperor rat
|Uromys imperator<br />
|Rodentia
|1888
|Guadalcanal,<br />Solomon Islands
|
|-
|Guadalcanal rat
|Uromys porculus<br />
|Rodentia
|1888
|Guadalcanal,<br />Solomon Islands
|
|-
|Malabar large-spotted civet<br />or Malabar civet
|Viverra civettina<br />
|Carnivora
|late 1900s
|150px
|
|}
See also
- Holocene extinction
- List of extinct animals
- List of extinct birds
- Lists of mammals by population