North American Extinctions.

[Red Bullets]

Reading an interesting older book and it talks about birds and creatures of North America that were exterminated by people since the 1840's.
Between 1840 and 1910 the following birds were exterminated.
~ Great Auk
~ Pallas Cormorant
~ Passenger Pigeon
~ Eskimo Curlew
~ Labrador Duck
~ Cuban Tricolor Macaw
~ Gosse's Macaw
~ Guadalupe Macaw
~ Yellow Winged Green Parrot
~ Purple Guadalupe Parakeet
~ The Heath Hen ( subspecies of the greater prairie chicken or Pinniated
grouse.
~ Carolina Parakeet (in pic)



And one arctic creature from the Bering Sea was exterminated by the late 1700's too. The Rhytina, (Rhytina gigas).

An excerpt from the book...
"The most northerly Sirenian that (so far as we know) ever inhabited the earth, lived on the Commander Islands in the northern end of Bering Sea, and was exterminated by man, for its oil and its flesh, about 1768. It was first made known to the world by Steller, in 1741, and must have become extinct near the beginning of the nineteenth century.

The rhytina belonged to the same mammalian Order as the manatee of Florida and South America, and the dugong of Australia. The largest manatee that Florida has produced, so far as we know, was thirteen feet long. The rhytina attained a length of between thirty and thirty-five feet, and a weight of 6,000 pounds or over."



Any guesses as to what species from North America will be the next?

My guess is the lesser prairie chicken or the monarch butterfly. The monarch butterflies used to come through central Alberta. Remember seeing a big tree covered in thousands of monarch butterflies 50+ years ago. Haven't seen a monarch in a long time. .

[JareS]

And domestic cats have been responsible for the extinction of at least 63 animal species including 33 bird species..

And people wonder why I hate those little b@stards with a passion!

[yukon254]

Originally Posted by JareS

And domestic cats have been responsible for the extinction of at least 63 animal species including 33 bird species..

And people wonder why I hate those little b@stards with a passion!

x2

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by JareS

And domestic cats have been responsible for the extinction of at least 63 animal species including 33 bird species..

And people wonder why I hate those little b@stards with a passion!

I'm a cat lover myself. But unless it is a barn cat to control rodents, cats should not be allowed to roam free. I've had a number of cats...all lived to ripe old happy age...and none of them ever stepped foot outdoors to kill birds or crap in the neighbors yard.
Outdoor cats are just doing what's natural...I prefer to hate the ignorant owners.

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

I'm a cat lover myself. But unless it is a barn cat to control rodents, cats should not be allowed to roam free. I've had a number of cats...all lived to ripe old happy age...and none of them ever stepped foot outdoors to kill birds or crap in the neighbors yard.
Outdoor cats are just doing what's natural...I prefer to hate the ignorant owners.

Agreed, I keep my cats indoors and let them watch their "prey" through the windows.

Here's another for the extinction list: playoff hockey in Edmonton

[Big Grey Wolf]

Yes, those darn barn cats on our ranch, they roam free and eat All the mice especially the ones with hanta virus that kill people. I hate ravens they eat all our baby robins in their nests.

[thumper]

Despite eco-zealots fear-mongering about animals going extinct around the world every minute, try and name one animal that's gone extinct in Alberta over the past 50 years.

Not subjective terms like 'rare' or 'threatened' or 'endangered', - but truly extinct.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by thumper

Despite eco-zealots fear-mongering about animals going extinct around the world every minute, try and name one animal that's gone extinct in Alberta over the past 50 years.

Not subjective terms like 'rare' or 'threatened' or 'endangered', - but truly extinct.

While I cannot name any critters that have been eradicated in Alberta in the last 50 years, I predict that one of these terms will be applicable to the Alberta NDP party in less than 4 weeks.
Will that count?

[ghostguy6]

How many of those species listed were truly eradicated because of man and not just natural selection?

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by thumper

Despite eco-zealots fear-mongering about animals going extinct around the world every minute, try and name one animal that's gone extinct in Alberta over the past 50 years.

Not subjective terms like 'rare' or 'threatened' or 'endangered', - but truly extinct.

I hope you are not thinking I am fear mongering. I posted this to maybe start something to talk about.

And one creature that is extinct from Alberta happened in the last 75 years. The pinniated grouse or greater prairie chicken. Destroyed by man over harvesting the birds and breaking the land.

[bat119]

The black footed ferret and the burrowing owl are on the brink

[colroggal]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

While I cannot name any critters that have been eradicated in Alberta in the last 50 years, I predict that one of these terms will be applicable to the Alberta NDP party in less than 4 weeks.
Will that count?

Invasive species don't count.

Colin

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I hope you are not thinking I am fear mongering. I posted this to maybe start something to talk about.

And one creature that is extinct from Alberta happened in the last 75 years. The pinniated grouse or greater prairie chicken. Destroyed by man over harvesting the birds and breaking the land.

Cultivating the land to grow food to feed city dwelling liberal minded anti hunters no doubt. The Libs are directly responsible for that that one .

I'm just kidding ... but not really, or am I ? No I guess not.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Cultivating the land to grow food to feed city dwelling liberal minded anti hunters no doubt. The Libs are directly responsible for that that one .

I'm just kidding ... but not really, or am I ? No I guess not.

You aren't kidding. Originally the cities were where the feeble, sick and weak people lived because they couldn't handle or make their way in the country and nature.

[happy honker]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

You aren't kidding. Originally the cities were where the feeble, sick and weak people lived because they couldn't handle or make their way in the country and nature.

Weird eh?
Now it's totally the other way around.

Sincerely, HH in Edmonton.

[NCC]

Don’t forget about the mega fauna that the indigenous people of North America hunted into extinction such as mastodons and mammoths.

[Copidosoma]

Originally Posted by NCC

Don’t forget about the mega fauna that the indigenous people of North America hunted into extinction such as mastodons and mammoths.

And...

All forms of Pleistocene wild horse (H)
Equus alaskae (H)
Equus cedralensis[150] (H)
Mexican horse (Equus conversidens) (H)
Equus complicatus[151] (H)
Tarpan (Equus ferus ferus) (H)
Equus fraternus (H)
Equus giganteus[152] (H)
Yukon horse (Equus lambei) (H)
Equus mexicanus[153] (H)
Niobrara horse (Equus niobrarensis) (H)
Pacific horse (Equus pacificus)[154] (H)
Western horse (Equus occidentalis) (H)
Equus semiplicatus (H)
Hagerman horse (Equus simplicidens) (H)
Scott's horse (Equus scotti) (H)
Stilt-legged horse (Haringtonhippus francisci, formerly Equus francisci) (may be a synonym of Mexican horse) (H)
All members of North American tapir (Tapirus, four species) (H)
California tapir (Tapirus californicus) (H)
Cope's tapir (Tapirus copei) (H)
Merriam's tapir (Tapirus merriami) (H)
Vero tapir (Tapirus veroensis) (H)
Various members of Camelidae
Western camel (Camelops hesternus) (H)
Stilt legged llama (Hemiauchenia, several species)(H)
Stout legged llama (Paleolama) (H)
Three of the last four Antilocapridae genera (pronghorns survived)
Capromeryx (H)
Stockoceros (H)
Tetrameryx (H)
American mountain deer (Odocoileus lucasi) (H)
Stag-moose (Cervalces scotti) (H)
Several members of Caprinae (the muskox survived)
Shrub-ox (Euceratherium collinum) (H)
Harlan's muskox (Bootherium bombifrons) (H)
Soergel's ox (Soergelia mayfieldi) (H)
Harrington's mountain goat (Oreamnos harringtoni, smaller and more southern distribution than its surviving relative) (H)
Bison (only Bison bison in North America, and Bison bonasus in Eurasia, survived) (H)
Ancient bison (Bison antiquus) (H)
Long-horned/giant bison (Bison latifrons) (H)
Steppe bison (Bison priscus) (H)
Bison occidentalis (H)
Californian beaver (Castor cf. californicus)[155]
Giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis et Castoroides leiseyorum) (H)
Aztlan rabbit (Aztlanolagus sp.) (H)
Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica, extirpated) (H)
Giant tortoise (Hesperotestudo sp. et Gopherus donlaloi) (H)
Cuban flightless crane (Grus cubensis) (H)
La Brea Crane (Grus pagei) (H)
Saint Croix macaw (Ara autocthones) (H)
Mexican thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta phillipsi)[143]
Turkeys (Meleagris californica et Meleagris crassipes)[143] (H)
Antilles monkeys (Xenotrichini) (H)
Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas, extirpated in North America) (H)
Neochoerus (e.g. Pickney's capybara, N. pinckneyi) (H)
Giant hutia (Heptaxodontidae) (H)
Giant pika (Ochotona whartoni) (H)
Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, extirpated, range partially recolonised)[161][162]
Eremotherium, a megatheriid ground sloth (H)
Nothrotheriops (Nothrotherium), a nothrotheriid ground sloth (H)
Megalonyx, Nohochichak,[163][164] and Xibalbaonyx,[165][166] megalonychid ground sloths (H)
Paramylodon and Glossotherium, mylodontid ground sloths (H)
Greater Antillean dwarf ground sloths (Megalonychidae) (H)
Acratocnus (H)
Habanocnus (H)
Megalocnus (H)
Megalonyx (H)
Miocnus (H)
Neocnus (H)
Various members of Glyptodontidae
Glyptotherium[167] (H)
Pachyarmatherium (H)
Beautiful armadillo (Dasypus bellus)[168] (H)
Pampatheres (e.g. Holmesina) (H)
Mixotoxodon[169][170] (H)

Gomphotheriidae sp. (H)
Cuvieronius[173] (H)
Stegomastodon[174] (H)
Mammoth (Mammuthus) (H)
Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) (H)
Pygmy mammoth (Mammuthus exilis) (H)
Woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) (H)
American mastodon (Mammut americanum) (H)
Flat-headed peccary (Platygonus sp.) and long-nosed peccary (Mylohyus sp.) (H)
Pleistocene Yucatán peccary (Muknalia minimus)[175] (H)


Some of these are not North America "proper" (Caribbean) but the list is pretty long.

Why only look at 1850+? Humans have been doing this sort of stuff for a long time. We are amazing disruptors.

[The Cook]

Pretty sure Conservatives are on the endangered list in the Banff and especially Canmore area, but the will to survive will hopefully save the species.

[AB2506]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I hope you are not thinking I am fear mongering. I posted this to maybe start something to talk about.

And one creature that is extinct from Alberta happened in the last 75 years. The pinniated grouse or greater prairie chicken. Destroyed by man over harvesting the birds and breaking the land.

And the sage grouse is not far behind if the age and native prairie is not preserved, ravens and owls controlled.