The 11 Animals That Are Already Extinct in Brazil

An extinct animal is one that no longer exists in nature or in captivity. There is also the category “extinct in the wild,” which is used when individuals of this species still exist in captivity. It is important to know that. In the last 50 years, with the advancement of progress, the rate of extinction has increased considerably.Risk Assessment of ExtinctionThe latest information we have in Brazil is that there are 11 animal species that are at least already extinct – 5 of these species are endemic to Brazil and their extinction is due to the extinction of their habitat, and another 5 are regionally extinct (they are not endemic species and are also extinct in other regions where they inhabit, migrate or roam). Only one species, the Mutum-do-nordeste, is extinct in the wild, meaning that there are still specimens in captivity. According to biologist Drielle Martins from IcmBio, “The first cycle of risk assessment of extinction of wildlife species ended in 2014.” The risk assessment of extinction is a long process that requires a lot of fieldwork and data confrontation, both national and from other places, and it is through this assessment that we can account for the losses of our biodiversity.The overall calculation of the first assessment presents data from 12,254 animal species that were evaluated, of which only 10,357 obtained conclusive results:● 1,192 were classified in risk categories● 9,165 are not threatened● 1,181 are threatened● 11 were considered extinctThe 5 Endemic SpeciesRato-de-fernando-de-noronhaThe Rato-de-fernando-de-noronha, Noronhomys vespuccii, existed in the archipelago until the arrival of the colonizers. There are no known images of this species as it was identified from fossils found on the islands. It is believed that the main factor that caused the extinction of the species was the introduction of another rat to the islands of the archipelago, the exotic species Rattus rattus, also called black rat or gabiru (in the northeast) that came to our continent on caravels and other ships of the conquerors. The black rat is native to Asia and is associated with the transmission of some very dangerous diseases such as bubonic plague and typhus, among several others.Gritador-do-nordesteThe Gritador-do-nordeste, Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti, is a species that was only characterized and recognized a few years ago, but was soon declared at risk of extinction. Currently, it is considered extinct as the last specimens of the gritador-do-nordeste were sighted in the Environmental Reserves of Murici (AL) in 2007. The habitat of this bird extended from the Murici Reserve to that of Frei Caneca (PE), at approximately 500m altitude. It is believed that its extinction is due to the advance of the agricultural frontier over the Atlantic Forest of the Northeast, promoting deforestation, fires, and enormous pressure on the habitat.Caburé-de-pernambucoThe Caburé-de-pernambuco, Glaucidium mooreorum, was a small owl that inhabited the lowland Atlantic Forests in the region of Rio Formoso and Tamandaré (PE), at 150m altitude. No specimens of this little owl have been seen in the wild since 2004. It is also believed that the extinction of this species is mainly due to the destruction of the Atlantic Forest of the Northeast, due to the advance of the agricultural frontier.Limpa-folha-do-nordesteThe Limpa-folha-do-nordeste, Philydor novaesi, was a small bird that inhabited the environmental reserves of Murici (AL) and Jaqueira (PE) and was last seen in 2011. It is believed that the same reason, the expansion of agricultural frontiers over the Atlantic Forest of the Northeast, led this species to extinction.Rãzinha da Serra do MarThe Perereca-verde-da-fímbria, Phrynomedusa fimbriata, occurred endemically in the region of Serra de Paranapiacaba, in Santo André (SP), at altitudes above 1,000m. It was last seen in 1923 and there is no hypothesis explaining its extinction.Species With Regional ExtinctionThe next species are not endemic, that is, native to Brazil but rather inhabited regions, aquatic or terrestrial, of our continent. The birds had their habitat in the southern and southeastern regions. The sharks populated the seas further south. It is assumed that the birds, Maçarico-esquimó, arara-azul-pequena, and peito-vermelho-grande may have succumbed due to the destruction of native habitats and the excessive use of pesticides in agricultural crops. The two species of sharks were surely victims of predatory industrial fishing that knows no limits in the destruction it leaves in its wake.Maçarico-esquimóThe Maçarico-esquimó, Numenius borealis, is a small migratory bird whose route involves Canada, the Caribbean, reaching Chile, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. The last time it was sighted in Brazil was in 1963.Arara-azul-pequenaThe Arara-azul-pequena, Anodorhynchus glaucus, has its habitat along the rivers in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil and nests on cliffs. This parrot has not been sighted since 1960 in Brazilian territory, and its regional extinction is attributed to the deforestation of riparian forests, the destruction of slopes, and the drastic reduction of the population of palm trees that fed them. Parrots are also heavily pursued by illegal hunting for sale abroad and the use of their feathers for handicrafts.Peito-vermelho-grandeThe Peito-vermelho-grande, Sturnella defilippii or Leistes defilippii, is regionally extinct in Brazil – its habitat would be the southern pampas where it has always been rare. The last record known occurred 70 years ago in Rio Grande do Sul. It also occurs in the Argentine, Uruguayan, and Paraguayan pampas where it is listed as vulnerable.Tubarão-dente-de-agulhaThe Tubarão-dente-de-agulha, Carcharhinus isodon, is extinct off the southern coast of Brazil, where it occurred. This species has its habitat in the Atlantic coast of the USA and Mexico and also occurred, rarely, in the coastal waters of the south and southeast. This is a shallow-water marine animal (up to 10 m) that easily gets caught in fishing nets as well as being fished with hooks.Tubarão-lagartoTubarão-lagarto or Schroederichthys bivius, inhabited the coastal region of the South American continent, from southeastern Brazil to northern Chile, passing through the Beagle Channel. A single specimen was found in Brazil in 1988. According to some scientists, oceanic noise pollution caused by heavy ship traffic (tankers and fishing boats) may have inhibited its reproduction.The mutum-do-nordeste(which exists only in captivity)The Mutum-do-nordeste, Pauxi mitu, is a species extinct in the wild. This species is native and exclusive to the Atlantic Forest in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas. There are no more individuals in the wild, but they still survive in captivity, in two breeding facilities in Minas Gerais. The species that survive in captivity may eventually return to the wild as long as they can breed and their original habitat remains preserved.Around the WorldWhen talking about endangered animals or species, it refers to an assessment that categorizes species into various risk categories. In regional assessments, species can be classified into 11 categories, according to the degree of risk of extinction they are in. The convention for categorizing a species uses the reference name in Portuguese and the original acronym in English, in parentheses.Categories for Assessing Species at RiskThe Eleven Categories Are:• Extinct (EX) – Extinct• Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Extinct in the Wild• Regionally Extinct (RE) – Regionally Extinct• Critically Endangered (CR) – Critically Endangered• Endangered (EN) – Endangered• Vulnerable (VU) – Vulnerable• Near Threatened (NT) – Near Threatened• Least Concern (LC) – Least Concern• Data Deficient (DD) – Data Deficient• Not Applicable (NA) – Not Applicable• Not Evaluated (NE) – Not Evaluated* Note: Regionally Extinct, in this case, is equivalent to “Extinct in Brazil”The Criteria Used in Classifications• Extinct (EX): A species is considered Extinct when there is no record of any individual left. • Extinct in the Wild (EW): A species is considered extinct in the wild when it is known only in cultivation, captivity, or as a population (or populations) naturalized outside its natural distribution area. • Regionally Extinct/Extinct in Brazil (RE): This category is used for a species whose last individual capable of reproducing in the region has died or disappeared from nature. Or, in the case of being a visitor species, the last individual has died or disappeared from nature in the region.• Critically Endangered (CR): When the best available evidence indicates that any of the criteria A to E (explained below) for Critically Endangered are met, it is considered that the species is at very high risk of extinction in the wild. • Endangered (EN): When the best available evidence indicates that any of the criteria A to E for Endangered are met, it is considered that the species is undergoing a high risk of extinction in the wild. • Vulnerable (VU): A species is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable are met, thus it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. • Near Threatened (NT): A species is considered Near Threatened when it does not currently qualify as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable, but is close to qualifying for these categories in the near future. • Least Concern (LC): A species is considered Least Concern when the assessment criteria do not qualify it as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened. • Data Deficient (DD): When there is insufficient information to assess the extinction risk of the species, based on its distribution and/or population status, it is classified in this category. A species in this category may be well studied and its biology well known, but lacks adequate data on its distribution and/or abundance. • Not Applicable (NA): Category for a species considered ineligible to be assessed at the regional level. • Not Evaluated (NE): A species is said to be Not Evaluated when it has not yet been assessed under the IUCN criteria.Assessment CriteriaThere are 5 quantitative criteria used to classify a species in the risk categories above. They are: A. Population reduction (past, present, and/or projected); B. Restricted geographic distribution and showing fragmentation, decline, or fluctuations; C. Small population and with fragmentation, decline, or fluctuations; D. Very small population or very restricted distribution; E. Quantitative analysis of extinction risk (for example, PVA – Population Viability Analysis).Now that you know how the assessments that classify the degree of risk a species is in are made, it will be easier to understand the lists and notes released about the dangers that many of them face.By Alice Branco and Gisella Meneguelli.Source: greenme.com.br