List of African animals extinct in the Holocene


The list of extinct animals in Africa features the animals that have become extinct on the African continent and its islands, like Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion, Seychelles, Saint Helena, Cape Verde, etc. Only extinctions of the Holocene Epoch are included.
Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.

Mammals


Common name\scientific nameExtinction dateRangeImage
Atlas bear
Ursus arctos crowtheri		1870s
North Africa
Aurochs
Bos primigenius		Unknown,
1627		North Africa
Bluebuck
Hippotragus leucophaeus		1799 or 1800
South Africa
Bubal hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus		1925
North Africa
Cape lion
Panthera leo melanochaitus		1876
South Africa
Cape serval
Leptailurus serval serval		Unknown
South Africa--
Cape warthog
Phacochoerus aethiopicus aethiopicus		1871
South Africa--
Kenya oribi
Ourebia ourebi kenyae		Unknown
Kenya--
Large sloth lemur
Palaeopropithecus sp.		1500s
Madagascar
Lesser Mascarene flying fox
Pteropus subniger		1864-1873
Mauritius and France
Quagga
Equus quagga quagga		August 12, 1883
Namibia and South Africa
Red gazelle
Eudorcas rufina		1894
Algeria--
Robert's lechwe
Kobus leche robertsi		Unknown
South Africa--
Western black rhinoceros
Diceros bicornis longipes		1996
Cameroon



Common name\scientific nameExtinction dateRangeImage
De Winton's golden mole
Cryptochloris wintoni		1907
South Africa--
Ethiopian amphibious rat
Nilopegamys plumbeus		1927
Ethiopia--
Wimmer's shrew
Crocidura wimmeri		1976
Côte d'Ivoire--

Birds

Common name\scientific nameExtinction dateRangeImage
Alaotra grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus		1985
Madagascar
Aldabra brush-warbler
Nesillas aldabrana		1983
Seychelles--
Ascension flightless crake
Mundia elpenor		1656?
United Kingdom
Ascension night heron
Nycticorax olsoni		1600s
United Kingdom --
Broad-billed parrot
Lophopsittacus mauritianus		1680
Mauritius
Canary Islands oystercatcher
Haematopus meadewaldoi		1940
Spain
Canary Islands quail
Coturnix gomerae		Unknown
Spain --
Delalande's coua
Coua delalandei		1834
Madagascar
Dodo
Raphus cucullatus		1662
Mauritius
Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff
Phylloscopus canariensis exsul		1986
Spain --
Elephant bird
Aepyornis, Mullerornis sp. Vorombe titan		1600s
Madagascar
Lagrand's ground roller
Brachypteracias lagrandi		Unknown
Madagascar--
Large Saint Helena petrel
Pseudobulweria rupinarum		early 16th century
United Kingdom --
Madeiran wood pigeon
Columba palumbus maderensis		1924
Portugal --
Mascarene coot
Fulica newtoni		c.1700
Mauritius and France
Mascarene grey parakeet
Psittacula bensoni		1764
Mauritius--
Mascarene parrot
Mascarinus mascarinus		1834
France
Mauritian duck
Anas theodori		1690s
Mauritius and France --
Mauritian shelduck
Alopochen mauritianus		1690s
Mauritius and France --
Mauritius blue pigeon
Alectroenas nitidissimus		1830s
Mauritius
Mauritius grey parrot
Psittacula bensoni		1764
Mauritius and France --
Mauritius night-heron
Nycticorax mauritianus		Late 17th century
Mauritius--
Mauritius owl
Mascarenotus sauzieri		1850
Mauritius
Mauritius starling
Cryptopsar ischyrhynchus		Holocene Epoch
Mauritius--
Newton's parakeet
Psittacula exsul
Mauritius
Red rail
Aphanapteryx bonasia		1700s
Mauritius
Réunion flightless ibis
Threskiornis solitarius		Early 18th century
France
Réunion gallinule
Porphyrio coerulescens		1730
France
Réunion kestrel
Falco duboisi		1700s
France --
Réunion night-heron
Nycticorax duboisi		1700s
France --
Réunion owl
Mascarenotus grucheti		1700s
France --
Réunion pigeon
Nesoenas duboisi		1705
France --
Réunion shelduck
Mascarenachen kervazoi		1690s
France --
Réunion starling
Fregilupus varius		1850s
France
Rodrigues night-heron
Nycticorax megacephalus		1750s
Mauritius
Rodrigues owl
Mascarenotus murivorus		1750s
Mauritius--
Rodrigues parrot
Necropsittacus rodericanus		1750s
Mauritius
Rodrigues rail
Erythromachus leguati		1750s
Mauritius
Rodrigues solitaire
Pezophaps solitaria		1778
Mauritius
Rodrigues starling
Necropsar rodericanus		1750s
Mauritius
Saint Helena crake
Porzana astrictocarpus		Early 17th century
United Kingdom --
Saint Helena cuckoo
Nannococcyx psix		late 18th century
United Kingdom --
Saint Helena dove
Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos		After 1502
United Kingdom --
Saint Helena hoopoe
Upupa antaios		Early 16th century
United Kingdom
Saint Helena rail
Porzana astrictocarpus		After 1502
United Kingdom --
Seychelles parakeet
Psittacula wardis		1886
Seychelles
Small Saint Helena petrel
Bulweria bifax		After 1502
United Kingdom --
Tristan moorhen
Gallinula nesiotis		late 19th century
United Kingdom

Reptiles


Common name\scientific nameExtinction dateRangeImage
Voay robustus100 AD
Madagascar



Common name\scientific nameExtinction dateRangeImage
Cape Verde giant skink
Macroscincus coctei		1940
Cape Verde
Domed Mauritius giant tortoise
Cylindraspis triserrata		Early 18th century
Mauritius--
Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise
Cylindraspis peltastes		1800s
Mauritius
Eastwood's long-tailed seps
Tetradactylus eastwoodae		1912
South Africa--
Hoffstetter's worm snake
Typhlops cariei		Unknown
Mauritius--
Mauritian giant skink
Didosaurus maurtianus		1650
Mauritius--
Mozambique centipede-eater
Aparallactus nigriceps		Unknown
Mozambique--
Réunion giant tortoise
Cylindraspis indica		1840s
France
Rodrigues day gecko
Phelsuma edwardnewtoni		1917
Mauritius
Rodrigues giant day gecko
Phelsuma gigas		1842
Mauritius--
Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard
Gallotia simonyi simonyi		1930s
Spain
Round Island burrowing boa
Bolyeria multocarinata		1975
Mauritius--
Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise
Cylindraspis inepta		Early 18th century
Mauritius--
Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise
Cylindraspis vosmaeri		1800s
Mauritius

Amphibians

Fish

1970s, Kenya
Unknown, Rwanda
Unknown, Madagascar
1962, Madagascar
1930s, Morocco

Insects

Unknown, United Kingdom
Unknown, Mauritius
Deloneura immaculata, 1863, South Africa
Lepidochrysops hypopolia, 1879, South Africa
Labidura herculeana, 1967, United Kingdom
Sympetrum dilatatum, 1964, United Kingdom

Crustacean

1951, Madagascar
Unknown, Namibia
Unknown, Madagascar

Molluscs