Maclear-Ratte (Rattus macleari)
The nocturnal Maclear's rat was fairly large, with a body length of 21 to 26 centimeters and a tail length of up to 26.5 centimeters. The species was characterized by its black upright back hairs. (© Joseph Smit, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Maclear’s rat

On the vulnerability of rats The extinction of countless birds, mammals, and reptiles in modern times can be traced back to rats that arrived on European ships and expanded their range. In fact, however, there are also many species from the family of true mice and rats (Muridae) that have

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Ciridops anna
Ula-ai-hawane in the book Birds of the Sandwich Islands (1890–1899) by F. W. Frohawk. (© Frederick William Frohawk, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Ula-ai-hawane

The Hawaiian island chain once harbored 57 species of honeycreepers Honeycreepers (Drepanidini), a tribe within the finch family (Fringillidae), occur only on the Hawaiian island chain. As a sister group, the honeycreepers are closely related to the rosefinches (Carpodacus), yet many species have developed traits that differ from those of

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Scotorythra megalophylla
Female Kona giant looper moth from the book Fauna Hawaiiensis (1899). Image: Scotorythra_megalophylla-Fauna_Hawaiiensis1899.PNG: Edwin Wilsonderivative work: Peter Maas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Kona Giant Looper Moth

Just one of many What makes the Hawaiian archipelago special is the enormous number of endemic species found there. Because of the islands’ isolation, the species living there split over time into many different new species. The genus Scotorythra, for example, consists exclusively of moths endemic to Hawaii and comprises

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Ainsworth's Salamander
This is what remains of the holotype of Ainsworth's salamander. The specimen is kept at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. (© DesmognathusFuscus, via Wikimedia Commons)

Ainsworth’s Salamander

Last seen in 1964: Plethodon ainsworthi, sp. nov. Ainsworth’s Salamander is known only from two specimens collected by biologist Jackson Harold Ainsworth in 1964, two miles south of Bay Springs in Jasper County, Mississippi. Ainsworth assumed that the two individuals were Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon glutinosus). More than 30 years later,

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Mauritius-Schnauzenfalter (Libythea cinyras) - Holotyp
The only known specimen of the extinct Mauritius libythid butterfly. The upper side of the wings was dark brown with orange patches. (© "014172727_Libythea_cinyras_HT_Dorsal" - Libythea cinyras Trimen, 1866 by The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0, via GBIF)

Mauritius Libythid Butterfly

Known from only one specimen Only a single specimen of the Mauritius libythid butterfly or snout butterfly is known, collected in 1865 on the Mascarene island of Mauritius in the Moka District. A certain Mr. Colville Barclay discovered the snout butterfly and gave it to the British-South African naturalist Roland

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gelbe gallwespenschleiche
Photo of the head of a Jamaican giant galliwasp in the Natural History Museum in London. The specimen of the lizard was probably collected in the 19th century. (© Simon J. Tonge, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Jamaican giant galliwasp

Last seen in 1851 The Jamaican giant galliwasp, endemic exclusively to the Caribbean island of Jamaica, belongs to the family of diploglossids (Diploglossidae)—lizards with small but well-developed legs. A report written around 1850 by the English naturalist Philip H. Gosse indicates that the Jamaican giant galliwasp was still commonly found

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Antiguan Racer
A photo of the Antigua racer (Alsophis antiguae), native to the Lesser Antilles island of Antigua, which was considered the rarest snake in the world in the 1990s. Like the Jamaican racer, it belongs to the colubrid family and the subfamily Dipsadinae. (© Wallamalloo69 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Jamaican racer

Rare or extinct? The English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse described the black racer or Jamaican racer in the mid-19th century as one of the most common snakes in Jamaica. It occurred both in the lowlands and in the mountains of the island. By the mid-20th century, the Jamaican racer had

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Chiriqui-Harlekinfrosch
Male Chiriqui harlequin frogs reached a size of 2.8 to 3.4 centimeters; females were somewhat larger, with a body length of 3.6 to almost five centimeters. (© Brian Gratwicke from DC, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Chiriqui harlequin frog

Poisonous stubfoot toad from Chiriquí Province The Chiriqui harlequin frog was once widespread in the Cordillera de Talamanca, a mountain range in Costa Rica, and in western Panama. The species was last seen in 1996. The IUCN Red List has listed the frog from the stubfoot toad genus (Atelopus) as

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Schwimmkäfer
A+D: Megadytes ducalis (Brazilian diving beetle), B+E: M. lherminieri, C+F: M. magnus (© L. Hendrich, M. Manuel, M. Balke: The Return of the Duke, Vol. 4586 No. 3: 18 Apr. 2019, Licensed under CC BY 3.0)

Brazilian diving beetle

“Giant of the Dytiscidae” Until recently, the Brazilian diving beetle Megadytes ducalis was known only from a single male specimen, which, according to rumors, was discovered before 1882 at the bottom of a water-filled canoe in the Amazon region of Brazil. It is currently housed at the Natural History Museum

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Glanzbaumsteiger Oophaga speciosa
The splendid poison frog reached a body length of 2.8 to 3.1 centimeters. This made it one of the medium-sized poison frogs. Its skin was smooth and shiny. (© DiMoNiAk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Splendid Poison Frog

Wanted: Oophaga speciosa The not particularly shy, diurnal, strikingly red splendid poison frog was hard to miss, especially since its range in western Panama was quite small. This is probably exactly what proved fatal for the amphibian from the family of poison frogs (Dendrobatidae): The splendid poison frog was extremely popular

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