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8 Fascinating Extinct Animals

Published September 18, 2012 in Love For Earthlings, What's New |
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In just the past few centuries, several of the world’s most fascinating animals have disappeared completely from our planet. Though some are certainly just the natural course of things, most of the animals on this list became extinct through human activity. Here are some truly fascinating but extinct animals…

1. Tasmanian Tiger

Though its name and appearance may suggest otherwise, the Tasmanian Tiger was not a tiger at all, but a marsupial. They became extinct on the mainland of Australia before the arrival of Europeans, but persisted on the island of Tasmania, which is famous for the Tasmanian tiger’s close relative, the Tasmanian Devil.

2. Elephant Bird

Measuring in at a whopping 10 feet tall and 880 pounds, the four species of elephant birds that lived on Madagascar were once the biggest birds on the planet. It’s unclear exactly when and how these massive flightless birds became extinct, though it is likely that human activity wiped out the elephant bird in the 17th century.

3. Quagga

When European naturalists and explorers first ventured into the plains of South Africa, they encountered the Quagga and its close relative, the zebra. Because the two species’ stripes varied so much between individuals, it was difficult to tell whether they were simply variants of the same species or distinct from each other. Before they were sorted out into two distinct species, unfortunately, they were hunted into extinction. The last known Quagga died in captivity in 1883.

4. Baiji

The Baiji dolphin, native to China’s Yangtze River, is thought to have only recently become extinct. With the rapid industrialization of its native waterway, the Baiji’s population suffered considerably. About 5,000-6,000 of the dolphins were living in 1950, and, during the last official survey in 2006, none were found.


5. Steller’s Sea Cow

Sea cows were the epitome of the “gentle giant” — something that, ultimately, led to their swift extinction. Growing to about 30 feet long, the slow-swimming sea cow was once abundant across much of the North Pacific. After less than 30 years of hunting by European seal hunters, fur traders, and sailors, Steller’s Sea Cow became extinct in 1768.

6. Irish Elk

With no living relatives alive today, and the latest fossil record dating back 7,700 years, it’s hard to fully imagine the Irish Elk today. Well, maybe not: picture a deer, only bigger. A lot bigger: the Irish Elk was, in fact, the largest deer to ever live, averaging about 7 feet just up to its shoulders, not to mention its nearly 90-pound antlers that had a width of 12 feet.

7. Passenger Pigeon

With a population once estimated to number in the billions, likely one of the largest bird populations in the world at the time, it’s astounding to consider that the North American Passenger Pigeon became extinct in just a century. So how exactly did that happen? Well, the pigeons were a cheap and abundant source of meat — an ideal protein source for slaves and the poor. The birds grouped together in massive flocks, where it was easy to kill many, usually several thousand, at once. Though conservationists attempted to save the bird, the last surviving passenger pigeon died in captivity in 1914.

8. Dodo

The Dodo bird earns the dubious distinction of being one of the most famous extinct animals of all. The extinction of the flightless bird opened the eyes of humans to the role we have in the demise of a species, or “[going] the way of the Dodo.” Native to the tiny island of Mauritius, which was uninhabited before the 1500s, the Dodo bird was unaccustomed to, and thus unafraid of, humans. This made them easy prey, and led to their extinction in just about century.


8 Reasons to Love a Mutt

Published August 31, 2012 in Love For Earthlings, What's New |
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Mutts are unique

The standard for breeding purebreds calls for breeding puppies whose appearance and temperament are of exactly the same standard and quality every time.

A mixed-breed dog is awesome because without these standards, the dog is intrinsically unique. On top of that, when visiting a shelter to adopt a mutt, the selection of choices is more varied and unique than you’d find at a breeder or pet store.

Mutts are more flexible

Mixed breeds tend to be more flexible and more middle-of-the-road because they are not as strongly programmed as purebreds. Mixed-breeds are thought to adjust more easily to a variety of households and living conditions, whereas purebreds tend to be bred with a specific skill set in mind, such as herding or hunting.

Though domesticated dogs are no longer put in specific situations in which they are expected to perform tasks that they have been bred or programmed for, the breed traits are still in their DNA makeup.

Housetraining is provided

Many mixed-breeds found in shelters did belong to someone before – people who could not keep them due to allergies, or moving homes, or for some other reason. Because of this, many mixed breed shelter dogs come already potty-and-housetrained. A definite plus towards their adoptability!

Mutts have fewer health issues

There are some people who claim mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebreds. While this has not been proven scientifically, it is known that certain purebreds are more prone to specific illnesses.

Mixed-breed dogs are thought to be less likely to develop these illnesses because even if they are part, say, Golden Retriever, they have fewer Golden Retriever genes than a purebred one.

You can skip the puppy stage

While many fur parents cherish the puppy stage, there are others who just do not have the time and patience to train a new puppy. With a mutt from the shelter, you have the choice of adopting a young or adult dog over a baby. In these cases, the dog’s size and temperament will already be pretty set, too, so there will be no surprises in the future.

Mutts require cheaper start-up costs

Some shelters only require a S$50 administrative fee (on top of the sterilization charges, which are mostly mandatory at shelters) in order for you to adopt a dog. Purebred dogs can run up to and over S$2,000 to $3,500.

Other than that, a mixed-breed from the shelter is likely to have received up-to-date vaccinations, which will save you even more money.

You are saving a life

Even if a purebred puppy does not get adopted (highly unlikely in and of itself), the puppy is already living in the home of a breeder, probably even still with its parents.

A mixed breed dog living at a shelter, however, has a high chance of being euthanized. Adopting one means you are directly saving a life, a fact your grateful new dog will not soon forget.

A Mutt’s uniqueness will rub off on you

A mixed breed dog is for the adventurer in all of us. When purchasing a purebred dog, you are buying a specific temperament that has been honed through strict breeding practices over a long period of time.

With a mixed breed, a puppy especially, the unknown genetic line leaves all that up in the air. Appreciate the spontaneity behind this and that makes you unique by association with the unique mutt you have chosen to adopt.

Adapted from Top Reasons Mutts Are Awesome, which originally appeared on petMD.com