#extinct echidna

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, was captured by remote trail cameras during Expedition Cyclops. ‘Lost’ for over sixty years, this footage proves that this extraordinary egg-laying mammal survives in the Cyclops Mountains, Indonesia, the only place it has ever been seen.

#echidna #expedition cyclops #animals thought extinct #other stuff #extraordinary animals

[antiqueanimals]

Animal Ghosts. Edited by Claudia Clow. Illustrated by Walt Disney Productions. 1971.

Internet Archive

#mammals #marsupials #kangaroos #quolls #koalas #wombats #monotremes #echidnas #recently extinct #thylacines

[kj-bishop]

#echidna #wildlife #not extinct #conservation #biodiversity #environment #video #all creatures great and small

[wachinyeya]

#echidna #david attenborough #endangered animals #extinction #not extinct #animals #good news #science #environmentalism #nature #environment #conservation #animal protection

[aphantimes]

hehehh the master emerald acting up and knuckles suddenly existing in all points in time simultaneously

#temporal omnipresence confuses me #but i wanna play with it lol #whats the m.e's perspective like i wonder #can it see all possible futures? #exist in all of them at the same time #how would knuckles react to suddenly being like that #would that mean he would see an infinite number of alternate timelines #he'd be in the past at the same time too so maybe he sees where he came from whether he wants to find out or not #alternate worlds where the echidnas didnt go extinct #idk man

[sonicprim3d]

I'm gonna have to write Longclaw lore eventually now, aren't I?

#𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 [ General | OOC ] #{dumb shit} #(i say in jest because i've been meaning to for a while) #(the whole owl clan is something i need to expand on) #(cuz they are kinda important to not just sonic's story) #(but the lore of the world-) #(basically. tldr. and also a sneak peak for what i haven't written yet) #(they're responsible for the fall of the echidna civilization) #(the near extinction of the echidna species) #(and by extension enraging chaos and killing tikal-)

[specialneedz]

back from the dead with another art dump

#creatures of sonaria #sth #sonic the hedgehog #knuckles the echidna #sonknux #mega ampharos #heartstopper #and yes i'm a minawii hater #minawii extinction #now

[iiblistrigger]

simple ref sheet for Damascus!

Echo views him as her little brother, even though their programmed ages say otherwise (as Echo's is 17-18).

Marek holds the threat of permanent shutdown over Damascus' head in order to keep him in line. Because of this he's stuck being rented out to varying villains to do their dirty work. Echo eventually saves him, but it takes a long, hard time.

When he's not busy with "work", Damascus reads. It tries to study mobian history, specifically that of the Pangolins, in an attempt to figure out who he is/can be.

and, though it doesn't need to, Damascus likes to eat fried crickets.

#YES YES A REUPLOAD! I changed bits of his story too #pangolins in this universe were like echidnas #aka protected something magical and are now extinct #only difference is the thing the Pangolins sought out to protect is gone. #anyway #Damascus #Sonic oc #Sonic the hedgehog oc #sonic the hedgehog original character #oc art #oc stuff #chaos spear

[kedreeva]

In more good news, the Sir David's long-beaked echidna, made an appearance on an expedition team's trail cams! This species hasn't been documented in over 60 years, and was thought to be extinct. This is also the first time a live specimen has been photographed/recorded, as the species was only identified in 1961 by a single dead specimen.

#sir david's long beaked echidna #animals #news #good things #echidnas #science! #biology

[sir-kettle-of-countertop]

So, I saw a post circulating here about the “extinction of birds in 2023“, with this picture attached

My, what a bold claim! All these poor birdies, “went extinct” in just one year alone? Why would such an outrageous, depressing and catchy claim be spread around? Let’s fact check it.

All the species listed, Bachman’s wabler (Vermivora bachmanii, 1988 or 1980s), Kāmaʻo or large Kauaʻi thrush (Myadestes myadestinus, 1989 or 1987), Bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus, 1983 and 1983), Kauai ʻakialoa (Akialoa stejnegeri, 1969 or 1960s), Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus, 1987 and 1987), Kauaʻi nukupuʻu (Hemignathus hanapepe, 1899 and 1899), Maui ʻakepa (Loxops ochraceus, 1988 and 1988), Kākāwahie or Molokaʻi creeper (Paroreomyza flammea, 1963 and 1963), Maui nukupuʻu (Hemignathus affinis, 1896* and 1996 ) and Poʻouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma, 2004 and 2004) are all, indeed, either extinct or possibly extinct, according to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What are the dates after the scientific names? Well, those all are *last sightings* per IUCN Red List and USFWS accordingly. So, these birds were not seen for DECADES and in one case FOR MORE THAN A GODDAMN CENTURY. And sure as hell there is NO information about them very suddenly being gone all last year.

What’s the deal then? Where did this claim even come from? Well, likely from this article "21 Species Delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to Extinction" from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It includes all the birds in the picture (with the last date of sight, listed above).

From the article: “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delisting 21 species from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction. Based on rigorous reviews of the best available science for each of these species, the Service determined these species are extinct and should be removed from the list of species protected under the ESA. Most of these species were listed under the ESA in the 1970s and 80s and were in very low numbers or likely already extinct at the time of listing.”

They didn’t ALL fucking suddenly drop dead all in the same year – if they did, as some other people have already pointed out, there would be an uproar EVERYWHERE. Ornithologists alone would not let it live down. They were officially delisted from endangered status by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that year, there was a proposition to do so back in 2021, too. Some were already declared extinct before by IUCN.

Despite not being seen for so long, they remained on the list of critically endangered for a long while, cause you cannot just immediately declare a species extinct. There’s no RTS unit amount number that goes to 0 once there’s nothing left; people keep checking for them over and over and over again. Sometimes it turns out that a species previously thought to be extinct is actually still out there. Attenborough's long-beaked echidna for example was last sighted SIXTY YEARS ago before being sighted again in 2023. It was thought to be extinct for a while, before 2007, when signs of its activity was spotted again. More often than not though, a species turns out to be actually very extinct, unfortunately – like in this case. I cannot possibly know if the creators of this picture, or people that spread it on social media ever had good intentions behind it for awareness, however even if they did, it turned out to be nothing but very blatant misinformation, with a fearmongering effect. The only thing this achieves is not awareness of habitat destruction or pernicious tourist influence or climate change or what have you – the only thing this achieves is despair and panic. People already so casually fall into complete doomerism, they’re very used to hear bad news. And guess what doomerists do? Typically nothing. It renders people helpless. It’s not gonna make people get up and be ready for action, it, at best, would just make people feel sad and/or angry, or at worst, feed into the current alarming rise of ecofascism. NOTHING good comes out of this. At the very goddamn least, no one needs to lie to promote a goal.

The aim of the USFWS article, on the other hand, IS to make people aware about those animals that are already gone from the face of the planet, no matter how long ago, and that now we have to protect those animals that are critically endangered and still out there – to not have to repeat those tragedies.

Be very critical of what you see on the internet, especially if it’s sited with no sources. Especially-especially if it causes a strong emotional reaction. Lies and misinfo could only hurt the cause, no matter how noble. And please, be aware of your local wildlife status. Check in with it accoding to trusted sources.

[*sic, possibly a typo and it was meant to be 1996, other confirmed date listed there is 1989] Addendum: I could not for sure find the uncredided (who woulda thunken that ppl that don't cite their sources would also not credit the artists) author(s) of the bird illustrations. If someone finds them, please, let me know! Edit: Huge thanks to moosefinch for finding the sources for the artwork! I'll add their contribution below:

"Image sources!

The Kauai ʻakialoa, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, Maui ʻakepa and Kauaʻi nukupuʻu are from Birds of the World.

The "Maui nukupuʻu" and "Molokaʻi creeper" illustrations are also Birds of the World, but are actually a female Kauaʻi nukupuʻu (the other being the male) and Laysan honeycreeper/Laysan ʻapapane respectively.

The bridled white-eye is by Lauren Helton according to this source.

Bachman's warbler is by Lynn Hawkinson Smith/smithhouse2 according to this Etsy listing.

The Poʻouli is by Christina Czajkowski."

#ah I just now see that the tumblr reblog of the pic and the twitter thread attached was deleted #yet the post is still in circulation. The damage lingers #so fucking irresponsible #fact check #misinformation #birds #bird #ecology #environmentalism #extinction #conservation #species conservation #animals #hawaiʻi #important

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - 13 November

🦔 - Who knew Attenborough's echidna was just camera-shy?

1. New state law prevents animal abuse offenders from owning pets

The law bans those convicted of animal cruelty, including those involved with dogfighting, from owning any kind of animal for five years after their first criminal offense.

2. A door at a Swedish library was accidentally left open — 446 people came in, borrowed 245 books. Every single one was returned

The library was supposed to be closed for All Saints Day — a celebration sometimes also called All Hallows Day, the precursor of Halloween. But the library staff had forgotten to close a door. So people came in, thinking the library was open. Some visitors realized the library was technically closed and went home, but others did not.

3. Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do so

Ohio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law.

Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes.

4. First ever images prove 'lost echidna' not extinct

Scientists have filmed an ancient egg-laying mammal named after Sir David Attenborough for the first time, proving it isn't extinct as was feared.

An expedition to Indonesia led by Oxford University researchers recorded four three-second clips of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna. Spiky, furry and with a beak, echidnas have been called "living fossils".

They are thought to have emerged about 200 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

5. Dog leads family to missing cat that fell into 30-metre mineshaft

An incredibly lucky cat has his canine companion to thank for saving his life after the dog led rescuers to a 30 metre-deep mineshaft the cat fell into.

The cat, Mowgli, disappeared on Oct. 20 and had been missing for six days. Owner Michele Rose told the BBC that she had “almost given up hope” of finding her cat.

6. World’s first whole eye and partial face transplant gives Arkansas man new hope

A surgical team at NYU Langone Health in New York has performed the world’s first successful whole-eye transplant in a living person: Aaron James.

After an accident at work led to the loss of his left eye and part of his face, Aaron was given a new window to his soul, as well as a partial face transplant.

7. Obesity drug Wegovy cut risk of serious heart problems by 20%, study finds

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients.

The research is the first to document that an obesity medication can not only pare pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death in people who already have heart disease — but not diabetes.

---

That's it for this week :)

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#best news of last week

[idlescience]

Guys, we just got video evidence of an echidna species that was presumed extinct for over 60 years!

Look at this little guy

#also it's named after David Attenborough #science #Australia #nature #biology #ecology #echidna #i know i tagged Australia but this was actually taken in Indonesia lol

[ningauinerd]

Wonderful news from the Cyclops Mountains of West Papua today with the rediscovery of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi)!

(Image credit: Expedition Cyclops)

Previously known a single specimen collected in 1961, Attenborough's long-beaked echidna has long been one of the world's most elusive mammals. Recognised as a distinct species in 1998, an expedition to the Cyclops Mountains in 2007 failed to observe the echidna but found evidence of recent diggings and foraging activity which, alongside local knowledge, implied that the species still survived in those remote mountain forests.

Finally, just a few months ago, a new expedition into its remote mountain home by Expedition Cyclops caught the first ever footage of Attenborough's long-beaked echidna in the wild, which is also the first time it has been seen by scientists in over 60 years. In a remarkable stroke of luck, the echidna was captured on the last of over 80 camera traps on the final day of the trip!

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna is the most distinctive of the three species of long-beaked echidna thanks to its smaller size, shorter, straighter beak and reddish-brown fur. Its habits are virtually unknown, but its differently shaped beak may suggest that it differs in diet and feeding habits from the other two long-beaked echidna species. It appears to be endemic to the highest elevations of the Cyclops Mountains, which are steep, extremely rainy and treacherous to explore, hence why it remained hidden for so long.

(Image credit: Expedition Cyclops)

There are only five species of monotreme alive today, the sole living custodians of a lineage stretching back some 200 million years, and this makes each species extraordinarily valuable. Unfortunately, all three species of long-beaked echidna are threatened with extinction, with Attenborough's long-beaked echidna being classed as critically endangered. Losing any species is a tragedy, but for a group as small and precious as monotremes, any extinction would be especially disastrous.

Alongside the rediscovery of the echidna, Expedition Cyclops also made the first record of Mayr's honeyeater (Ptiloprora mayri) in 16 years and discovered dozens of new species of insects, arachnids, shrimp and frogs. Their work documenting the hidden biodiversity of the Cyclops Mountains is ongoing, so if you'd like to follow and support the expedition make sure to visit their website! https://www.expeditioncyclops.org/

#oceania #papua #west papua #new guinea #wildlife #mammal #mammals #monotreme #monotremes #echidna #echidnas #animal facts #animal news #mammalogy #natural history #my stuff

[bobcatmoran]

Good news! Zaglossus attenboroughi, Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, has been found alive and well via camera trap footage on the island of New Guinea, after being thought extinct for over two decades! (thumbnail image is of another species of echidna, but you can see footage of the real deal at the link).

#yays! #nature

[internetdruid]

A team led by Oxford University scientists recently captured photographic evidence of the Attenborough's long-beaked Echidna, which hasn't been observed since 1961 and was thought to be extinct, in the Cyclops Mountains in Indonesia!!

#🪴 #news #Zaglossus attenboroughi

[aphantimes]

Thinking..... what if the echidnas didn't decide to change their ways? What if they saw the vanquishing of Chaos as a "victory"? They suffered heavy, heavy casualties, but in the end, they had the Master Emerald in their grasp to do whatever they pleased. They were fully capable of accessing its power - they're the only ones that can, even. They were perfectly able to take a massive chunk of the earth up into the sky with its power. They could have used it however they wanted.

What if, instead of changing their ways to become protectors of the Emerald, they doubled down on being power hungry conquerors? Who would be able to stop them with the Master Emerald under their command?

What if, in that world, they thrived? They trampled all opposition, becoming even more of a force to reckon with than they were before. A couple dozen survivors, bouncing back stronger than ever now that the power they sought is in their grasp. They expand their reach further, their population comes back stronger, they become an unstoppable force.

What if these actions led to them no longer facing extinction? They fight and kill and conquer, and centuries down the road, they're still powerful. Still flourishing. Happy.

What if this world's Knuckles got to have a family?

#ive been thinking about this man..... #the echidnas DECIDED to create angel island and become guardians. if they didnt do that.... would they still be around in the present day? #is there a timeline where they chose a different path and no longer went extinct? #a world where knuckles wouldnt have to be alone #wouldnt grow up isolated from the world #wouldnt have the responsibility of an entire race placed upon his shoulders #..... would have his own name #knuckles the echidna #knuckles clan