Creatures That Fooled Us Into Thinking They Went Extinct

As Earth's climate continues to change and the impact of human activity shows little sign of abating, numerous plant and animal species have had difficulty adapting. In some cases, certain animals have declined in population so dramatically that, when proof of their existence ceased to be found for long enough, they were considered extinct, along with their important role in the food chain. Others might be considered "missing," and there are 856 "missing" species as of 2023 that scientists are still hoping to rediscover.

Once a species has not been spotted for several years, it can be easy to assume it is no longer alive. Remarkably though, many of the animals previously presumed as lost by scientists have unexpectedly turned up. In most cases, these formerly missing species still have low population sizes, so it is understandable how they eluded scientists and locals for so long. What may be surprising, however, is that many of these creatures were lost for several years or decades before being found once again.

The story of the Arakan forest turtle is one of the most fascinating examples of a lost-and-found species. Indigenous to the Arakan mountains in Myanmar, this turtle was originally declared extinct in 1908. However, it reappeared in food markets at the end of the 20th century in parts of Asia. Since then, conservationists at zoos and aquariums across the U.S. have made concerted efforts to help repopulate this critically endangered species.

In the wild, the Arakan forest turtle lives among bamboo trees and forests in western Myanmar. Here, the species is largely nocturnal, and it likes to hide under leaves during the hot daytime hours. However, its population faces grave threats from habitat losses, illegal pet trading, and hunting. 

The Arakan forest turtle is not alone in the challenges it faces, as the ecosystems of turtles worldwide face numerous disruptions, but there have been some success stories for the turtle in protective environments. Not only do some of these facilities house the Arakan forest turtle, but they are also having some success with breeding efforts. Most recently, two Arakan forest turtle hatchlings were born at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2023.

Wallace's giant bee is best-known for its physical features, which are perhaps easier to spot when compared with identifying a common wasp or bee. Known as the world's largest bee, the insect has a wingspan that often exceeds 2.5 inches. Given such a large presence, it would be difficult to miss seeing the Wallace's giant bee. However, this Indonesian native was thought to have declined in numbers to the point when it was declared to be lost in 1981. That situation abruptly turned around in 2019, when the bee was rediscovered on the island of North Moluccas.

The rediscovery of Wallace's giant bee was a happy one for researchers, who had been trying to find the species for nearly 40 years. Today, the bee is still considered the biggest on Earth, but it is also rare. It's not clear how many of Wallace's giant bees exist in the wild, but scientists do know that they are threatened by logging and human development, which destroys both the trees and termites that the species depends upon for its survival. Wildlife trading is yet another industry that threatens Wallace's giant bees; while a few have been found among museums and private collectors, it's not clear how many more of the bees have succumbed to this fate.

Also known as the Somali elephant shrew, the Somali sengi shares ancestral ties with elephants, but is so small that it may be mistaken for a mouse. This admittedly adorable small mammal is known for its long pointed nose, as well as large round eyes and small rounded ears. Remarkably, the Somali sengi was once lost to scientists for over 50 years, before it reappeared in Somalia's northern neighbor Djibouti in 2020. Since it was last officially documented by scientists in 1968, researchers are keen to catch up.

Aside from its cute appearance, there is little known about the Somali sengi. So far, researchers know that it lives in rock dwellings, and they use their elephant-like noses to dig for insects. Furthermore, it's possible the shrew has been on Earth for more than 45 million years, which would also make the species older than other animals indigenous to Somalia, including zebra and lions. Now that scientists have confirmed the Somali sengi is still very much alive, more research is needed to understand their behaviors, threats, and population status.

Nicknamed the "golden wonder," the Jackson's climbing salamander is known for its golden body and dark brown streak down its back. The salamander itself was first identified in 1975 in its native Guatemala. However, this unique-looking salamander wasn't seen for over 40 years until it showed up again in 2017. In all, it's thought that the sighting of the Jackson's climbing salamander is only the third on record.

Like other species that live in Guatemalan rainforests, the Jackson's climbing salamander is thought to be a victim of a rapidly changing landscape. Specifically, the salamander resides in the Cuchumatanes mountains in western Guatemala, which is also next to a region of large population and industrial growth. It is thought that deforestation continues to be the biggest threat to the Jackson's climbing salamander. Furthermore, scientists do not know exactly how many of these salamanders remain due to their elusive nature and preference for living in high mountainous forests.

In 2021, an exhibition to Sierra Leone led to the rediscovery of not just one species, but two, and both were types of freshwater crab. The first was the Sierra Leone crab, which had not been officially reported since 1955. Known for its array of dark purple coloring, the Sierra Leone crab's rediscovery was likely a happy one, but there were only a handful of the species located during the 2021 exhibition. It is not yet clear how many of these crabs currently exist in the wild.

The Afzelius's crab was also rediscovered during the same mission that spotted the Sierra Leone crab in 2021. Astonishingly, no sighting had been recorded for 225 years, and what's more, the Afzelius's crab was found in larger numbers compared to the Sierra Leone. This also explains why researchers were able to locate the Afzelisus's crab first, which also sports similar purple and orange colorings. And not only did researchers rediscover both the Sierra Leone and Afzelius's crab in one mission, but they also discovered two new types of freshwater crabs. Despite these findings, the future for all of these crabs is uncertain, as they face habitat loss and other effects on the ecosystem from logging and agriculture.

The African coelacanth belongs to a group of ancient fish thought to have gone extinct, along with non-bird dinosaurs, over 65 million years ago. There are two species of coelacanths living today, although this giant fish was once known to scientists in fossil form only. However, this all changed in 1938, when the ancient "living fossil" was rediscovered along the South African coast.

Despite the surprise discovery of this once-believed extinct coelacanth, it's unclear how many African coelacanths are alive in the wild. If you were to encounter this fish though, you certainly would not be able to mistake it, as the coelacanth can reach 6.5 feet long and a weight of 198 pounds at maturity. Today, the African coelacanth is believed to reside along the eastern coast of Africa between Tanzania and South Africa, as well as along Madagascar. The average lifespan of this giant fish is about 48 years, and it has a "threatened" protection status due to ongoing threats from the fishing industry.

While several types of species are endangered or close to extinction due to the effects of climate change and human activities, birds are especially vulnerable. In fact, scientists believe that bird population decline is a growing issue more globally. As some bird species rapidly decrease in numbers, or even disappear altogether, the Antioquia brushfinch seems to have defied the odds. After going missing for 47 years, this Colombian native was spotted once again in 2018.

The Antioquia brushfinch is known for its bright rust-colored crown, and it was technically first described in 2007 based on previously collected bird specimens from the 1970s. Despite its reemergence, there are several ongoing threats to this small bird species, including habitat losses from cattle ranching. It's estimated that fewer than 50 Antioquia brushfinches are living in the wild. Since the bird's rediscovery, conservationists and researchers are scrambling to find other individual species and learn about them before they face extinction.

Unlike other species that seemingly became extinct after previously being observed in larger numbers, the story behind the discovery (and rediscovery) of the Fernandina Galapagos tortoise is quite different. This subspecies of the Galapagos giant tortoise was first discovered in Fernandina Island in 1906, but the single male tortoise then observed was considered a lone survivor, and no others were seen since. In a tragic twist, that same male tortoise was killed by scientists at the time it was found, and the specimen was retained for further research.

In what is considered a remarkable (re)discovery, a female giant tortoise encountered in 2019 revealed a similar genetic makeup to the Fernandina Galapagos tortoise that scientists found more than a century prior. Right now, at 50 years old, she is considered the only species of the giant tortoise remaining, and she was aptly named "Fernanda." Researchers are working to determine whether there might be other subspecies of the giant tortoise, and whether there could be other Fernandina Galapagos tortoises left in the wild. There are also questions as to whether Fernanda is of the exact same species as her ancestral male counterpart, due to some physical differences. Nevertheless, as far as scientists currently know, Fernanda is literally one of a kind, unless other tortoises like her are found.

The Australian night parrot is a small green bird that doesn't resemble a typical parrot. However, as its name suggests, this bird is a nocturnal species that is indigenous to Australia. Also nicknamed the "night parrot," this bird now has a critically endangered status, and its population is thought to be declining further due to wildfires driven by climate change, predators, and human activities that threaten their natural habitat.

Surprisingly though, the status of the Australian night parrot has actually improved in recent years. Once thought to be extinct for more than 100 years, the night parrot was rediscovered in 2013. In the 19th century, the bird was plentiful on the continent until colonist-introduced predators and activities all but decimated their population. After several decades, a dead Australian night parrot was discovered in 1990, and then another one in 2006. Later, researchers confirmed a small number of the species were actually alive. Today, it is estimated that about 50 Australian night parrots are alive in the western portion of the continent.

Unlike the many lost species that were once documented with living examples, the Chacoan peccary was first discovered via different types of fossils. Indigenous to parts of South America, fossils of the Chacoan peccary indicated extinction until the species was discovered to be alive in the early 1970s. This small mammal resembles a pig, and is identifiable by its long bristle-like fur that can range in brown to gray in color.

Despite the excitement of finding the Chacoan peccary alive in the 1970s, this species is classified as endangered. This is largely due to habitat losses from human development, which also interferes with their ability to eat cacti as well as naturally-occurring salts in the soil, a coveted source of nutrition for the peccaries. Efforts are being made to protect the Chacoan peccary in their home territory, while some members of the species are also cared for in places of captivity, such as zoos. It is estimated that the Chacoan peccary can live twice as long under human care when compared to living in the wild, with an estimated lifespan of 18 years.

Unfortunately, many vulnerable or critically endangered species are sometimes discovered only to then disappear soon afterwards. It's a welcome surprise when some of these species reemerge several decades later, as is the case with Voeltzkow's chameleon. In fact, this Madagascar native was rediscovered in 2020 after not being seen for more than a century. Experts not only saw the species once again after a long overdue hiatus, but they also made some exciting discoveries about the chameleon.

The Voeltzkow's chameleon was first discovered in 1893, only to seemingly disappear in 1913. Aside from its reemergence in the wild, scientists discovered the female Voeltzkow's chameleons are extraordinarily colorful, especially when stressed. The adaptations of the chameleon are also notable, as this species can change from differing shades of green to black and white lateral stripes across the body, along with purple patches and red dots along the opposite direction. The male, on the other hand, is usually light to dark green in color. As of right now, researchers are still uncovering more information about the chameleon and how they might compare to other Madagascar chameleons, many of which do not have long lifespans.

Indigenous to the Annamite Mountains that border Laos and Vietnam, the silver-backed chevrotain was elusive for almost 30 years before being spotted again in 2019. Thanks to the efforts of scientists and ecologists, not only was the small mammal rediscovered, but they also found two separate but small populations, which are promising signs for an animal thought to be extinct. What's more, there was only one official record of the chevrotain between 1907 and its subsequent rediscovery in 2019.

Also known as the Vietnam mouse-deer or "deer-mouse," the silver-backed chevrotain has the resemblance of a common deer species, but it is no larger than a rabbit. It also has features that look similar to those of a mouse, including short and rounded ears. Despite its nickname, the chevrotain is not really a deer, and is considered to be the smallest hoofed animal on Earth. Aside from its undoubtedly adorable physical features, not a whole lot of information is known about the silver-backed chevrotain, although researchers are working hard to identify exactly how many of these mammals exist, along with their diet, behaviors, and threats.