5. Steller’s Sea Cow

[maxbutton id=”2″ url=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page” ]

It used to be found on the Asiatic coast of the Bering Sea. The species was discovered by naturalist Georg Steller in 1741. The sea cow reached an impressive size: up to 8 meters in length (26 feet) and would weigh up to 3 tons. The animal would never come out on shore according to notes by the biologist.

Its head was very small compared to the body mass and its mouth had no teeth (rather just one compact flat white bone above and below). Although human population of the area led to the steady decline of the species, some sporadic sightings of the Sea Cow are still reported. Even though these reports are rare and unproven, we remain optimistic that maybe this species might not be extinct.

 

6. The Irish Elk – Giant Elk Species

[maxbutton id=”2″ url=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page” ]

This species went extinct quite long ago (estimated 7700 years ago). But it really wwas a sight to be seen. These were the biggest elks to ever walk the Earth. It lived in Eurasia from Ireland to the east of Lake Baikal. The Giant Elk is famous for its formidable size. It would grow to reach 2.1 meters (7 feet) tall at the shoulders, and used to have enormous antlers (they spanned 3.7 meters / 12 feet from tip to tip and weighed up to 90 pounds).

[maxbutton id=”2″ url=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page” ]

It is believed that those huge antlers were also partly the cause of its extinction, since it made it hard for the males to adapt to the forest landscape.

[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”http://sharetroopers.com/wont-believe-weird-animals-actually-existed/4/” ]