An Animal A Day
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Labrador Duck
The Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius) was a striking black and white eider-like sea duck that was never known to be common, and is believed to be the first bird to go extinct in North America after 1500. The last Labrador Duck is believed to have been seen at Elmira, New York on December 12, 1878; the last preserved specimen was shot in 1875 on Long Island.
Labrador Duck, Camptorhynchus labradorius
Although hunted for food, this duck was considered to taste bad and rot quickly and consequently was not sought much by hunters though it is thought that the eggs may have been over harvested. It is also a possibility that they died out because of decline in or pollution of mussels and other shellfish on which they are believed to have fed. It was thought to breed in Labrador, although no nests were ever described, and it wintered from Nova Scotia to as far south as Chesapeake Bay. It was also known as a Pied Duck, a vernacular name that it shared with the Surf Scoter and the Common Goldeneye (and even the American Oystercatcher), a fact that has led to difficulties in interpreting old records of these species, and also as Skunk Duck. Both names refer to the male's striking white/black piebald coloration.
Conservation status: Extinct (c.1878)
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Peterbald
The Peterbald is a breed of Russian hairless cats.
Peterbalds look very elegant and slim and have a distinctive head: narrow and long with a straight profile, almond-shaped eyes, and big set-apart ears. Peterbald cats look much like hairless Oriental Shorthair cats.
Peterbald
Peterbalds usually have sweet temper and they are peaceful, curious, smart and energetic. Peterbalds love their family members and need to communicate with them; they do not belong to an independent kind of cats. Peterbalds live in harmony with another cats and pets and also with children. They are also not vindictive and all that makes peterbalds an excellent companion cats.
The Peterbald breed was founded in the end of 1994 in St.-Petersburg, Russia as a result of experimental mating of Don hairless (Don Sphynx or Donskoy) male called Afinogen Myth and Oriental Shorthair female World Champion Radma von Jagerhov. The breed was created by a well known Russian felinologist Olga S. Mironova. First two litters gave four peterbald kittens: Mandarin iz Murino, Muscat iz Murino, Nezhenka iz Murino and Nocturne iz Murino. These four peterbalds are founders of the breed.
In 1996, the breed was adopted in Russian Selectional Feline Federation (SFF) with a standard and an abbreviation PBD. In 1997 it was adopted in The International Cat Association (TICA) with abbreviation PB, and in 2003 in World Cat Federation (WCF) with abbreviation PBD. Used handles of the breed are: PBD, PTB, PD and PSX.
These days the breed develops in the direction of modern Oriental and Siamese type, that is long muzzle, set apart big ears, flat cheek bones, elegant body on long legs. This is why all standards for this breed encourages mating with Oriental and Siamese cats and semi-longhair variations of those (balinese and javanese).
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Pronghorn
The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae, and the fastest land animal in North America running at speeds of 54 mph (90 km/h). The pronghorn is also known as the pronghorn antelope, but is not a true antelope, and its horns are made up of a hairlike substance that grows around a bony core; the outer sheath is shed annually.
Pronghorns, Antilocapra americana, in Fort Keogh, Montana
Pronghorn were brought to scientific notice by the Lewis and Clark Expedition which found them in present South Dakota, USA. The pronghorn's range extends from southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada to Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. They live on both sides of the Rocky Mountains. Their eastern extent is generally bounded by the Missouri River in the United States. The subspecies known as the Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) occurs in Arizona and Mexico.
Pronghorn live primarily in grasslands but also in brushland and deserts. Pronghorn eat cacti, grasses, forbs and browse plants.
Pronghorn newborns weigh 5 to 9 lb (2 to 4 kg) and are grey in color. Adult male pronghorn weigh 100 to 130 lb (45 to 60 kg) while females weigh 75 to 100 lb (35 to 45 kg). The main color of adults is brown or tan, with a white rump and belly and two white stripes on the throat. A short dark mane grows along the neck, and males also sport a black mask and black patches on the sides of the neck.
Male pronghorns have horns about 12 in (300 mm) long with a prong. Female horns are unusual, occurring in perhaps an eighth of specimens. Female horns range from 1 to 6 in (25 to 150 mm) and are straight rather than pronged. Pronghorns have a distinct, musky odor and are commonly called "Prairie Goats", "Speed Goats", or simply "goats" for this reason (as well as their resemblance to domesticated goats.) The pronghorn is one of the fastest land animals, being second only to the cheetah. It can sustain high speeds longer than cheetahs, however. The top recorded speed was 61 mph (98 km/h).
By 1908, hunting pressure had reduced the pronghorn population to about 20,000. Protection of habitat and hunting restrictions have allowed them to recover to 2–3,000,000 pronghorns. Wolves, coyotes and bobcats are the major predators. Golden Eagles have been reported to prey on fawns.
Pronghorns are now numerous enough that they outstrip the human population in all of Wyoming and parts of northern Colorado. The Pronghorn is widely hunted in western states for purposes of population control and exoticism, as its meat is rich, but extremely gamey and lean. Most control-killed antelope end up discarded excepting the horns or cape for mounting purposes, or as part of a heavily spiced, partly beef or pork sausage. One subspecies, (A. sonoriensis), is considered endangered in the United States.
Subspecies
A. a. americana
A. a. mexicana
A. a. peninsularis
A. a. sonoriensis
Conservation status: Lower risk
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Blossom-headed Parakeet
The Blossom-headed Parakeet (Psittacula roseata) is a parrot which is a resident breeder in northeast India eastwards into Southeast Asia. It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit and blossoms which make up its diet.
Blossom-headed Parakeet, Psittacula roseata
Blossom-headed Parakeet is a bird of forest and open woodland. It nests in holes in trees, laying 4-5 white eggs.
This is a green parrot, 30 cm long with a tail up to 18 cm. The male's head is pink becoming pale blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks. There is a narrow black neck collar and a black chin stripe.
There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped yellow. The upper mandible is yellow, and the lower mandible is dark.
The female has a pale grey head and lacks the black neck collar and chin stripe patch. The lower mandible is pale. Immature birds have a green head and a grey chin. Both mandibles are yellowish and there is no red shoulder patch.
The different head colour and the yellow tip to the tail distinguish this species from the similar Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala).
Blossom-headed Parakeet is a gregarious and noisy species with range of raucous calls.
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Fierce Snake
The Fierce Snake, also known as the Inland Taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus, is a highly venomous snake of Australia, notorious for having the most potent venom of any land species of snake in the world.
Fierce Snake, Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Range
The Fierce Snake is native to the arid regions of central Australia, particularly Queensland.
Range of the Fierce Snake
Venom
A single bite from the Fierce Snake contains enough venom to kill as many as 200 adult humans or, in mouse terms, 100,000 mice. The fierce snake's average venom yield is 44 mg, with a 110 mg record yield.
Appearance
The Fierce Snake is brown in color, ranging from a rich, dark hue to a brownish olive-green. It has twenty-three rows of mid-body scales, between fifty-five and seventy divided subcaudal scales, and one anal scale. The fierce snake averages approximately two meters in length, although fierce snakes may grow in excess of this.
Behaviour
Fierce Snakes are known to live in burrows, and feed on small rodents such as mice and rats. They are not known to be particularly aggressive, although fierce snakes will strike, injecting their incredibly toxic venom, if provoked.
Reproduction
Fierce snakes produce clutches of between one and two dozen eggs (12-24). Eggs hatch approximately two months after laying.
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Originally posted by poon cho tang:
I thot it's the Egytian Mao, also hairless and the skin very wrinkled....quite ugly actually.
[b]Peterbald
The Peterbald is a breed of Russian hairless cats.
Peterbalds look very elegant and slim and have a distinctive head: narrow and long with a straight profile, almond-shaped eyes, and big set-apart ears. Peterbald cats look much like hairless Oriental Shorthair cats.
PeterbaldIssue #357[/b]
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looks like there r lotsa naked catsOriginally posted by Wanda:I thot it's the Egytian Mao, also hairless and the skin very wrinkled....quite ugly actually. 
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Sorry, the hairless one shd be called sphynx. See pic here which says that : "The Sphynx is the only recognized hairless breed of cat." Your Russian version Peterbald (what a name!) is not recognised ?Originally posted by poon cho tang:looks like there r lotsa naked cats
More wrinkly sphynx
Egyptian Mau is pretty. -
seems to be so according to the Cat Fanciers' Association, which only recognises 37 breeds as "pedigreed".Originally posted by Wanda:Sorry, the hairless one shd be called sphynx. See pic here which says that : "The Sphynx is the only recognized hairless breed of cat." Your Russian version is not recognised ?
Singapura is one of them?!
i think i saw an Exotic in a pet shop recently, certainly looks strange
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The ears looks like Scottish Fold, but the face is flat like a Persian.
The Singapura is like a joke...it hardly exist here! -
Originally posted by Wanda:The ears looks like Scottish Fold, but the face is flat like a Persian.
The Singapura is like a joke...it hardly exist here! 
i once saw a stray cat with those huge yellow eyes, 500 years ago was from the same family? -
Garden Carpet
The Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is an abundant and familiar species across its huge range which covers the whole Palearctic region, the Near East and North Africa.
Garden Carpet, Xanthorhoe fluctuata
It has a wingspan of 27-31 mm. The wings are greyish-white with three irregular black blotches along the costa of the forewing, the largest in the middle. Occasionally, much darker (melanic) forms occur. The species has an exceptionally long flying season spanning two or three broods, and the adults can be seen any time from April to October. It flies throughout the night and is attracted to light - it is one of the species most likely to be seen at lighted windows.
The larva is grey or green with pale diamond-shaped markings along the back. It usually feeds on crucifers: both cultivated brassicas and wild species such as flixweed, garlic mustard, perennial wall-rocket, wallflower and wild radish. It has also been recorded feeding on nasturtium. The species overwinters as a pupa.
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Cownose Ray
The Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is the most common type of ray found in the Chesapeake Bay. The rays grow rapidly and male rays are about 35 inches (900 mm) in width and weigh 26 pounds (12 kg). Females are 28 inches (700 mm) in width and weigh 36 pounds (16 kg). Rays belong to a group of animals which lack a true bone.
Cownose Ray, Rhinoptera bonasus
Rays are fish in the subclass Elasmobranchii. When the ray is small it grows inside its mother, positioned with wings folded over its body. It also gains nutrition from the mother's uterine secretions. It also breaks through what we call a breech birth-tail first. The Cownose ray is 11 to 18 inches (280 to 460 mm) in width at birth. When it gets older it can grow to 45 inches (1.1 m) in width, and weigh 50 pounds (23 kg) or more. It is brown-backed with a whitish belly.
Cownose Rays don't have a particularly distinctive coloration but its shape is recognizable. Its eyes peer out spookily from the sides of the broad head. It also has a set of remarkable teeth plates designed for crushing clams and oyster shells.
One can also be stung by a Cownose Ray. The stinger is on its tail, close to the ray's body, and it doesn't usually inflict damage. The stinger is known as the spine which is pointed and it has teeth lining its lateral edges.
The Cownose Ray feeds upon clams. It is a voracious eater. They also eat oysters, hard clams and other invertebrates. Rays move as a group regardless of time during feeding. When they locate their prey they place it in their jaws and crush it.
Conservation status: Secure
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Deathstalker
The Deathstalker (Leiurus quinquestriatus, also known as the Palestine yellow scorpion) is one of the most venomous scorpions of all the scorpion species. It can be found in deserts and bushes from the Middle East to North Africa and is most often found in Egypt.
Deathstalker, Leiurus quinquestriatus
Known for having one of the most potent venoms out of all the scorpion species, if not the most, the Deathstalker Scorpion can create a highly dangerous situation for someone who has been stung.
The Deathstalker Scorpion is a fairly large and aggressive scorpion species. There may be different color variations of this species in the wild, depending on locality, but it's not certain. The Deathstalker Scorpion is a bright and attractive species, with a relatively thin tail, which is unusual for venomous scorpions.
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Amygdalodon
Amygdalodon (ah-MIG-dah-low-don) meaning "almond tooth", because its teeth were shaped like almonds (Greek amygdale = almond + odon = tooth) was a herbivorous dinosaur with a long neck. Its name is a nomen dubium. The dinosaur itself is from the Bajocian period of the Jurassic, and only from a few bone fragments and teeth have been discovered. Very little is known about it, but it is one of the only Jurassic dinosaurs from South America found thus far.
Amygdalodon patagonicus
Amygdalodon was 15 meters (50 feet) long, 4 meters (12 feet) tall. It was very large, weighing as much as 24 tons. It walked on all fours.
Amygdalodon was discovered by Cabrera in Argentina in 1947.
Conservation status: Fossil
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Alaskan Klee Kai
The Alaskan Klee Kai is a northern breed of dog in the spitz family. The term "Klee Kai" was derived from Eskimo words meaning "Small Dog". The breed was developed to create a companion sized version of the Siberian Husky, resulting in an energetic, intelligent, apartment-sized dog with an appearance that reflects its northern heritage.
Alaskan Klee Kai
History
The breed was developed in Wasilla, Alaska during the mid-1970s by Linda S. Spurlin after she observed the result of an accidental mating of an Alaskan Husky and a small dog. The breed was developed with Siberian and Alaskan Huskies using Schipperke and American Eskimo Dog to bring down the size without dwarfism. Originally called the "Klee Kai," the breed split into "Alaskan Klee Kai" and "Klee Kai" for political reasons in 1995. The breed consolidated under the new name in 2002.
Alternative names: Klee Kai, AKK
Country of origin: United States
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Giant Pangolin
The Giant pangolin (Manis gigantea) is a pangolin species. Members of the species inhabit Africa with a range streching along the Equator from west Africa to Uganda. The giant pangolin is the largest species of pangolin, or "scaly anteaters"–the large, scaled mammals belonging to the Manidae family. They subsist almost entirely on ants and termites. The species was first described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1815.
Giant pangolin, Manis gigantea
Habitat, range, and endangered status
The giant pangolin inhabits many countries with the largest concentration in Uganda, Tanzania, and western Kenya. It is found mainly in the savanna, rainforest, and forest, inhabiting areas with large termite populations and available water. Giant pangolins do not inhabit high-altitude areas.
Due to habitat destruction and deforestation, the species's numbers have greatly declined, and this together with the hunting of giant pangolins as bushmeat has led to concerns about population levels. Because the species is nocturnal, few studies have been carried out. Currently the pangolin is classified as an endangered species.
Physical description
The average mass of the species is unknown, but one giant pangolin was found to weigh 33 kg. Males are larger than females, with male body length about 140 cm and female about 125 cm. It is the largest of all pangolins, taking the name "giant pangolin" because of this. The scales are usually colored brown or reddish-brown. Like all pangolins, the species has large, armored scales and no hair except in the eyelashs. Giant pangolin have long snouts, a long and thick tail, and large front claws.
The animal has a strong sense of smell and large anal glands. Its secretions may be significant to animal communication. The species walks with most of its weight is on its columnar rear legs and curl their front paws, walking on the outside of the wrists rather than the palms to protect the claws. By using its tail for balance, giant pangolins can even walk upright as a biped.
Giant pangolins are endothermic and bilateral symmetric.
Behavior
Giant pangolins, like other pangolin, are motile and nocturnal, which makes observation difficult. They are also usually solitary, although in one case an adult giant pangolin was seen in a burrow with a juvenile. The species is capable of climbing trees and other objects.
Diet
Like all pangolins, the giant pangolin is a specialized insectivore that lacks teeth and the ability to chew. Its diet mainly consists of ants and termites, which the species finds by tearing open anthills and termite nests, both subterranean and mound-type.
Because of its relatively large size, the giant pangolin is particularly well-suited to breaking open termite mounds, done by leaning on the mound and resting its weight on its tail, and then ripping into the mound with its front claws. The combination of weight and physical damage quickly lead to partial collapse of the mound, exposing the termites. It eats the insects by picking them up with its sticky tongue (up to 16 inches in length).
Reproduction
Very little information about the reproduction of giant pangolins is known. Two birth records exist, with one litter was found in September and another in October, with the young weighing around 500 g. As in all pangolins, infants have soft scales that eventually open and are born with open eyes. They cannot walk on their legs, but can move on the stomach.
Conservation status: Endangered
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Galápagos Penguin
The Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It is the only penguin to live on the equator. Its nearest relatives are the African Penguin, the Magellanic Penguin and the Humboldt Penguin. The Galápagos Penguin occurs primarliy on Fernandina Island and the west coast of Isabela Island, but small populations are scattered on other islands in the Galápagos archipelago.
Galápagos Penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus
Galápagos Penguins grow to 53 cm tall. They have a black head with a white border running from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, to join on the throat. They have blackish-grey upperparts and whitish underparts, with two black bands across the breast, the lower band extending down the flanks to the thigh. Juveniles differ in having a wholly dark head, greyer on side and chin, and no breast-band.
The Galápagos Penguin mates for life. It lays one or two eggs in places such as caves and crevices, protected from direct sunlight which can lead to the eggs overheating. One parent will always stay with the eggs or chicks while the other is absent for several days to feed. If there is not enough food available, the nest may be abandoned.
The species is endangered, with an estimated population size of around 1,500 individuals in 2004, according to a survey by the Charles Darwin Research Station. The population underwent an alarming decline of 65% in the 1980s, but is slowly recovering. It is therefore the rarest penguin species (a status which is often falsely attributed to the Yellow-eyed penguin). Population levels are influenced by the effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which reduces the availability of shoaling fish, leading to low reproduction or starvation. However, anthropogenic factors (e.g. oil pollution, fishing bycatch and competition) may be adding to the ongoing demise of this species. On Isabela island, the introduced cats, dogs and rats may attack penguins and destroy their nests.
Conservation status: Endangered
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Fischer's Chameleon
The Fischer's Chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri) includes several subspecies of chameleon native to the mountains of Kenya and Tanzania, particularly the Usambara Mountains region. It is also known as the Usambara two-horned chameleon, from the flat horns evident on the males of the species. Females have very short or no horns.
Fischer's Chameleon, Bradypodion fischeri
The three most common subspecies are the Giant Fischer's Chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri fischeri), the standard Fischer's Chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri multituberculatus), and the Dwarf Fischer's Chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri tavetanus). The names describe their relative sizes, with the giant Fischer's extending up to 16 in, and the dwarf subspecies as small as half that size.
Other less common subspecies are the (Bradypodion fischeri excubitor) and (Bradypodion fischeri uluguruensis).
The Fischer's Chameleon is commonly kept as a pet, mostly sold from those caught in the wild.
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Originally posted by poon cho tang:
So cute neh...don't mind having it as a pet.
[b]Fischer's Chameleon
Fischer's Chameleon, Bradypodion fischeri
The Fischer's Chameleon is commonly kept as a pet, mostly sold from those caught in the wild.
Issue #368[/b]
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yup, help to eat flies tooOriginally posted by Wanda:So cute neh...don't mind having it as a pet. -
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak or Camberwell Beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) is a butterfly native to Eurasia and North America. The immature form of this species is sometimes known as the Spiny Elm Caterpillar.
Mourning Cloak
The Mourning Cloak has a wingspan of 62–75 mm. The upper side of the butterfly is colored in a very dark red, with a bright, yellowish border around the wings. There is a darker band with bright blue spots between the border and the darkred inner side.
Mourning Cloaks live in the Northern Hemisphere. In North America the species ranges from south from the northern tundra to central Mexico. It is also found throughout continental Europe to Eastern Siberia and Japan. The species is only rarely found in Great Britain. Its British name came about when it was first discovered in Britain near Camberwell in the 1700s. It is a rare migrant there, and another old name was "Grand Surprise".
The Mourning Cloak was adopted as the state butterfly of the State of Montana in 2001.
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Yellow Tang
The Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), also called Pacific tang, is a saltwater fish species of the family Acanthuridae. It is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Its local Hawaiian name is La'ipala.
Yellow Tang, Zebrasoma flavescens
Appearance
They are small fish, very thin, generally reaching about 7.5 to 12.5 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) in length and height, and 1 to 2 centimeters (< 1 inch) in thickness, and are bright yellow in color across their entire bodies. During the night, in common with many fish, their color fades. A prominent brownish patch develops in the middle of both sides which then makes plane a horizontal white band. This probably helps camouflage the fish during periods of inactivity. They rapidly resume their all-over sulphur-yellow upon waking.
They have an arrow-like shape due to their dorsal and ventral fins being almost an extension to their bodies, and a long snout-like mouth used (as with other tangs) to eat the algae off rocks and coral. They are almost fully herbivores, and have become a popular fish in the marine fish hobby.
Food
Wild grasses, algae, lettuce, and other plant life in general. The Yellow Tang can also be found eating shrimp and other smaller animals.
Distribution and habitats
It is commonly found in shallow reefs, from 2 to 46 m deep, in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, west of Hawaii and east of Japan.
Trivia
In the film Finding Nemo the character Bubbles is a Yellow Tang.
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St Andrew's Cross spider
The St Andrew's Cross spiders are large and spectacular spiders of the genus Argiope, also commonly called black and yellow argiopes due to the markings on their abdomens.
St Andrew's Cross spider, genus Argiope
The genus Argiope is well distributed throughout the world, and most countries in temperate or warmer climates have one or more species, which look similar. In North America, Argiope aurantia is known as the black and yellow garden spider. In England Argiope bruennichi, found only on the southern coast, is also known as the wasp spider. The East Asian species Argiope amoena is known in Japan as kogane-gumo.
The spider gained its common name for its habit of resting in its web with its legs outstretched in the shape of an X, the traditional shape of the cross of St. Andrew. The large white zigzag in the centre of its web is called the stabilimentum or web decoration and its function is unknown.
In the eastern United States, St Andrew's Cross spiders are more commonly known as writing spiders, due to the unique patterns that they build in their webs. In years past, it was sometimes called the "McKinley spider" because in the period before the election that brought McKinley to office someone claimed that the stabilimentum of one spider's web spelled out "McKinley."
The average orb web is practically invisible, and it is easy to blunder into one and end up covered with a sticky web. The very easily visible pattern of banded silk made by Argiope is pure white, and the highly visible spider sitting in the center is bright yellow on a field of black.
These spiders build their webs with their centers about belt high, so they are too low for anything much larger than a rabbit to walk under. It is thought that the advantage to the spider of it and its web being highly visible comes from larger creatures avoiding destroying its web by walking through it. It would be an interesting experiment to see whether animals such as deer walk around them if they are on their path; if a human or other rather large creature walks through a web, then the spider's weaving job is demolished. Additionally, the spider may be accidentally stepped on and killed.
These spiders are spectacular and may be quite alarming if one is not familiar with them, but they are not dangerous. Like most garden spiders they eat insects, and they are capable of consuming prey up to 200% of their size. They might bite if grabbed, but other than defense they have no interest in biting humans. Their venom is not regarded as a serious medical problem for humans.
The male spider is much smaller than the female, and unassumingly marked. When it is time to mate, it spins a companion web alongside the females. After it mates with the female, she then lays her eggs, places her egg sac in the web, and dies. The sac contains 400-1,400 eggs. These eggs hatch in the autumn, but the spiderlings overwinter in the sac and emerge during the spring. The egg sac is composed of multiple layers of silk and designed to protect its contents from damage, but numerous species of insects have been observed to parasitise the egg sacs.
Species
A. aurantia
A. bruennichi
A. pulchella
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Carolina Parakeet
The Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) was the only parrot species native to the eastern United States. It was found from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf of Mexico, and lived in old forests along rivers. It was the only extinct species at the time classified in genus Conuropsis.
Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis
The Carolina Parakeet died out because of a number of different threats. To make space for more agricultural land, large areas of forest were cut down, taking away its living space. The colorful feathers (green body, yellow head, and red around the bill) were in demand as decorations in ladies' hats, and the birds were kept as pets. Even though the birds bred easily in captivity, little was done by owners to increase the population of tamed birds. Finally, they were killed in large numbers because farmers considered them a pest, although many farmers valued them for controlling invasive cockleburs.
A factor that contributed to their extinction was the unfortunate flocking behavior that led them to return immediately to a location where some of the birds had just been killed. This led to even more being shot by hunters as they gathered about the wounded and dead members of the flock.
The last wild specimen was killed in Okeechobee County in Florida in 1913, and the last captive bird died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. This was the male specimen "Incas," who died within a year of his mate "Lady Jane."
In 1937, a Carolina Parakeet was sighted in the Okefenokee swamp of Georgia. The bird was recorded on film. However, the Audobon Society's analyzation of the film said that it probably wasn't a Carolina Parakeet. Another location that reports were made of this bird after 1918 was Okeechobee County in Florida.
The Louisiana subspecies of the Carolina Parakeet was slightly different in color to the parent species and went extinct in much the same way.
About 700 skins are housed in museums around the world.
Conservation status: Extinct (1918)
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