78Recently extinct
Elephant Bird
Aepyornis maximus
These massive flightless birds laid the largest eggs known from any vertebrate.
Madagascar
EXTINCT ATLAS WIKIEXTINCT LIFE ARCHIVEBack to archiveRegional animal guides
Extinct Animals of Madagascar
Discover Madagascar’s extinct animals, including elephant birds, Majungasaurus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo and distinctive fossil reptiles.
Places, environments and evidence
Madagascar’s country page connects elephant birds with much older dinosaur, amphibian and reptile records. Majungasaurus and Masiakasaurus belong to its Cretaceous story; elephant birds belong to a far later chapter. This broad animal selection is different from the African non-avian dinosaur page and does not absorb records from Mauritius or other Indian Ocean islands.
226Mesozoic
Majungasaurus
Majungasaurus crenatissimus
A short deep skull carried a rounded horn, while tooth marks on its own species provide rare scavenging evidence.
Seasonally dry plains · Madagascar
330Mesozoic
Masiakasaurus
Masiakasaurus knopfleri
Forward-projecting front teeth may have hooked small slippery prey.
Seasonal floodplains · Madagascar
351Mesozoic
Beelzebufo
Beelzebufo ampinga
A broad skull and massive body made it one of the largest known frogs.
Seasonal floodplain · Madagascar
354Mesozoic
Triadobatrachus
Triadobatrachus massinoti
It had a broad head and shortened trunk but lacked the full jumping machinery of modern frogs.
Seasonal wetlands · Madagascar
447Mesozoic
Simosuchus
Simosuchus clarki
A short square snout, leaf-shaped teeth and armor belonged to a likely plant-eating crocodyliform.
Semi-arid scrub · Madagascar
530Paleozoic
Claudiosaurus
Claudiosaurus germaini
A long neck, tail and webbed feet show an early diapsid frequently entering water.
Coastal bays · Madagascar
532Paleozoic
Coelurosauravus
Coelurosauravus jaekeli
Long independent bony rods supported one of the earliest vertebrate gliding membranes.
Dry woodland · Madagascar
Common questions
Does the dodo belong on Madagascar’s list?
No. The dodo is associated with Mauritius. Nearby islands have distinct animal histories, so this page requires a Madagascar locality.