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The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct species of bird, sadly there is not even a remote hope that this animal remains alive anywhere in the world today. Discovered on the island of Mauritius (located in the Indian Ocean) in 1581, it barely survived another hundred years, and the last one was seen in 1689.

Appearance

The Dodo was not a small bird, it stood around 3 feet tall (nearly 1 meter) and weighed about 45 pounds (20 kilograms). It was a stocky flightless bird with a large, 9 inch (22 centimeter) bill. Although they resembled a large chicken, they were more closely related to pigeons and doves. They very likely had brown to gray feathers, as this is how they were portrayed in artist's renderings, no specimens, other than bones, remain today.

Diet and Habit

Dodos once lived in the forests and fed on fruits and seeds on the island, particularly the Tambalacoque tree fruit, which has also been called the dodo tree. They may have also eaten insects. Being flightless they nested on the ground, a key point in their extinction. Dodos had no natural predators until people came to the island, which meant they were fearless of humans and other animals.

How they Became Extinct

The Dodo bird was easy prey at a time when people regarded other animals as things to be exploited purely for their own use. Being flightless they were easy to catch, and although their meat was claimed to taste bad by some, they were definitely consumed. Consumption was only a small part of the problem, other non-native species were introduced to the island, cats, dogs, pigs, and monkeys. Soon these new introductions took their toll on the dodo numbers. The pigs and monkeys were known for consuming eggs, and nestlings. Human interference put a nail in the dodo's coffin by the way of destroying habitat and forests. Deforestation also lead to the flooding of some areas killing large numbers of birds at one time. Even if humans did not kill these birds directly their interference undoubtedly lead to their fast demise.

Sadly this bird is now only popular because of its fate. While few paid any attention to the extinction at the time, the bird is now often used as a symbol of mans ability to control the survival of any one species. It stands on the coat of arms for the Island of Mauritius, but you will never see a live Dodo bird. The only remaining evidence of these magnificent birds is a few skeletal remains in museums and a handful of artist renderings.

Learn more about this author, Brenda Nelson.
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