The dodo (Raphus cucullatus), was a species of bird belonging to the order of the Colombiformes and to the Columbidae family. This species is currently extinct.
The main picture is a photo that I took.
Where and when did the dodo live?
The dodo lived shortly before the 17th century and was endemic to the island of Mauritius.
Map link: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphus_cucullatus#/media/File:Mauritius_island_location.svg
How big was the dodo?
The dodo was 35-50cm long, 80cm tall and weighed 20kg.
Picture link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dodo_size_comparison_diagram.svg
What made the dodo unique?
Although related to today's pigeons (those commonly called "pigeons"), the dodo appeared outwardly as a flightless bird. The wings it possessed were tiny
It was a bird with soft and fluffy plumage but with a stocky and heavy build, which made it slow and awkward in movements like hens (another reason why it could not fly).
According to some scientists, the dodo had large olfactory bulbs, which allowed him to have a very developed sense of smell.
Was the dodo a social or a solitary animal?
The social habits of the dodo are not clear. However, she was likely to lay only one egg in a nest built on the ground and looked after by both parents.
What did the dodo eat?
The dodo was an exclusively frugivorous animal, so only the fruit and seeds it found on the ground were sought.
Who were the natural enemies of the dodo?
Before man came, the dodo had no natural enemies.
Why did the dodo go extinct?
The main cause of the extinction of the dodo is precisely the human race who killed adults to eat them. In addition, man introduced like pigs that (being omnivorous animals) fed on the eggs of the dodo taking advantage of their size, which was larger than that of birds.
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