Is there any species whose behavior, knowingly or unknowingly, caused its own extinction?
— Nancy McIntyre ANSWER: Although behavioral characteristics are not known to have extinguished any species in the absence of an external destructive force, behavior is often a key factor in extinction risk. Behavioral constraints may make it impossible for a species to adapt to new threats, or the threats may alter behavioral patterns so as to hasten extinction. One behavioral constraint is the inability to respond to novel predators. Brown tree snakes introduced to the island of Guam shortly after World War II caused the loss of more than a dozen bird species. Susceptibility to introduced predators, in addition to human exploitation, played a role in the extinction of the dodo. Behaviors that limit dispersal, such as sedentary habits, unwillingness to cross certain terrains, or the inability to move between fragmented forests due to intolerance to sunlight, leave a species especially vulnerable to habitat loss. Raptors that nest atop electricity towers, and birds, fish and sea turtle
