Aepyornis maximus - The elephant bird is an extinct flightless bird endemic to Madagascar. Remains of this giant suggests a height of 3 meters and a weight of 400 kilos. The eggs had a circumference of 1 meter and reached lengths of 34 centimeters. The volume of such an egg is equal to 6.5 ostrich eggs, currently the largest egg produced by any animal. The elephant bird could be found throughout Madagascar until the 17th century, when human encroachment caused their demise.
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The island of Madagascar formed when it broke away from the Indian sub-continent. As India drifted northwards to collide with Asia, Madagascar drifted westwards. It merged briefly with Africa and then drifted back out to sea and is now separated from Africa by the 416 kilometer Mozambique Channel. The long separation from Africa explains the absence of the larger mammals found on the mainland and why over 90% of the flora and fauna found on Madagascar is endemic only to Madagascar.
