The thylacine, known as the “marsupial tiger,” is an enduring symbol of extinct predators. This enigmatic creature held a unique position within the marsupial evolutionary lineage. Its story offers a compelling look into Australia’s natural history and the impacts of human interaction on wildlife.
Unmasking the Thylacine
The thylacine (scientific name Thylacinus cynocephalus) had a striking, dog-like appearance, yet it was a marsupial. Its body was lean and athletic, covered in sandy yellowish-brown to gray fur. Its stiff tail tapered from its body.
Most distinctly, it earned its “tiger” moniker from 15 to 20 dark, transverse stripes that radiated across its lower back from shoulders to tail. This striped pattern set it apart from other marsupials. Despite common names like Tasmanian tiger or wolf, it was unrelated to true tigers or canines. It represented convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar ecological niches. It also had an unusually wide jaw gape, capable of opening to about 120 degrees.
A Glimpse into its Life
Historically, the thylacine inhabited mainland Australia and the island of New Guinea, though its range was largely restricted to Tasmania by European settlement. It preferred diverse habitats, including dry eucalyptus forests, grasslands, wetlands, and coastal scrublands. During the day, it rested in caves, hollow logs, or dense thickets, emerging at night to hunt.
It was a carnivorous marsupial, preying on other marsupials, small rodents, lizards, and birds. It was a solitary and nocturnal hunter. Females had a backward-facing pouch, which likely offered an advantage for a running animal. Females had four teats, but a typical litter size was likely three young. These were born tiny and hairless, remaining in the pouch until more developed.
The Vanishing Act
The thylacine’s extinction was driven by hunting pressures from European settlers. Perceived as a threat to livestock, especially sheep, government bounties encouraged their eradication. The Van Diemens Land Co. initiated a bounty in 1830, and the Tasmanian Parliament offered an official bounty of one pound per thylacine in 1888.
Habitat loss and fragmentation also played a role as human expansion led to agricultural development, diminishing the thylacine’s natural range. Competition with introduced species, such as dingoes on the mainland and wild dogs in Tasmania, further strained thylacine populations. Diseases also contributed to their decline.
The last confirmed wild thylacine was killed between 1910 and 1920. The Australian government granted the species protected status in July 1936, but this effort came too late. The last known thylacine, Benjamin, died from exposure in captivity at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania, on September 7, 1936, marking the species’ official extinction.