The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, was an iconic carnivorous marsupial native to Australia, with its last known population residing on the island of Tasmania. This unique creature, characterized by its dog-like appearance and distinctive stripes, became extinct in the 20th century. Understanding the diet of the Tasmanian tiger provides insight into its ecological role and the factors that ultimately led to its disappearance.
Natural Prey
The Tasmanian tiger was a hypercarnivore, meaning its diet consisted almost exclusively of meat. Its primary prey included native Australian fauna. Wallabies, including red-necked and Bennett’s wallabies, formed a significant portion of its diet.
Other marsupials like pademelons, potoroos, bettongs, wombats, and possums were common food sources. Beyond marsupials, it hunted small rodents and ground-dwelling birds, including the now-extinct Tasmanian emu. Insects and carrion likely served as supplementary food. The thylacine’s diet was flexible, adapting to the availability of prey in its environment.
Hunting Strategies
The Tasmanian tiger was primarily a nocturnal and crepuscular hunter, meaning it was most active during the night and twilight hours. It typically hunted alone or, less commonly, in pairs. Despite its wolf-like appearance, the thylacine was an ambush predator rather than a pursuit predator. Its stiff gait and inability to run at high speed supported this hunting style.
The thylacine possessed powerful jaws that could open to an unusual extent, almost 90 degrees. However, its bite force was relatively weak, indicating it was better suited for smaller, agile prey rather than large animals like kangaroos or cattle. Its elbow joint structure also suggested it was an ambush predator, capable of grappling with prey at close range. After a successful kill, the thylacine’s muscular stomach could distend to allow it to consume large amounts of food, an adaptation for periods when prey was scarce.
Determining Their Diet
Scientists have pieced together the Tasmanian tiger’s diet through various lines of evidence. Analysis of fossil records and preserved scat (coprolites) provides direct indications of what the animal consumed. Studies of its dental morphology (tooth structure) reveal adaptations for a carnivorous diet, including 46 teeth with specialized shearing surfaces.
Historical accounts from early European settlers and Indigenous Australians offer insights, though some observations may have been anecdotal or exaggerated. Comparisons of the thylacine’s skeletal anatomy, particularly its skull and limbs, with those of modern predators help scientists infer its hunting capabilities and preferred prey size. This multidisciplinary approach allows for a more complete understanding of its dietary habits.
Dietary Perceptions and Decline
The perception of the Tasmanian tiger as a livestock predator played a significant role in its decline. European settlers, who introduced sheep and poultry to Tasmania, blamed the thylacine for stock losses, leading to widespread persecution. Bounty schemes were introduced as early as 1830 by private companies, and later by the Tasmanian government from 1888 to 1909, paying a reward for each killed thylacine.
While some predation on livestock did occur, its extent was likely exaggerated. Research indicates the thylacine’s relatively weak jaws meant it was not well-suited for consistently preying on large animals like sheep. Feral dogs and poor farming practices were more likely responsible for the majority of livestock deaths. This misperception, combined with habitat destruction and competition from introduced species, ultimately contributed to the Tasmanian tiger’s extinction in the wild.