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Tasmanian Tiger: Difference between revisions
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The Tasmanian Tiger ''(Thylacinus cynocephalus)'' is a type of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct extinct] carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. They were near extinction throughout most of the range (specifically mainland Australia) by about 2,000 years ago. The introduction of dingoes is the most likely reason, though others include extensive hunting, human encroachment on territory, and climate change. | The Tasmanian Tiger ''(Thylacinus cynocephalus)'' is a type of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct extinct] carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. They were near extinction throughout most of the range (specifically mainland Australia) by about 2,000 years ago. The introduction of dingoes is the most likely reason, though others include extensive hunting, human encroachment on territory, and climate change. | ||
Descriptions of the Tasmanian Tiger come from preserved specimens, fossil records, skins and skeletal remains, and black and white photographs of the animal, both in captivity and in the wild. It resembled a large, short-haired dog with a stiff tail (similar to a kangaroo's tail). An adult could reach about 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 in.) long, in addition to a tail of around 50 to 65 cm (20 to 26 in.) and stood at a height of around 60 cm (24 in.) There was slight [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism sexual dimorphism], with the males being larger than females: Males weighed on average 19.7 kilograms (43 lbs.) and females on average weighed 13.7 kilograms (30 lbs.). Its coat was made up of dense but soft fur, | Descriptions of the Tasmanian Tiger come from preserved specimens, fossil records, skins and skeletal remains, and black and white photographs of the animal, both in captivity and in the wild. It resembled a large, short-haired dog with a stiff tail (similar to a kangaroo's tail). An adult could reach about 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 in.) long, in addition to a tail of around 50 to 65 cm (20 to 26 in.) and stood at a height of around 60 cm (24 in.) There was slight [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism sexual dimorphism], with the males being larger than females: Males weighed on average 19.7 kilograms (43 lbs.) and females on average weighed 13.7 kilograms (30 lbs.). Its coat was made up of dense but soft fur, featuring 15 to 20 distinctive dark stripes across its back, rump and the base of its tail (hence the nickname "tiger"). Coloration varied from light fawn to a dark brown, but all had a cream-colored belly. | ||
They most likely preferred dry eucalyptus forests, wetlands, and grasslands of mainland Australia. Physical proof of the tiger's existence in the mainland came from a body that was discovered in a cave in the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia in 1990. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dating Carbon dating] of the body revealed it to be around 3,000 years old. Meanwhile in Tasmania, it preferred the woodlands of the midlands and coastal regions. The stripes on the body helped with camouflage in the wooded areas. A typical territory range was between 40 and 80 km2 (15 and 31 sq mi). However they were not aggressive with boundaries; groups far too large to be a family unit were sometimes observed together. | |||
[[File:Thylacine cubs.jpg|thumb|left|Thylacine mother with her three cubs at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumaris_Zoo Beaumaris Zoo] in Hobart, circa1909. Photo by Unknown photographer.]] | [[File:Thylacine cubs.jpg|thumb|left|Thylacine mother with her three cubs at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumaris_Zoo Beaumaris Zoo] in Hobart, circa1909. Photo by Unknown photographer.]] | ||
[[File:Thylacines.jpg|thumb|left|The same family in 1910. Photo by Unknown Photographer.]] | [[File:Thylacines.jpg|thumb|left|The same family in 1910. Photo by Unknown Photographer.]] | ||
There is evidence for at least some year-round breeding, the prime breeding season was winter and spring. Litters of two to four joeys would be carried in the mother's pouch for about three months. Once they left the pouch, the young would remain in the den until they were old enough to hunt. There has only been one successful captive breeding: in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Zoo Melbourne Zoo] in 1899. | There is evidence for at least some year-round breeding, the prime breeding season was winter and spring. Litters of two to four joeys would be carried in the mother's pouch for about three months. Once they left the pouch, the young would remain in the den until they were old enough to hunt. There has only been one successful captive breeding: in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Zoo Melbourne Zoo] in 1899. | ||