Tasmanian Tiger: Difference between revisions

|reallife=[[File:Thylacinus.jpg|thumb|left|A female thylacine (foreground) and her juvenile male offspring (background) in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Photo taken circa 1903/1904 by Unknown photographer. Via the Smithsonian Institution archives.]]

The Tasmanian tiger (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is a type of [[wikipedia: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 [[wikipedia: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. [[wikipedia: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.

An [[wikipedia:Apex predator|apex predator]] in its homeland, the Tasmanian Tiger was at the top of the food chain. It was a [[wikipedia:Nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] (nighttime) and [[wikipedia:Crepuscular|crepuscular]] (twilight hours) hunter, and would spend the daytime hours resting in nests inside small caves and hollowed-out tree trunks. Those who observed the animals in the wild noted they were rather shy and avoided humans, preferring to postpone the hunt and hide until the human presence was gone. It was exclusively carnivorous, with its primary prey thought to be ground-dwelling birds such as the [[wikipedia:Tasmanian nativehen|Tasmanian Nativehen]]. Other prey might have been [[wikipedia:Giant malleefowl|Giant malleefowl]], emus, and possibly [[wikipedia:Dromornithidae|dromornithids]].  

Despite being fearsome carnivores, there is some controversy and speculation over the preferred prey size of the Thylacine/Tasmanian Tiger. In 2011, the [[wikipedia:University of New South Wales|University of New South Wales]] performed a study using advanced computer modelling. The results concluded the tiger had surprisingly weak and feeble jaws. Another study in 2020 produced similar results. Animals are usually capable of taking on prey close to their own body size, but the studies suggest a 30 kilograms (66 lb.) Tasmanian Tiger would only be able to take on an animal of 5 kilograms (11 lb.). Scientists now believe they ate primarily small animals, such as possums and [[wikipedia:Bandicoot|bandicoots]]. This would put them in direct competition with the Tasmanian Devil and Tiger Quoll.  

The last captive Tasmanian Tiger (known as a Thylacine in this case) was a female, and she lived as an [[wikipedia:Endling|endling]] (the known last of a species) at the [[wikipedia:Hobart Zoo|Hobart Zoo]] until her passing in the night of 7 September 1936. She had been captured by one Elias Churchill with a snare trap and was sold to the zoo in May 1936. The sale was not publicly announced because the use of snare traps was illegal. After her passing, the remains were transferred to the [[wikipedia:Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery|Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery]]. Due to the illegal nature of her capture, the ordeal was not properly recorded and almost forgotten about until circa 2022. A taxidermist record dated from 1936 or 1937 was discovered and had a mention the animal. This led to a full audit of all thylacine remains at the museum and the endling's successful identification.  

The Tasmanian Tiger/Thylacine held the status of [[wikipedia:Endangered species|endangered species]] until the 1980s. International standards at the time stated that ''"an animal can not be declared extinct until 50 years have passed without a confirmed record"''. Since no definitive proof of existence had been obtained for more than 50 years, the official criteria had been met and the Tasmanian Tiger was declared extinct by the [[wikipedia:International Union for Conservation of Nature|International Union for Conservation of Nature]] in 1982 and by the Tasmanian government in 1986. The species was removed from Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2013.

* While the Tasmanian Tiger is another name for the Thylacine, they are two similar but separate friends in the ''Kemono Friends'' franchise.

* The closest living relative is the [[Tasmanian Devil]].  

* Captive Thylacines/Tasmanian Tigers had a clear preference for [[:Category:Bird Friends|birds]], particularly [[Chicken|Chickens]].

* Thanks to preserved specimens in private collections and museums, its [[wikipedia:Whole genome sequencing|whole genome sequence]] has been mapped and there are efforts to [[wikipedia:Cloning|clone]] them and bring them back to life.