Details
Thylacinus cynocephalus
A carnivorous marsupial that survived into modern times in Tasmania. Its striped back and wide gape made it one of the most recognizable extinct mammals.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
The species once occurred on mainland Australia and New Guinea, but persisted recently in Tasmania, using forest, grassland, and scrub.
It had a doglike body, stiff tail, and dark stripes across the back and rump. As a marsupial, females carried young in a pouch.
It was probably nocturnal and moved alone or in small groups. Its gait looked stiff, but it could travel long distances.
Wallabies, small mammals, and birds were likely prey. Claims of heavy livestock predation probably exaggerated its actual impact.
Females gave birth to small young that developed in the pouch. Older young likely stayed near dens before becoming independent.
The last known captive individual died in 1936. Hunting, bounties, disease, and habitat change all contributed to extinction.
