Also known as the Tazmanian Tiger, the thylacine is now extinct. Until several thousands of years ago, they were also on Australia, but died out and could only be found in Tazmania until recently.
Though it has the name "tiger" it is not actually related. It's a marsupial -- more closely related to tazmanian devils and numbats (I'll post about these soon). It happens to have developed the tiger stripes independent of the cat family. Coincidentally, thylacines also played a lot of the same ecological roles as the cats (for example, being an apex predator). Also as a result of convergent evolution, it has many similarities to species in the canine family.
They ate wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, and the now extinct, Tazmanian emu.
The last known ones were in captivity in the 1930s -- and many believe there might still be a couple out there somewhere. So though it would be illegal to capture one even if you could find one (trapping laws), you can apparently get up to $3 million in rewards. So, next time you're in Tazmania, be sure to bring your thylacine trap if you're strapped for cash. But be careful, since it's illegal, you might have to go to jail. You win some, you lose some.
They are also on the Tazmanian coat of arms.
Here's a video of the last known thylacine:
Though it has the name "tiger" it is not actually related. It's a marsupial -- more closely related to tazmanian devils and numbats (I'll post about these soon). It happens to have developed the tiger stripes independent of the cat family. Coincidentally, thylacines also played a lot of the same ecological roles as the cats (for example, being an apex predator). Also as a result of convergent evolution, it has many similarities to species in the canine family.
They ate wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, and the now extinct, Tazmanian emu.
The last known ones were in captivity in the 1930s -- and many believe there might still be a couple out there somewhere. So though it would be illegal to capture one even if you could find one (trapping laws), you can apparently get up to $3 million in rewards. So, next time you're in Tazmania, be sure to bring your thylacine trap if you're strapped for cash. But be careful, since it's illegal, you might have to go to jail. You win some, you lose some.
They are also on the Tazmanian coat of arms.
Here's a video of the last known thylacine:
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