Thylacine

The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one"), often referred to as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf colloquially, is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupial which lived during from the early Pliocene epoch to the late Holocene epoch.

Once widespread throughout Australasia, after the late Holocene, the species' population boiled down to a small population only surviving in Tasmania. Due to people associating attacks on livestock with thylacines, the population further decreased until 1936, when the last confirmed specimen died at the Hobart Zoo.

After its extinction, there have been many sightings of Tasmanian tigers in Tasmania as well as mainland Australia, despite its regional extinction 2,000 years ago.

Description
The thylacine was a rather large, dog-like marsupial. Adults measured around 2 ft tall at the shoulder and males could reach a length of 162.6 cm from its head to the tip of its tail. They typically weighed between 30–34 kg (65–75 lb) by adulthood.

Its head was quite large in relation to the rest of its body. Its face was gray and its eyes were bordered by white markings. Its ears were short and rounded. The creature also possessed large jaws that were flexible enough to nearly open to a 90° angle yet were relatively weak in action.

On its lower back, rump and tail, there were 13–19 vertical, brown-black stripes. The rest of the body had a yellow-brown to grayish-brown colouration. However, some reports specify that the creature lacks stripes or is completely black. Its legs are short and its tail is long, at 2 ft, stiff, and tapers to a point.

Behaviour
The thylacine was a primarily nocturnal creature, taciturn and reclusive, but it was known to occasionally bask in the sun. Although it is usually quiet, it was known to make a "terrier-like double yap" when hunting, a deep growl when annoyed, and a whine. Some people who have claimed to have seen one noted that, when threatened, it could rear up on its hind legs and hop in a similar manner to a kangaroo.

Much like dogs and cats, it was digitigrade, meaning that it walked on its toes. However, compared to canids, thylacines had longer hind legs which gave them a loping gait.

A thylacine's diet consisted of wallabies, small animals and birds. It was rumoured that they killed livestock; this was never substantiated but this claim contributed to its extermination and extinction.

1973

 * Read more: Doyle film

Papua New Guinea

 * Read more: Dobsegna