The thylacine is the shape and size of a big dog (especially like a dog in forequarters and head) , and observation suggestion that it acted in a very dog like manner (ie running, sitting, sun basking, etc). The stripes started 1/2 way down the back and extended to the tail, and were believed to be for camouflage (eg in sunny + shady forests). The base colour of the animal was brownish (fawn through to dark brown) with a cream coloured belly. However, the Tasmanian Wolf was a marsupial carnivore not a mammal. It is thought to have been the largest marsupial carnivore in recent history. One very unique aspect was that its jaw could open extremely wide. Its tail was very straight more like a thin Kangaroos tail and did not wag like a dogs. The female has a backward facing pouch, and extraordinary the male also has a pouch, his though to protect his testicles.
The Tasmanian Wolf was a nocturnal species but was often observed basking in the sun. It hunted alone or in small groups. There is a controversy over the wolf's hunting technique. Some think that the wolf was an ambush hunter that relied on stealth while others think the wolf would tirelessly chase its prey until the target was exhausted, when it would rush in for the kill. The wolf had many different calls, including a rough bark while hunting, a deep growl when irritated, and a whine. The breeding season is thought to have taken place in the fall. Births occurred continuously throughout the year but were concentrated in the summer months (December-March). It is believed that the young (usually 2-4) stayed in the pouch for about 3 months and remained with the mother for another 6 months.
The Tasmanian Wolf preferred open forests and grasslands, but by the end of its
existence it was confined to dense rainforests by human pressures. Tasmanian
wolf lairs were located mainly in hollow logs or rock outcroppings located in
hilly areas that were adjacent to open areas, such as grasslands.
It went extinct in mainland Australia about 2,000 years ago due to competition from dingoes. In Tasmania, the Tasmanian Tiger went extinct in 1936 after being killed in large numbers by sheep farmers who settled in Tasmania (the Tasmanian Tiger ate a lot of sheep). The last known Tasmanian Tiger, named Benjamin, died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo. Despite its supposed extinction, there are a few unconfirmed Tasmanian Tiger sightings each year in Tasmania.
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