When old enough to leave the pouch, the young stayed in a lair such as a deep rocky cave, well-hidden nest or hollow log, whilst the mother hunted.Īpproximately 4,000 years ago, the thylacine was widespread throughout New Guinea and most of mainland Australia, as well as the island of Tasmania. Newborns crawled into the pouch on the belly of their mother, and attached themselves to one of the four teats, remaining there for up to three months. The thylacine, like all marsupials, was tiny and hairless when born.
The thylacine had an extended breeding season from winter to spring, with indications that some breeding took place throughout the year. Although mainly nocturnal, it was sighted moving during the day and some individuals were even recorded basking in the sun. Despite the common name ‘tiger’, the thylacine had a shy, nervous temperament. They emerged to hunt during the evening, night and early morning and tended to retreat to the hills and forest for shelter during the day. During long-distance chases, thylacines were likely to have relied more on scent than any other sense. The thylacine was not a fast runner and probably caught its prey by exhausting it during a long pursuit. In terms of feeding, it was exclusively carnivorous, and its stomach was muscular with an ability to distend so that it could eat large amounts of food at one time, probably an adaptation to compensate for long periods when hunting was unsuccessful and food scarce. The thylacine appeared to occupy most types of terrain except dense rainforest, with open eucalyptus forest thought to be its prime habitat. The thylacine’s average nose-to-tail length for adult males was 162.6 cm, compared to 153.7 cm for females.
Its most distinguishing feature was the 13-19 dark brown stripes over its back, beginning at the rear of the body and extending onto the tail. The extinct thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was a marsupial* that bore a superficial resemblance to a dog. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
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