Thylacine - The Australian Museum

Skip to main content Skip to acknowledgement of country Skip to footer

Click to enlarge image

Fast Facts

• Classification Genus Thylacinus Species cynocephalus

What is a Thylacine?

The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus: dog-headed pouched-dog) is a large carnivorous marsupial now believed to be extinct. It was the only member of the family Thylacinidae to survive into modern times.

It is also known as the Tasmanian Tiger or Tasmanian Wolf.

What did Thylacines look like?

The Thylacine was sandy yellowish-brown to grey in colour and had 15 to 20 distinct dark stripes across the back from shoulders to tail. Although the large head was dog- or wolf-like, the tail was stiff and the legs were relatively short. Body hair was dense, short and soft, to 15mm in length.

It had short ears (about 80 mm long) that were erect, rounded and covered with short fur. Jaws were large and powerful and there were 46 teeth. Adult male Thylacine were larger on average than females.

The female Thylacine had a back-opening pouch. The litter size was up to four and the young were dependent on the mother until at least half-grown. Interestingly, males also had a back-opening, partial pouch.

How and when did Thylacines become extinct?

Although the precise reasons for extinction of the Thylacine from mainland Australia are not known it appears to have declined as a result of competition with the Dingo and perhaps hunting pressure from humans. The Thylacine became extinct on the Australian mainland not less than 2000 years ago. Its decline and extinction in Tasmania was probably hastened by the introduction of dogs, but appears mainly due to direct human persecution as an alleged pest.

Is there a fossil Thylacine?

Fossil thylacines have been reported from Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

Work at the Riversleigh World Heritage fossil site in north-west Queensland has unearthed a spectacular array of thylacines dating from about 30 million years ago to almost 12 million years ago. At least seven different species are present, ranging from small specialised cat-sized individuals to fox-sized predators.

The most spectacular find has been an almost complete skeleton of a thylacine from the AL90 site at Riversleigh. First glimpsed in 1996 when a limestone boulder was cracked to reveal part of the skull after 17 million years in a limestone tomb. After many months of intricate preparation the skeleton has been reassembled.

The fossil record of thylacines is a powerful reminder of how important it is to learn from the past the messages for the future. In Riversleigh times there were several species but by 8 million years ago only one species remained, the Powerful Thylacine, Thylacinus potens.

The modern Thylacine made its appearance about 4 million years ago.

A mummified carcass of a Thylacine has been found in a cave on the Nullabor Plain. It lived about 4 to 5,000 years ago, just before the Dingo was introduced into Australia.

View microCT scan of Thylacine skull Thylacinus cynocephalus) fossil from Wellington Caves, NSW.

View microCT scan of a Thylacine skull (Thylacinus cynocephalus) from the Australian Museum Mammalogy Collection (specimen AM S.403). Learn more about microCT scanning and how it is used by the Australian Museum Research Institute.

Specimens in our collection

This 3D model of a thylacine pup from the Australian Museum Mammalogy Collection combines Structured light scanning of the exterior of the specimen with Computed Tomography of the skeleton. View the model of the Thylacine on Pedestal3D for full screen and to access additional functions.

© UNSW, Biological Resources Imaging Laboratory and National Imaging Facility

What did Thylacines eat?

The Thylacine was mainly nocturnal or semi-nocturnal but was also out during the day. The animal moved at a slow pace, generally stiff in its movements. The Thylacine hunted singly or in pairs and mainly at night.

Thylacines preferred kangaroos and other marsupials, small rodents and birds. They were reported to have preyed on sheep and poultry after European colonisation, although the extent of this was almost certainly exaggerated. For example, this was perpetuated, intentionally or otherwise, by a series of famous photos taken by Harry Burrell.

Where did Thylacines live?

At one time the Thylacine was widespread over continental Australia, extending north to New Guinea and south to Tasmania. In recent times it was confined to Tasmania where its presence has not been established conclusively for more than seventy years. In Tasmania the species was best known from the north and east coast and midland plains region rather than from the mountains of the south-west.

Indigenous Peoples and the Thylacine

Aboriginal rock-paintings of Thylacine-like animals are recognised from northern Australia including the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They have also been found on walls or overhangs on exposed rock surfaces in the Upper East Alligator region of Deaf Adder Creek and Cadell River crossing in the Northern Territory.

There is evidence to suggest that Aboriginal people in Tasmania used the Thylacine as a food item.

Back to top of main content Go back to top of page

Also in this section

• Baru darrowi Baru darrowi
• Riversleigh Rainforest Koala Nimiokoala greystanesi
• Nimbadon
• Liasis dubudingala Liasis dubudinala
• Wakaleo Wakaleo vanderleuri
• Cleaver-headed Crocodile
• Tingamarra Swamp Crocodile
• Tingamarra Alamitophis Alamitophis tingamarra
• Stirton's Thunder Bird
• Riversleigh Leaf-nosed Bat
• Ridge-headed Crocodile
• Perameles bowensis Perameles bowensis

You may also be interested in...

Sponges

Sponges are simple colonial animals. They have no real organs and their body tissue is made up of fibre-like protein, which is just like a bath sponge.

Read more

Plankton

Learn more about the varieties of plankton - phytoplankton, zooplankton and holoplankton - and learn why the Bluewater Zone is so important to the survival of the Great Barrier Reef.

Marine life Read more

Black Rat

This rat was probably introduced to Sydney with the First Fleet.

Rattus rattus Discover more

Centipedes and millipedes

Step into the multi-legged world of these crawling creatures and learn how important they are to our environment.

Myriapods More details

Reptiles

Discover a diverse group of animals including turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles, including the largest living reptile in the world: the Australian Crocodile!

Herpetology Find out more

Australia's native frogs

More than 240 species of frog have been discovered in Australia! Explore our frog factsheets about learn more about our native amphibians.

Find out more

Sea squirts and sea tulips

Discover sea squirts and sea tulips - with over 80 species in Sydney alone. The Australian Museum's Marine Invertebrate collection houses more than 1600 urochordates (predominantly ascidian) lots, mainly from Australia and Antarctica.

Marine life Learn more

Jellyfish, anemones and corals

Discover factsheets from this ancient group of animals that have lived on earth for more than 650 million years.

Cnidarians Learn more

Sea stars and sea urchins

Did you know that Sydney alone has more than 120 species of echinoderms? Step into the underwater world and learn more about these spiny creatures.

EchinodermsMarine life Read more

Worms

The Australian Museum houses an important collection of earthworms, bristle worms and leeches, including an extensive bristle worm collection from Australia and Indo-Pacific. Learn about these resilient creatures that have virtually conquered every habitat on the planet!

Terrestrial InvertebratesPolychaetes Learn more

Molluscs

Learn more about this unique and varied animal group, molluscs are very diverse in appearance and habitat.

Malacology Read more

Glossary of animal biology terms

A glossary of terms and definitions used in biology and related disciplines such as zoology, zoogeography, palaeontology, animal taxonomy and classification and evolutionary biology.

Discover more You have reached the end of the main content. Go back to start of main content Go back to top of page Back to top You have reached the end of the page. Thank you for reading. Website Navigation Dialog Modal

• What's On
• AM Shop
• Join & Give

• Visit & Book
  • Plan your Visit
    • What's On Calendar
    • Location & Transport
    • Admission information
    • Food & Dining
    • Access & Inclusion
  • AM Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Members-only events
    • Member login
    • Explore magazine
    • Gift Membership
  • Group Bookings
  • Visitor Guides & Map
  • Museum Shop
• Learn & Connect
  • News & Stories
    • Latest news
    • Read our articles
    • Listen to podcasts
    • Exhibition publications
    • Media Centre
  • Education
    • Education programs
    • School excursions
    • First Nations learning resources
    • Science learning resources
    • History learning resources
  • Culture
    • First Nations cultures and history
    • First Nations Collections
    • Pasifika cultures and history
    • Pasifika Collections
    • World Cultures
    • Cultural Collection Enhancement Project
  • Science
    • Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI®) Submenu
      • Lizard Island Research Station
      • Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics
      • AMRI Seminars and Lectures
      • Collection Care and Conservation
      • Citizen science projects
      • Expeditions and fieldwork
    • Life & Geoscience Collections Submenu
      • Archaeology
      • Arachnology
      • Entomology
      • Herpetology
      • Ichthyology
      • Malacology
      • Mammalogy
      • Marine Invertebrates
      • Mineralogy
      • Ornithology
      • Palaeontology
      • Frozen Tissue
      • AMRI Collection Enhancement Project
    • Learning resources Submenu
      • Australia over time
      • Earth Science
      • Dinosaurs and their relatives
      • Human evolution
      • Biodiversity
      • Education resources
    • Search our Science Journal
    • Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
    • Animal factsheets Submenu
      • Spiders
      • Native frogs
      • Reptiles
      • Worms
      • Molluscs
      • Sea squirts and sea tulips
      • Jellyfish, anemones and corals
      • Mammals
      • Australian Bats
      • Fishes
      • Birds
      • Insects
      • Plankton
      • Sea stars and sea urchins
      • Centipedes and millipedes
      • Crustaceans
      • Dangerous Australian animals
      • Australia’s extinct animals
  • Climate Change
    • Learn about climate change
    • Impacts of climate change
    • Climate change solutions
    • Stories of our changing environment
    • Climate Solutions Centre
• About Us
  • About the Australian Museum
    • Organisation & Governance
    • Australian Museum Collections
    • Archives & Research Library
    • History of the AM
    • Visitor information
  • Support the AM
    • Australian Museum Foundation
    • Donate to the Museum
    • Partnerships
    • Become a Member
  • Venue or Exhibition Hire
    • Venues & Functions
    • Touring Exhibitions
  • Join our Team
    • Staff profiles
    • Work at the Museum
    • Awards & Fellowships
    • Student opportunities
    • Volunteer at the Australian Museum
  • Contact
    • Contact List
    • Ask an Expert or Archivist
    • Ask an Elder
    • Subscribe to our eNewsletter
    • Search our Website

Close navigation modal Website Search Dialog Modal Search website Submit Search Close search modal

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden

Close modal dialog Close Modal Dialog Close Modal Dialog Close Modal Dialog