Habitat, Behaviour and Diet of Tasmanian Tigers
The observations of Tasmanian Tigers or Thylacines were made during
the daytime whereas the animals were actually nocturnal. Whatever little
we know about the behavioural traits of the Thylacine, it is from those
specimens, which were kept in captivity. There is little evidence of the
behaviour of these animals in the wild. Some of the behavioural
characteristics of this animal have been speculated from the behaviour
of the Tasmanian Devil.
Habitat of the Tigers
 Tasmanian Tigers were believed to dwell in the dry eucalyptus forests,
wetlands and grasslands of Australia. The Australian rock paintings
depict the primary habitat of the Tiger throughout the mainland of
Australia and New Guinea. A carcass found in Nullarbor Plain in Western
Australia in 1990 also supports this claim. The carbon dating of the
carcass revealed it to be nearly 3,300 years old. In the Tasmanian
region, the Tigers preferred the woodlands of the midlands and coastal
areas.
These animals had a home range of between 40 and 80 square kilometres,
the larger groups were sometimes observed together.
Behavioural traits
These nocturnal creatures, also known as crepuscular hunters used to
remain inside small caves or hollow tree trunks during the daytime. The
Tasmanian tigers used to go for hunting during night. The life
expectancy of the animals was 5 to 7 years and it lived up to 9 years in
captivity.
Diet of the Tasmanian tigers
According to analysis of the skeleton of the Tasmanian Tigers, it has
been found that these carnivores mainly relied on stamina than speed in
the chase. The stomach of the tigers was muscular and had an ability to
distend for allowing the animal to eat huge amount of food at one time.
The stomachs were adapted in a way for compensating longer period
without eating when the tigers failed to hunt and during food scarcity.
 The analysis of the skeletal frame of the tigers reveals that it
preferred to single out its prey and exhaust them before killing. Other
studies on these extinct animals showed that the animals used to hunt in
small family groups. They were probably ambush predators.
The food list of the Tasmanian Tiger included kangaroos, wombats, birds,
wallabies and small animals like potoroos and possums. Apart from these
animals, the Tasmanian emu formed a favourite meal of the Tasmanian
Tiger.
When captivated, the Tasmanian Tigers were fed dead rabbits, wallabies,
beef, mutton and at times poultry. However, these tigers were considered
a blood drinker in the twentieth century because these carnivores mainly
ate the sheep and poultry of the farmers. Their bad reputation led to
mass killing of Tigers by humans.
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