Question 1

True or false: The last known thylacine died in a Tasmanian zoo in 1936.

Accepted Answer

True. Benjamin, the last captive thylacine, died at Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart on September 7, 1936—now National Threatened Species Day.

Question 2

True or false: Thylacine was primarily a herbivore, feeding on fruits and roots.

Accepted Answer

False. Thylacine was a strict carnivore. Its diet consisted of small mammals, birds, and possibly kangaroos. It had sharp teeth and strong jaws for killing prey, not for grinding plants.

Question 3

True or false: Thylacine had dark stripes across its back and tail, similar to a tiger's pattern.

Accepted Answer

True. Thylacine earned the nickname 'Tasmanian tiger' due to the dark stripes on its lower back, rump, and tail. However, it was not a feline but a marsupial.

Question 4

True or false: Thylacine was a marsupial, meaning it carried its young in a pouch.

Accepted Answer

True. Thylacine was a carnivorous marsupial, not a placental mammal. Like kangaroos, it gave birth to undeveloped young that developed in a pouch.

Question 5

True or false: Thylacines were primarily nocturnal hunters of large kangaroos.

Accepted Answer

False. Thylacines were crepuscular/nocturnal but preyed on small wallabies, birds, and rodents, not large kangaroos.

Question 6

True or false: The last known Thylacine died in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in 1936.

Accepted Answer

True. The last known Thylacine, often called Benjamin, died on September 7, 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo (Hobart Zoo) in Tasmania, leading to its extinction.

Question 7

True or false: Thylacines were closely related to Tasmanian devils and quolls.

Accepted Answer

False. While all are marsupials, thylacines were in the separate family Thylacinidae, not closely related to devils (Dasyuridae).

Question 8

True or false: The thylacine had a pouch that opened backwards, unlike kangaroos.

Accepted Answer

True. The thylacine's pouch opened backward to shield its young from dirt and debris while moving through dense brush.

Question 9

True or false: Thylacines had stripes only on their back, not their tail.

Accepted Answer

False. Thylacine stripes extended from the back onto the base of the tail, though not all the way to the tip.

Question 10

True or false: Thylacine was a type of wolf, belonging to the canine family.

Accepted Answer

False. Thylacine was a marsupial, not a placental mammal like wolves. It belonged to the family Thylacinidae, separate from canines. Its dog-like appearance is convergent evolution.

Question 11

True or false: Thylacine survived in the wild in Tasmania until the 1950s.

Accepted Answer

False. The last known Thylacine died in captivity in 1936. Despite unconfirmed sightings, there is no credible evidence of survival after that. It is officially listed as extinct.

Question 12

True or false: Thylacine was a pack hunter, like wolves, preying on large animals.

Accepted Answer

False. Thylacine was a solitary nocturnal hunter. It hunted alone or with its mate, not in packs. It typically preyed on small to medium-sized animals, not large ones.

Question 13

True or false: Some thylacines were reported to have a dog-like bark.

Accepted Answer

True. Witnesses described a series of short, husky barks or yaps, similar to a dog's, especially when excited or threatened.

Question 14

True or false: Thylacines could open their jaws to an 80-degree angle.

Accepted Answer

True. Their jaw could open almost 80 degrees, far wider than most mammals, to deliver a crushing bite.

Question 15

True or false: Thylacines were officially declared extinct in 1986.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1986, the Tasmanian government officially declared the thylacine extinct, following the IUCN's 1982 declaration. The last confirmed thylacine died in 1936.

Question 16

True or false: Thylacine could open its jaws to an angle of nearly 90 degrees.

Accepted Answer

True. Thylacine had an unusually wide gape. When yawning or threatening, it could open its mouth almost 90 degrees, a distinctive trait documented in photographs and studies.

Thylacine Trivia Questions