Extinct since 1936 the Tasmanian tiger wolf was neither a tiger nor a wolf What was it?

Answer 1

The correct name for the Tasmanian Tiger is Thylacine. It was a carnivorous marsupial, or dasyurid, like the Tasmanian Devil, although recent research suggests it was most closely related to the numbat than the Tasmanian Devil.

The Tasmanian Tiger, also known as the Tasmanian Wolf, was native to Tasmania, the southern island state of Australia. It was the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world before its believed extinction in 1936. The first disputed sighting of the Thylacine was by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642, although his description also matched that of the tiger quoll. The Tasmanian Tiger was only classified in 1808 and it was so named because of its distinctive striped backs. It was also called the Tasmanian Wolf because of its vague resemblance to a wolf and the unique howling noise it would make to communicate.

Therefore the Tasmanian Tiger or Wolf was in fact neither a tiger nor a wolf, but instead its own unique species of marsupial that is sadly now extinct.