Tasmanian Tiger Diet, Feeding & Video

What Did the Tasmanian Tiger Eat?

Photo: Tasmanian Tiger with mouth wide open

The Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine was a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial that looked like a small wolf.

The exact details of this now extinct predator's diet is not known. Experts believe that the Tasmanian tiger only hunted small animals weighing under 5 kg. The reason for this is that although it had an impressively large mouth, its long jaws, elongated skull and long slender jaws were not strong enough to withstand the stresses associated with pulling down large prey such as a kangaroo or wombat.

A Specialist Predator

The Tasmanian tiger was a specialised carnivore that preferred soft body tissue such as the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs, and soft flesh. Unlike many other predators, it was rarely a scavenger, preferring fresh kills over carrion.

What is a Tasmanian Tiger?