Tasmanian Tiger Walking

The Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine was a marsupial carnivore that looked like a small wolf. The last Tasmanian tiger on earth died in a zoo on 7 September 1936. They are now extinct. Only a few grainy black and white photos of the animal exist today.

The Tasmanian tiger's feet and legs generally resembled those of a wolf, and like a wolf, it walked on its toes. Unlike a wolf however, its hind legs were longer than its front ones, and overall its legs were rather short proportionally to an equivalently sized wolf. This, together with its tail which it held out behind it rigidly, made a Tasmanian tiger's movements quite differently from that of a wolf. It had a stiff, awkward walk and a somewhat ungainly trot. It was rarely seen to move fast. It was designed for a leisurely walk or trot and not for a sprint.

Platypus - What is a Tasmanian Tiger?