#odd animals

Octopuses do things that don't make sense at all.

and as he stares into the night sky, there are twice as many stars as usual

The Tasmanian Tiger: Also known as the Tasmanian wolf or thylacine.  

Before I get into these amazing animals' details let me talk about my personal discovery of this carnivorous marsupial. I was actually looking up cryptids on the world wide web as a teen when I came across a video of this creature.  For those that do not know a cryptid is “an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist” [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptid]. This video allegedly shown the last male thylacine, Benjamin, in captivity. He died September 7, 1936. I will provide a link to a similar combination of the footage that I came across [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gt0X-27GXM]. The fact that is living thing was so unusual that it gained the label of cryptid but still had tangible proof that it did in fact exist sparked a healthy interest in these beings.  

The Tasmanian tiger is “largest carnivorous marsupial of recent times, presumed extinct soon after the last captive individual died in 1936” in the private zoo in Hobert. “The thylacine was 100 to 130 cm (39 to 51 inches) long, including its 50- to 65-cm (20- to 26-inch) tail. Weight ranged from 15 to 30 kg (33 to 66 pounds), but about 25 kg (about 55 pounds) was average. The fur was yellowish brown, with 13 to 19 dark bars on the back and rump. The hind legs were longer than the forelegs, and the tail was very thick at the base, tapering evenly to a point. The skull was remarkably similar to that of a dog but had characteristics diagnostic of a marsupial. Other differences include a smaller braincase and jaws with an enormous, almost 90-degree gape. In a shallow pouch that opened rearward, the female carried two to four young at a time.” [https://www.britannica.com/animal/thylacine].  The male also had a partial pouch interestingly enough and the impressive beast had 46 teeth in its snout. [https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/extinct-animals/the-thylacine/].

They were said to be mostly “nocturnal or simi-nocturnal" because they were active during the day as well. “The animal moved at a slow pace, generally stiff in its movements. The Thylacine hunted singly or in pairs and mainly at night”.  The animal “preferred kangaroos and other marsupials, small rodents and birds. They were reported to have preyed on sheep and poultry after European colonization, although the extent of this was almost certainly exaggerated”. This exaggeration may have led to the animal's persecution and its eventual demise. This along with the interdiction of the dog and competition with the native dingo [https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/extinct-animals/the-thylacine/].

“During the late 1990s and early 2000s, DNA sequencing technologies made significant advancements. In 2009 an international team of geneticists announced that they had successfully sequenced the genome (that is, the complete set of DNA) of the thylacine. This development spawned discussions about the possibility of cloning the thylacine, possibly through the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). SCNT involves the transplanting of the nucleus of a somatic (body) cell from a thylacine into the cytoplasm of a donor egg—perhaps from the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) or the native cat (Dasyurus)—whose nucleus has been removed” [https://www.britannica.com/animal/thylacine]. This poses the question on whether or not this as well as other endangered or extinct species have a chance to be brought back.  

This odd marsupial inspired curiosity and interest in endangered, extinct, as well as cryptic creatures. I have hope for this animals' continued existence fueled by countless sightings documented throughout the internet. This magnificent being may give hope to those animals that have been labeled as long gone as well as the more mythical beings. They may be out there surviving on the fringes avoiding humanity.

Sources:  

ttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gt0X-27GXM

https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/extinct-animals/the-thylacine/