The Devil and the Tiger Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tasmanian devil

An estimated 16% of Tasmanian devils are completely black or dark brown. It is uncertain what the purpose of the white splotches and spots on the body is, although some scientists believe that each splotch on the chest is unique to the individual and aids in recognition. Others believe that when they fight each other, the splotches and spots help to draw bites to areas of the body where they will potentially do less damage.

Devils in the wild tend to show a lot of scarring near their splotches and spots.

Answer: Both

Both animals give birth to babies that are called joeys! Tasmanian devil joeys, also called imps or pups, are about the size of a piece of rice when they are born. While it is possible that mothers give birth to as many as 40 young, it is typical that four or less continue to develop and survive. They must find their way to their mother's pouch, and once there they find that she only has four teats. Devil joeys leave the pouch when they are about 100 days old and weigh about 7 ounces; they become independent when they are about nine months old.

Tasmanian tigers can produce up to four joeys per litter, which remain in their mother's pouch until they are about three months old. By then they become more dog-like in appearance. They remain in their mother's lair and let her do the hunting until they grow to be about half the size of an adult.

Answer: Tasmanian devil

Tasmanian devils were put on the endangered list in 2008 (some sources say 2009). Originally they were seen as threats to livestock on farms, and bounties were offered for both males and females. In 1941 Tasmanian devils became protected by law. Their taste for dead meat, however, has left them vulnerable to being hit by cars.

In the 1990s it was discovered that the population on Tasmania began to develop cancerous facial tumors, called Devil Facial Tumor Disease, which is believed to be transmitted through biting. Their bodies do not detect that the cancer is bad, so tumors grow unchecked, making eating difficult for the animal. Many die of starvation.

Answer: Both

Both animals are marsupials; in fact, the Tasmanian tiger's closest living relative is the Tasmanian devil! Female Tasmanian devils have pouches, where their young continue to develop after birth. Both male and female Tasmanian tigers have back-facing pouches. The female uses hers to care for the babies, while the male uses his to protect his reproductive parts. The word "thylakos", from which thylacine is derived, means pouch.

Answer: Both

Both animals have sharp teeth and use them well to prey on animals. While the Tasmanian tiger especially likes to dine on birds, it also eats small rodents, wallabies, and even kangaroos.

The Tasmanian devil, on the other hand, appears to like his food already dead and will actually sleep in a carcass while it feasts on the meat. It is viewed as being a helpful scavenger, as it essentially removes all traces of sick or dead animals, which is hygienic and keeps the blowflies at bay. It also eats snakes and lizards, and birds, many times consuming the entire animal - bones, fur, and all!

Answer: Tasmanian tiger

The scientific name of the thylacine is "Thylacinus cynocephalus", but European settlers named it the Tasmanian tiger became of its prominent markings. It is also called the Tasmanian wolf because it looks quite a bit like a medium-sized dog.

Answer: Tasmanian tiger

Farmers in Tasmania feared for the safety of their livestock, and bounties were awarded to those who hunted the creature. Although there are reported sightings from time to time - none of which have been proven - it is believed that the last Tasmanian tiger died in the Hobart Zoo in 1936.

In accordance with international standards, the Tasmanian tiger was declared extinct in 1986 - 50 years after the last tiger died. Some scientists, however, remain hopeful that the discovery of the DNA of the animal might allow them to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger.

Answer: Both

Although there is plenty of evidence - fossils, rock paintings, and even preserved remains (3300 year-old carcass found in cave) - that both animals lived on the continent of Australia, it appears that both animals ceased to live there about 2,000-3,000 years ago. Scientists are not exactly sure what caused the demise of both animals at the same time, but they have suggested that dingoes and climate change might explain the change.

Climate change meant that it became more difficult to find preferred food on the continent as conditions became drier. While both Tasmanian tigers and Tasmanian devils are more solitary hunters, dingoes typically hunt in packs, which perhaps gave them a better advantage in finding food.

They both then remained in Tasmania, but there is evidence that Tasmanian tigers also spread their habitat to New Guinea, which was attached to Australia in the distant geological past. In fact, there have been occasional Tasmanian tiger sightings reported in New Guinea. To date those sightings have remained unsubstantiated, but there are some that are hopeful that one day the animal will be found in the forest there.

Answer: Tasmanian tiger

So the dark stripes are the reason that the creature is called the Tasmanian tiger! It is believed that the stripes are either used for camouflage or identification. The 15-20 stripes are located from the top of the shoulders of the animal to the end of its tail.

The only other known resemblance to cats is the fact that their eye structure is similar. A nocturnal hunter, a Tasmanian tiger's eyes have elliptical pupils that enable them to see better in the dark.

Answer: Tasmanian devil

Naming the Tasmanian devil took a while, as it had features that resembled a bear, fox, and dog. It was called Beelzebub's pup, which later became Tasmanian devil because of its scream, which can be heard up to a mile in the distance. For an animal with such a powerful jaw, sharp teeth, and disturbing scream, it is typically very shy and difficult to spot in the wild. And don't be disturbed by those teethy yawns! At first believed to be a sign of aggression, scientists today think it is more likely a sign of fear or uncertainty.