Tasmanian Tiger - Thylacine

myminifactory

Da Vinci Exotic Species Challenge Design: I employed photogrammetry using Agisoft to create my object. The progress can be seen in the included photos. Note that on my test print, the ears were cut off because they were too thin. I utilized Sculptris to thicken the ears so they would print correctly. After one failed print, the final print turned out perfectly. Printing: I utilize an old ROBO R1+ printer for my prints. I used orange smartbuy PLA filament and did not employ a heated bed; instead, I relied on painters tape. I discovered that I needed to lower the print into the bed by 1.75mm so it would sit upright straight away. You will see in the test print that it wouldn't sit up properly. The nozzle is 0.6mm with a resolution of 0.4mm, and I use this setup most of the time to reduce print time by more than half compared to the stock setup of 0.4mm nozzle. Painting: I used Grumbacher acrylic paint and various canvas brushes that my wife had on hand. I painted the entire body with yellow ochre before using a mix of that and white to undertone the belly and inside the legs. I employed burnt umber for the stripes and the eyes, nose, and mouth. I used a brim with support. Thylacine Wiki: The thylacine (THY-luh-seen) or Thylacinus cynocephalus was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly referred to as the Tasmanian tiger due to its striped lower back or the Tasmanian wolf. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, it is believed to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last surviving member of its family, Thylacinidae; specimens of other members of the family have been found in the fossil record dating back to the late Oligocene. Surviving evidence suggests that it was a relatively shy, nocturnal creature with the general appearance of a medium-to-large-sized dog, except for its stiff tail and abdominal pouch reminiscent of a kangaroo. The thylacine was an apex predator like the tigers and wolves of the Northern Hemisphere from which it obtained two of its common names. As a marsupial, it was not closely related to these placental mammals but displayed similar general form and adaptations due to convergent evolution. Its closest living relative is thought to be either the Tasmanian devil or the numbat. The thylacine had become extremely rare or extinct on the Australian mainland before British settlement of the continent, but it survived on the island of Tasmania along with several other endemic species, including the Tasmanian devil. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributing factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Despite its official classification as extinct, sightings are still reported, though none has been conclusively proven.