The Tasmanian Devil is an animal not very well understood. On the Island it calls home, many people swerve their cars simply to hit and kill it. Although the tasmanian devil may seem very ferocious and dangerous, it's "bark" is definitely worse than it's bite. You see, they inherited their common name from the sounds they make when in danger or when feeding (see clip below).
About the size of a small dog (Weighing between 13-18 lbs and a body usually 57-65 cm long.), the tasmanian devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial on the planet. They generally have black fur and can have some irregular white patches.
However, when they are born the joeys are blind, deaf, and have no fur. They are no bigger than a piece of rice. Mothers give birth to many babies at the same time (usually 20-30, but they can have up to 50!) and they all race for her pouch where there are only 4 teats available. After 3 or 4 months, the joeys weigh about 200 g (0.4 lbs) and are now ready to leave the pouch. The mother will take care of them until they are about 9 months old, and become independent.
Devils are carnivorous and can prey on organisms up to the size of a small kangaroo. However, they do best with scavenging on dead carcasses. Their favorite food is the wombat because they have a high fat content; also, if they need to hunt, the wombats are slower animals. This is one of the only carnivores known to hunt alone but feed in groups. It is mostly while they feed that their awful sounds can be heard for miles.
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| Wombat |
The devils are not yet endangered but are rated vulnerable. Their population is very quickly plummeting, mostly due to the Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). This disease is extremely unusual because it is only one of three cancers that can be spread like a disease. If the animal catches it, there is no cure and the disease is 100% fatal. In 2010, the infection rate was at an estimated 80% of the population of wild Tasmanian Devils. The sad part is that because their range is exclusive to Tasmania Island the disease is spreading rapidly killing of large portions off the population. Since 1996, their numbers are down 90%. It is a scary fact, but we may no longer have devils once the next decade comes around. (If you want more information about the disease see the link at the bottom of the page).
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| Tasmanian Devil Range |
Fun Facts:
- Tasmanian Devils can run up to 13 km/h for short distances.
- They have won the award "Worst smelling animal" because of their strong pungent odor (according to Animal Planet).
- Compared with body size, the Tasmanian Devil has the strongest bite of any living mammal. It generates a crushing force of 5100 psi! That's more than a Tiger
- http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease
- http://chickenoreggblog.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/tasmanian-devil-facial-tumour-disease-too-good-a-match-for-the-immune-system/
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