The Tasmanian devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial. Unusually for a marsupial, its forelegs are slightly longer than its hind legs, and devils can run up to 13 km/h for short distances.
Tasmanian Devils are opportunistic predators but they eat carrion more often than they hunt live prey. Tasmanian devils are wild and most of the time they love to stay alone. They prefer being surrounded by dry and dense forests. Whenever they feel threatened or are competing for food, they bare teeth, lunge and emit loud, blood-curdling shrieks in the dark hours that made early settlers imagine demons had surrounded them in the wilderness.
The Tasmanian devil has the most powerful bite relative to body size of any living mammalian carnivore, exerting a force of 553 N. The bite of the Tasmanian Devil is powerful enough to cut through metal. While some of the fastest runners in the world can hit speeds of over 25 miles per hour, the average person can only run between 6.5 and 8 miles per hour.
Tasmanian devils are found throughout Tasmania. They particularly like dry sclerophyll forests and coastal woodlands. Tasmanian devils are considered also scavengers, eating everything even bones and fur.
No, a Tasmanian Devil can’t kill a human. Though this animal has a reputation for being aggressive, it will try to avoid being near humans if possible. However, if this animal feels threatened, it can bite a human causing serious injury with its powerful jaws.
Tasmanian devils are marsupials that live only on the Island of Tasmania in Australia. Around the size of a cat, they are the largest carnivorous marsupial. Devils are mostly nocturnal and spend their days in burrows and caves. They were named devils by Europeans in Australia who saw their displays of teeth and heard their calls in the night.
Say hello to the Tasmanian devil, the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial that resides on the island state of Tasmania. You may know them for their ferocious reputation, but there’s more to the Tasmanian devil than meets the eye.
Just 25,000 devils are left in the wild of Tasmania today.
Why is the Tasmanian devil called a devil?
The Tasmanian devil, the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, is only found in Tasmania. It got its name from early European settlers who heard mysterious screams and growls. This led them to call the animal “The Devil”. Nowadays, Tasmanian devils hang out on livestock farms and roads, scavenging. Even adults are somewhat undeserving of their nickname. They bare teeth and emit shrieks if threatened or competing for food. Their teeth and claws allow them to attack prey much heavier than themselves. However, they usually avoid people.
Are Tasmanian devils angry?
The Tasmanian devil is found only in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. Tasmanian devils are nocturnal animals. When threatened, a devil will shriek, howl, bare its teeth, and often spin around in circles. Tasmanian devils are known for their loud screeching vocalizations. The Tasmanian devil is listed as an endangered species. The population has declined largely due to disease.
Tasmanian Devils make a range of sounds including screams, shrieks, growls, snorts and grunting calls. These sounds are often heard when devils are feeding at night. They are generally territorial, solitary creatures and guard their food aggressively.
The Tasmanian devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial. Tasmanian devils have a keen sense of smell. Tasmanian devils will also produce an odor as a defense mechanism when threatened.
Once widespread throughout Australia, devils are now only found in Tasmania. Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey such as birds and insects. They prefer scavanging to hunting and frequently feast communally on carrion.
The survival of Tasmanian Devils is seriously threatened by Devil Facial Tumour Disease which develops rapidly and is fatal. Once the cancerous tumours appear, the Devils generally die within three to six months.
Tasmanian devils disappeared from Australia about 3,000 years ago, probably as a result of conflict with the dingo. Humans have wiped out dingoes across most of Victoria and NSW, leaving foxes and cats to become primary predators.
Why did Tasmanian devil go extinct?
The Tasmanian devil became extinct on the mainland about 3,000 years ago. This was before European settlement. The dingo hunted the devil. There are no dingoes in Tasmania. Now the devil is Tasmania’s top predator.
The Tasmanian devil has a thick, stocky body with a large head. Its tail is half as long as its body. Tasmanian devils are black with some white patches on their chests. They have longer front legs and shorter back legs. Females are shorter than males.
Tasmanian devils play an important role in the local ecosystem. If they disappear, fox and feral cat numbers may increase. Then dozens of mammal species unique to Tasmania could disappear too. All Tasmanian wildlife could suffer if devils disappear.
Devils are threatened by Devil Facial Tumour Disease which emerged in 1996. It still has no cure. Once widespread in Australia, now devils only live in Tasmania.
The disease is spread when devils bite each other. It causes large tumours that stop them from eating. Most devils die within a few months of getting the disease. Scientists are working on treatments and vaccines to save devils.