Tasmanian Devil

Scientific Name: Sarcophilus harrisii

As comical as it is, the familiar Looney Tunes
portrayal of a Tasmanian devil as a seething,
snarling, insatiable lunatic is, at times, not all that
far from the truth.

Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: Up to 5 years
Size: 20 to 31 in (51 to 79 cm)
Weight: 9 to 26 lbs (4 to 12 kg)
Protection status: Endangered
Did you know?
When confronted, a Tasmanian devil will often
yawn at its tormentor as if pretending to be
unbothered by the threat.

Tasmanian devils have a notoriously cantankerous

disposition and will fly into a maniacal rage when
threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or
defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed it a "devil" after witnessing such displays,
which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls.
These famously feisty mammals have a coat of coarse brown or black fur and a stocky profile
that gives them the appearance of a baby bear. Most have a white stripe or patch on their
chest and light spots on their sides or rear end. They have long front legs and shorter rear
legs, giving them a lumbering, piglike gait.

The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, reaching 30 inches (76
centimeters) in length and weighing up to 26 pounds (12 kilograms), although its size will
vary widely depending on its specific range and the availability of food. Its oversize head
houses sharp teeth and strong, muscular jaws that can deliver, pound for pound, one of the
most powerful bites of any mammal.
Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey such as snakes, birds, fish,
and insects and frequently feasting communally on carrion. They are at their most rowdy
when jockeying for position on a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well
fed, their tails swell with stored fat. Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days
alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed. They use their long
whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and locate prey and
carrion. They'll eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, and when they do find
food, they are voracious, consuming everythingincluding hair, organs, and bones.
Mothers give birth after about three weeks of pregnancy to 20 or 30 very tiny young. These
raisin-size babies crawl up the mother's fur and into her pouch. However, the mother has only
four nipples, so only a handful of babies survive. Infants emerge after about four months and
are generally weaned by the sixth month and on their own by the eighth.
Once abundant throughout Australia Tasmanian devils are now indigenous only to the island
state of Tasmania. Their Tasmanian range encompasses the entire island, although they are
partial to coastal scrublands and forests. Biologists speculate that their extinction on the
mainland is attributable to the introduction of Asian dogs, or dingoes.

Efforts in the late 1800s to eradicate Tasmanian devils, which farmers erroneously believed
were killing livestock (although they were known to take poultry), were nearly successful. In
1941, the government made devils a protected species, and their numbers have grown
steadily since.