Tasmanian Devil
You can find the Tasmanian devil located only on the island state of Tasmania in the coastal scrub. The Tasmanian devil is the largest mammal that is a marsupial carnivore. They are the only other creature that carries their babies in a pouch and reside in the country of Australia. This rare mammal used to be able to be found anywhere in Australia, but because of the well-known Dingo, the number of Tasmanian Devils has fallen drastically over the past couple of years. Dingos and Tasmanian Devils often would compete for the same food sources, and unfortunately, the Dingo was getting most of the Tasmanian Devil's food. But since, the Tasmanian Devil has been able to make it over to the state of Australia, where the Dingo has not, so they are not as currently threatened as they once were by these other mammals.
Behaviour And Eating Habits
They earned their name "Devil" because of their screams that would they exhibit when trying to scare other threats and various creatures away from their food. The name was given to them by European settlers who were found to be haunted by their nightly screams and demonic growl sounds. Although, they are nothing like their screams. They are actually considered to be very shy and quite wary creatures, only putting on intimidating displays in hopes to scare away other mammals who wish to devour their prey.
This seemingly feisty animal tends to want to feed off of the roadside, and that is also a threat to their species. They are often hit by cars because they are seeking to feed off of road killed animals. The Tasmanian Devil will eat almost anything. Their favorite food sources are small animals such as wombats, wallabies, and possums. They are very good at being able to locate dead animals that might be hidden inside of bushes or other trees that might be able to produce a nice and cozy hiding spot for them to rest during the day. It does not matter how long it has been dead, they will still eat the animal. Since they have been made with such strong jaw muscles and teeth, they are able to devour the entire animal - carcass and all. This can be a very good advantage to the environment as it leads to less pollution of dead carcasses. Their furs will often give an intense odor when they are stressed, and the Devils themselves will show ferocity of nature when they are feeding.
Appearance and Physical Features
The female Tasmanian Devil tends to weigh in at about 6 - 8 kg once full size is reached at age three, and the male will usually weigh in at about anywhere from 10 - 12 kg once full size has been reached. They have tails that range in size from anywhere between 9 and 12 inches long. They are very solid and stout, and are usually black with a white patch around their necks. They have a very noticeable large and powerful head with pink pointy ears, dark piercing eyes, and a wide jaw with very large sharp teeth. This is a very stocky and muscular mammal.
Habitat
Tasmanian Devils are scavengers, so they are often found near human settlements. They spend most of they day hidden sleeping in small natural caves, old wombat burrows, or surrounding themselves in dens made with hollow logs and lined in grass and leaves. Their dark color was given to them so they would better be able to do their feeding at night.
Devil Facial Tumour Disease
A normal life expectancy for the Tasmanian Devil is usually up to eight years. Devil facial tumour disease is a disease that causes tumours to form and spread widely around the Tasmanian Devil's mouth. This leads to interference with regular eating habits, and eventually leads to starvation and death. Devil facial tumour disease was first seen in the year 1995 and has affected over 65% of the species. There has been a 50% decline in the Tasmanian Devil since the discovery of the disease. There is yet no cure for this disease, and it has been found that the Tasmanian Devils pass this disease around to each other. The IUCN has not yet declared this species as endangered. They are still considered to be at least concern and at a low threat for extinction.
Find out more about the Tasmanian Devil at: http://www.tasmaniatrip.com/tasmanian-devil.html
http://www.tasmaniatrip.com
Tasmania Trip is a travel guide on all things Tassie with travel information on visiting this beautiful state of Australia
Behaviour And Eating Habits
They earned their name "Devil" because of their screams that would they exhibit when trying to scare other threats and various creatures away from their food. The name was given to them by European settlers who were found to be haunted by their nightly screams and demonic growl sounds. Although, they are nothing like their screams. They are actually considered to be very shy and quite wary creatures, only putting on intimidating displays in hopes to scare away other mammals who wish to devour their prey.
This seemingly feisty animal tends to want to feed off of the roadside, and that is also a threat to their species. They are often hit by cars because they are seeking to feed off of road killed animals. The Tasmanian Devil will eat almost anything. Their favorite food sources are small animals such as wombats, wallabies, and possums. They are very good at being able to locate dead animals that might be hidden inside of bushes or other trees that might be able to produce a nice and cozy hiding spot for them to rest during the day. It does not matter how long it has been dead, they will still eat the animal. Since they have been made with such strong jaw muscles and teeth, they are able to devour the entire animal - carcass and all. This can be a very good advantage to the environment as it leads to less pollution of dead carcasses. Their furs will often give an intense odor when they are stressed, and the Devils themselves will show ferocity of nature when they are feeding.
Appearance and Physical Features
The female Tasmanian Devil tends to weigh in at about 6 - 8 kg once full size is reached at age three, and the male will usually weigh in at about anywhere from 10 - 12 kg once full size has been reached. They have tails that range in size from anywhere between 9 and 12 inches long. They are very solid and stout, and are usually black with a white patch around their necks. They have a very noticeable large and powerful head with pink pointy ears, dark piercing eyes, and a wide jaw with very large sharp teeth. This is a very stocky and muscular mammal.
Habitat
Tasmanian Devils are scavengers, so they are often found near human settlements. They spend most of they day hidden sleeping in small natural caves, old wombat burrows, or surrounding themselves in dens made with hollow logs and lined in grass and leaves. Their dark color was given to them so they would better be able to do their feeding at night.
Devil Facial Tumour Disease
A normal life expectancy for the Tasmanian Devil is usually up to eight years. Devil facial tumour disease is a disease that causes tumours to form and spread widely around the Tasmanian Devil's mouth. This leads to interference with regular eating habits, and eventually leads to starvation and death. Devil facial tumour disease was first seen in the year 1995 and has affected over 65% of the species. There has been a 50% decline in the Tasmanian Devil since the discovery of the disease. There is yet no cure for this disease, and it has been found that the Tasmanian Devils pass this disease around to each other. The IUCN has not yet declared this species as endangered. They are still considered to be at least concern and at a low threat for extinction.
Find out more about the Tasmanian Devil at: http://www.tasmaniatrip.com/tasmanian-devil.html
http://www.tasmaniatrip.com
Tasmania Trip is a travel guide on all things Tassie with travel information on visiting this beautiful state of Australia
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