Identification Having the appearance of a small dog, it is characterized by its black fur and white markings on the chest and some times rump. Size range cm head to tail; cm tail. Stand about 30cm high from the shoulder Habitat Devils are widespread across Tasmania from the coast to the mountains seeking out any areas where they can hide, shelter and find food.
Distribution Tasmanian Devils were once abundant on mainland Australia as evidenced by fossil remains. Feeding and Diet Tasmanian Devils are mainly scavengers feeding upon the carcasses of dead animals but can also be effective predators. Other behaviours and adaptations Devils are nocturnal who spend their nights roaming great distances up to 16 km in search of food.
This kind of behaviour will be put in to practice at meal times as adult devils Mating and reproduction Tasmanian Devils mature in their second year and usually mate in March. Conservation Status Tasmanian Devils are wholly protected. Having the appearance of a small dog, it is characterised by its black fur and white markings on the chest and some times rump. Back to top. Search website Submit Search. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big.
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United States Change. Devils may look fierce but they will much rather escape than fight. However, devils have powerful jaws and when they do bite, they can cause serious injury.
Their Latin scientific name is Sarcophilus harrisii. That means Harris's meat lover. Harris is the name of the scientist who described the Tasmanian devil. Devil history. The early European settlers of Hobart didn't like them, because the devils ate their chickens and they thought the devils would eat other farm animals too.
So, they hunted the devils. In the Van Diemen's Land Company put up a reward for every devil killed on their property. The reward was two shillings and sixpence 25 cents for a male devil and three shillings and sixpence 35 cents for a female. For many years, Tasmanian devils were caught in traps and shot.
They almost disappeared and some people thought devils would become extinct, like the Tasmanian tiger. It was only in that laws protected the devils. The devil population increased again over the years, but there is now a new worry. Scientists are working hard to find a cure and the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program is working to save them from extinction. They certainly are. Devils play an important role, by eating sick and dead animals. They probably also help to control feral cats in Tasmania and, by doing so, they help to protect some of our native species, particularly birds.
They can even help us control animals that do not belong in Tasmania - such as the red fox, an animal that is a big problem on the Australian mainland. While there are many devils around, it is very difficult for foxes to breed in Tasmania. Fox dens are very smelly and quite messy, so devils can quickly sniff them out. Devils are also useful in other ways.
Think about things that are unique to Tasmania and the Tasmanian devil will probably be at the top of your list. After mating in March, a female gives birth in April to young, called pups, after a pregnancy of about 21 days.
After they are born, the tiny pups make their way to their mother's pouch. Inside the pouch, there are four teats to feed milk to the young devils.
The pouch opens towards the female's back legs. They stay in the pouch for about 16 weeks, and when they are too big to fit, the female moves them to a nest. They stay there for about 16 weeks, generally starting to follow her around at the end of that time. By the age of about 40 weeks, the young are on their own, and their mother leaves them in a den. An epidemic called Devil Facial Tumour Disease is now having a terrible effect on the Tasmanian devil population.
It started in the north-east of Tasmania in the mids but has now spread to other areas of the state. Because of their habit of biting each other, particularly when sharing a carcass, devils spread the disease to each other. Scientists and vets are working to find out how the disease can be stopped.
Meanwhile, groups of healthy Tasmanian devils have been moved to zoos in the mainland to breed in captivity. When Tasmania is once again disease free, those devils will be released into the wild.
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