2. tasmanian devils
were named by european setters after they
encountered their scary screeches and
seemingly ferocious nature. We know that
much of their threatening behaviour is bluff
their scientific name sarophilus means flesh
loving these nocturnal hunters devour every
part of their prey,bones,fur,everything. Since
the extinction of the thylacine,the tasmanian
devil has become famous for being the worlds
largest camivorous marsupial.
3. what do they look
like?
Devils are stocky with large borad heads and
short thick tails. They have black fur with
white stripes aross their chaests and on their
rumps they have largs pink ears,long
whiskers and strong jaws with sharp
teeth.Their legs are short and their claws are
strong and sharp.
4. SIZE
Devils are about the size of small dogs and
males are slight larger then females.,Males
stand up to 30 centimetres high at the
sholuder and way up weigh up to number 12
kilograms.
5. WHAT DO THEY EAT?
Devils are mainly scavengers feeding on dead
animals. They also predators. When there is
not much else to eat devils will hunt
sick,injured or old prey and sometimes
healthy animals too. All devils are agile and
able to climb trees,dig holes and swim in
scarch of food. Young devils anbush
moths,tadpoles,frogs,lizards and birds.As well
as these smaller mammals. Dead sheep and
cattle are also eaten.
6. Devils are solitary animals but have large
overlapping home ramges. They can travel up
to 16 kilometers a night. Searching for food
which they often shore with their neighbours.
It is not uncommon to see large numbers of
devols squabbling and feeding noisily on a
dead animal. They are not territorial except
around their dens.
7. where do they live
Fossil evidence shows that tassie devils
roomed widely over Australia until about too
years ago. Now they live only in Tasmania
where they are wide spread/having adapted to
the climatic variations and wide variely of
hobitats across the stale. They are found
mainly in eucalypt forests coastal woodlands
and heathlands but they also live around
ferms and ouler city suburbs. Durring the day
they shelter in their dens wich are made in
hollow logs,cavers rock piles or abandoned
burrows.
8. breeding and caring
for young
Femals breed from about 2-4 years of age
mating usually takes place in march in appril
each female gives birth to many been-sized
young but only four successfully crawl to her
rearropening pouch and attach to a teat. They
spend the next 4 months drinking her milk
and devaloping. Once they are fully furred
they are left in the den while she forges
looking for food. Young devils play-fight and
practise hunting and suruival skills with their
siblings. They leave their mother by late
december and begin living alone normally
devils live up to 5-7 years of age.
9. predators and
threats
On the mainland it is believed that dirgose
preyed on devils and competed with them for
food contributing to their disappearance.
Dingose have never reached tasmania so the
devils have no natural predators but young
devils can be caught and eaten by wedge
tailed eagles masked owls and even spotted
tailed quolls many people believed devily
actively hunted lambs and sheep and from
1830 onwuards they were trapped and
poisoned for reward.
10. predators and
threats
They also suffered the effects of habitet loss
and a disease that almost wiped them out in
the early 1903. They were protected by law in
1941 and after that numbers increased until
recently they were common,their main human
threat being cars. How ever in the passed ten
years a mysterious cancer has been spreading
among devils from eastern Tasmainia towards
the west.This disease known as devils facial
tumour disase causes large lumpy tumors,on
the devil’s neck and face.
11. predators and
threats
It also affects their teeth and stops them
feeding. They usually die within 6 months.
Sadly it has reached epidemic proportions.
Although many scientists are desperately
seeking a cure and trying to isolate healthy
devils. If is fared that the species may only
survive another 10-15 more years. The
isolating that protected them in the past can
not proect them aginst diseases hopefully they
will recover.
