Tasmanian Devil child
with a dark fur and the ability to emit an awful odor when cornered. Its howl is very loud and disturbing and it displays a ferocity if disturbed when feeding. Australia, the result of the great Continental Drift, is home to not only the most diverse terrain, but also the most unique flora and fauna in the world. One of its exclusive and exquisite exhibits is the Tasmanian Devil, a carnivorous marsupial. The animal resembles a
small pig,
The Devil is
Australia's largest surviving marsupial. Its unique appeal lies in its squat build, large head and a long fat tail. The animal stores all the body fat in its tail. The Tasmanian Devil's forelegs are slightly longer than the hind legs, enabling the animal to run up more than 12 km per hour. Its black fur is broken by white patches along the chest and rump region.
Male Tasmanian Devils are larger than the females. They grow to an average body length of 652 mm, of which 258 mm belongs to the tail. The animal exhibits an average body weight of 8 kg in males and 6 kg in females. The marsupial enjoys an average life expectancy of six years. Tasmanian Devils inhabit all parts of Tasmania. They are commonly spotted along the outskirts of urban areas, coastal woodlands and the sclerophyll forests.
The Tasmanian Devil thrives on trees, near water bodies and on land. They do not form packs. The Devils prey on rats, carrion, wombats, sheep, birds, insects, fish and reptiles. The animal is able to detect prey even in the dark with the help of its long whiskers and clumps on the head. This marsupial has one set of teeth that grows throughout its life. Tasmanian Devils commonly mate in the month of March. The 21 day gestation period results in the birth of around 30 young Tasmanian Devils. On an average, female Tasmanian Devils survive more than the males.
Tasmanian Devil bone
History and research recall that the Tasmanian Devil was earlier extirpated, about 400 years before, since they were viewed as threats to livestock. They were hunted extensively till 1941 and have only since been declared recipients of 'official protection'. The last century brought to the attention of conservationists and zoologists recurrence of a facial tumor disease. The disease is responsible for the massive reduction in the Tasmanian Devil
population. Devil facial tumor disease interferes with feeding and leads to death through starvation. Today, the wild Tasmanian Devil populations are monitored to not only track and identify changes in the tumor disease prevalence, but also to define the number of affected and healthy animals. The tumor disease significantly threatens the marsupial's survival, categorizing the surviving population as 'endangered'.