Been meaning to do a post about the Tasmanian Devil for a long time.  Kept slipping my mind when I went to choose an animal . . . until now.

Of course, my original introduction to this animal was the Looney Tune character, so I expected a large, spinning beast.  Then, I watched a show on Australian animals (at least once a week) and saw what they really were.  Yes, I know they are found on Tasmania and not Australia, but they used to be there and the show did say their current homeland.  I was still in elementary school at the time, so I didn’t care because ‘cool animal’.

Now, Tasmanian Devils are listed as endangered.  They were originally threatened by humans hunting them for food, fur, and protect livestock.  They were protected in 1941, but occasionally permits for hunting and poisoning came about with a lot of pushback from scientists.  Populations would increase then decrease due to food scarcity and overpopulation.  At one point, it was stated that they carried a parasite that could transfer to humans, but it turned out it couldn’t.  People killed them anyway.  You had them getting hit by cars too, but the biggest threat right now is: DFT.

DFT stands for Devil Facial Tumor Disease and it is exactly what you think it is.  The tumors form in and around the mouth, which makes it hard to hunt and eat.  I couldn’t find exact estimates, but they ranged from 20-80% of the current population decline being caused by this.  I think the difference depended on the area though.  There is work being done to find a cure.

Here are some Tasmanian Devil facts:

• It is the largest carnivorous marsupial since the thylacine went extinct.
• Males are larger at about 36 inches long (includes tail) while females are around 31.6 inches.
• Front feet have 5 toes with one to the side to help with grabbing while the hind feet have 4 toes.
• They eat carrion more than live prey.
• Being opportunistic eaters, they will go after just about anything including small kangaroos.
• Tasmanian Devils reach maturity at 2 years.
• Gestation is 21 days and gives birth to 20-30 joeys.  Female only has 4 nipples, so only the 4 who make it there survive.
• They scream and growl, which supposedly earned them the ‘devil’ moniker.
• They have the strongest bite strength of any mammal.  They can crush bone and even bite through metal to escape traps.
• Tasmanian Devils can open their jaws 80 degrees.
• They will sleep inside carrion in order to eat as soon as they wake up.  Nobody said they were sanitary.
• Their sense of smell is strong enough for them to find a buried corpse.
• They are nocturnal.

Time for pictures and videos: