Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil
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| COMMON NAME: | Tasmanian Devil |
| LATIN NAME: | Sarcophilus harrisii |
| MEANING: |
Sarcophilus - "flesh lover"; harrisii - "after G. P. R. Harris, who described the species" |
| FOOD: | They are clumsy, inept killers, eating mainly carrion, weak or penned animals such as lambs or poultry, insects and small vertebrates. |
| HABITAT: | All habitats, preferring forests, scrub and woodland. |
| LOCALITY: | Tasmania |
| LENGTH: | Body: 500-710 mm Tail: 240-310 mm |
| WEIGHT: | 4.5-12 kg |
| BEHAVIOUR: |
Active mainly at night, they sleep in hollow logs, caves, rock piles or abandoned burrows by day. Solitary animals with large overlapping home ranges, depending on availability of food, which is often shared with other individuals. In captivity they establish dominance hierarchies and display aggression including jaw-wrestling and teeth-clashing accompanied by loud growls, yells and screams. Ground-dwellers, they move with an awkward slow lope and a swaying run, and travel many kilometres searching for food. |
| DEVELOPMENT: |
Females breed from 2-6 years of age and live to about 8 years. Breeding occurs from March to early June, giving birth to 2-3 young 31 days after mating. Each attaches to one of the four teats in the mother's backward-opening pouch, where they remain for 13-15 weeks. They remain in the den for 13-15 weeks and are weaned at 28-30 weeks. |
| DESCRIPTION: |
Largest of the carnivorous marsupials, this powerfully built animal is the size of a small dog with small eyes set in a short, broad head with strong jaws and well-developed teeth. It is covered in black fur, usually with white patches on the neck and rump with the muzzle and small rounded ears sparsely-haired. The Tasmanian Devils limbs are short with strong claws. |
