The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also known as the “Tassie Devil”, is a feisty, carnivorous marsupial. They are the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world.  They were once found throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania but became extinct on mainland Australia around 3,000 years ago.

It is thought that they were named ‘devil’ by early settlers in Tasmania due to the nocturnal screaming sounds they make. 

Australia has a few captive breeding programs. Specifically, in the hope that captive breeding and release programs will successfully reintroduce Tasmanian Devils back into the wild on mainland Australia.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), also known as the “Tassie Devil”, is a feisty, carnivorous marsupial. They are the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world.  They were once found throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania but became extinct on mainland Australia around 3,000 years ago.

It is thought that they were named ‘devil’ by early settlers in Tasmania due to the nocturnal screaming sounds they make. 

Australia has a few captive breeding programs. Specifically, in the hope that captive breeding and release programs will successfully reintroduce Tasmanian Devils back into the wild on mainland Australia.

DISEASES OF THE TASMANIAN DEVIL

Tasmanian devils became extinct on the mainland due to being killed off by dingoes, feral foxes, and dogs; however, there are no dingoes in Tasmania, which appears to be the reason for their continued survival there.

Tasmanian Devils have had a very tough life, suffering severely from disease, which caused a significant decline in their population. Another reason people didn’t like them was the ugliness of facial tumours.  

Initially, the Tasmanian Devils were considered a pest in Tasmania. Because of this, they were trapped, poisoned, and shot, causing their numbers to decline very quickly.  In 1941, they were declared a protected species, and their numbers increased. However, they remain endangered (International Union of Conservation of Nature, IUCN).

DEVIL FACIAL TUMOUR DISEASE (DFTD)

DFTD is a transmissible cancer spread between devils through biting, feeding, and playing. The tumours grow mainly on their faces and heads. However, they also grow on their tails and internal organs (lungs, adrenal gland, kidneys, and liver).  

The tumours were first diagnosed in the 1990s. Devils will usually die within 12 months of contracting their first tumour. However, tumours will also often grow inside their mouths, preventing them from eating, and eventually, they starve to death.

Despite the extensive research into DFTD, this disease has no treatment.

The only way to treat DFTD is to euthanise the animals, preventing the spread to other devils and passing the disease on to their offspring.  DFTD has wiped out 90% of the population. 

HABITAT

Forests, woodlands, alpine areas, scrublands and cleared farmlands.

DIET

Tasmanian devils are opportunistic, carnivorous predators and nocturnal hunters. They feed only on meat, such as wombats, wallabies, birds, snakes, small kangaroos, possums, carrion (dead animals), and bones. Tasmanian devils are also solitary animals but often gather in groups to feed together.  

Their noisy, scavenging, bone-crushing teeth and habits have labelled them the ” Australian hyaena.”

CHARACTERISTICS

• Lifespan: 5-6 years in the wild, eight years in captivity
• Weight: males 7 – 14 kg, females smaller at 4 – 9 kg 
• Size:  30cm tall, short and stocky animals with front legs longer than their hind legs
• Speed: run at 4km/h and when chased up to 19km/h
• They have four toes on their hind feet and five toes on their front feet
• Terrestrial animals but will climb trees and are good swimmers
• Nocturnal animals are often seen during the day lying in the sun 
• Solitary animals, apart from when they are mating and feeding
• Strong sense of smell and can detect potential food sources up to 1 metre away
• With 42 teeth, which grow continuously throughout their life, and an incredibly powerful jaw that can open up to 80° wide, they can bite through metal fencing and crunch up bones.
• For their size, they have one of the most powerful bites of any mammal in the world

APPEARANCE

They have dark brown/black fur, a white stripe across their chest, and a small, pointed face with long whiskers. Their claws are very sharp and non-retractable, helpful in digging, catching, and holding on to their prey. 

Very vocal animals, their noises ranging between screaming, shrieking, and growling during their interactions can be quite confronting the first time one hears them. This range of sounds earned them the name ‘devil’. In addition, they appear with bite marks and scars from their aggressive interactions all over their faces and bodies.

REPRODUCTION

The breeding season is between March – April. Gestation is around 21 days when a female will give birth to 30 joeys. The joeys are hairless, blind for three months, and the size of a peanut, weighing around 0.18g – 0.29g. They will remain in the mother’s pouch and fight for the four available teats; those that don’t make it will not survive. Usually, only four joeys will survive as they remain attached to a teat for 100 days. 

 The joeys remain in the pouch for three months until they are old enough to leave it and remain hidden in dens for three months. After that, their mother will bring food to her young in the den until they are old enough to fend for themselves, which is around twelve months. Females will begin breeding around one year old.

CONSERVATION

The devils are a protected species. However, in 2008, the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed Tassie devils as ‘Endangered’, at high risk of extinction in the wild.

Devils play an essential role in the ecosystem.  They are scavengers and are very efficient eaters of carrion (dead animals) left behind by other animals and roadkill.  Removing dead and decaying carcasses keeps the environment clean and free of disease. They also feed on pests such as rats and mice, which keeps those populations down. 

CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAMS FOR TASMANIAN DEVILS

Captive breeding enclosure programs in Tasmania and mainland Australia successfully breed DFTD-free devils. Tumour-free Devils are released into the wild in Tasmania and mainland Australia.  Despite the successes in breeding out the DFTD and captive breeding programs, Tassie Devils are still in danger of extinction. Tassie Devils are fond of roadkill and often venture onto roads at night to feed on the available roadkill, not be seen by oncoming cars, and become roadkill victims themselves. In addition, they are still at risk of predation by dogs and foxes, and persecution by humans still exists in some places.