Tasmanian Devil in Australia
Photo: Tasmanian Devils Growling
Contents
What is a Tasmanian Devil?
The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisi) is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. With its sharp teeth, devilish screeches, black fur, foul odour and aggressive behaviours, this fierce little animal earned itself a fearsome reputation and a name to match. Found only on Tasmania, this endangered predator is a nocturnal scavenger and plays a important role in maintaining Tasmania's ecological balance by scavenging carrion and keeping disease in check.
The Tasmanian devil is closely related to the the now-extinct thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and Quoll—Australia’s other carnivorous marsupials.
What Does a Tasmanian Devil Look Like?
Photo: Tasmanian devil sniffing out its next meal
The Tasmanian Devil has the following key attributes.
Body: The Tasmanian Devil's body is covered with black fur, except for a prominent white streak of fur on its chest and sometimes white markings on its rump.
Fur: Black with a distinct white stripe on the chest and often white patches on the rump.
Size: Up to 60 cm (2 feet) long and 30 cm tall. The Tasmanian devil is a muscular animal about 60cm in length and 30cm tall at its shoulders.
Weight: Up to 12 kg (26 lbs); males are typically larger than females.
Face, Head and Jaws: It has a large head with a short muzzle with long whiskers and extremely powerful jaws for an animal of its size.
Gait: Its front legs are longer than its back legs, giving it a hunched, loping walk.
Tail: Thick and short—used to store body fat.
Tasmanian Devil Sounds
Tasmanian devils are among the most vocal marsupials. Their disturbing growls, coughs, hisses, and piercing screeches are used for communication, intimidation, and competition—especially during feeding or mating.
How did the Tasmanian Devil Get its Name?
When early European settlers first encountered these strange, shrieking creatures, they believed they were hearing the devil himself. The sounds, along with the animal’s aggressive nature and night-time behaviour, earned it the name “Tasmanian Devil.”
Its scientific name, Sarcophilus harrisi, means “flesh-loving Harris”—with Sarcophilus meaning "meat lover" in Latin, and harrisi honouring George Harris, who first described the species.
Tasmanian Devil Habitat and Distribution
Photo: Tasmanian Devil Habitat Map
Tasmanian devils are found only in Tasmania, inhabiting coastal scrublands, dry forests, and open grasslands. They often take shelter in hollow logs, rocky crevices, and abandoned wombat burrows. They are also commonly spotted near roads, feeding on road-kill.
Why is the Tasmanian Devil Only Found in Tasmania?
Fossil evidence suggests that the Tasmanian devil once lived on mainland Australia but became extinct there about 400 years ago. Two theories have been put forward for its extinction on the mainland. The first is that the climate became too dry for them. The second is that the introduced Asian dog, the dingo, out-competed the smaller Tasmanian devil for food and led to its extinction.
Dingoes could not cross the sea between the mainland and Tasmania; thus, the devils on Tasmania were spared.
Tasmanian Devil Diet
Photo: Tasmanian Devils feeding on a carcass
Tasmanian devils are primarily scavengers, but they can also hunt small prey. Their diet includes:
-Carrion (dead animals)
-Wallabies, wombats, and birds
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Insects, frogs, fish, reptiles
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Livestock carcasses (in rural areas).
They can consume up to 40% of their body weight in one night. Their strong jaws allow them to eat skin, fur, and even bones.
The Tasmanian Devil is the only Australian animal capable of defeating the spiny defences of the echidna, which it consumes spikes and all. It is a nocturnal carnivorous marsupial that forages for food alone.
When feeding in groups, they let out spine-chilling screams and screeches, earning their devilish reputation. These sounds can sometimes be heard up to two kilometres away.
Tasmanian Devil Reproduction & Life Cycle
Photo: Tasmanian Devil babies
Photo: Tasmanian Devil baby is only as big as
a grain of rice
Tasmanian devils mate in March and April. After a gestation period of 21 days, the female Tasmanian devil gives birth to 20 to 30 babies, each weighing between 0.18 to 0.24 grams and are the size of a grain of rice.
Even though the female has a large litter of up to 20-30 babies, she has only 4 nipples in her pouch, so competition is fierce, as the little neophytes race a distance of about 7.6 cm from the birth canal to the mother’s rear-facing pouch and latch on to an available nipple. The unsuccessful neophytes soon die and fall away from the pouch. It is a clear example of a case of the survival of the fittest.
Watch Video of a Marsupial Birth
The babies that successfully latched on to nipples remain inside their mother’s pouch for four months, after which they are ejected from the pouch. They are still nursed by her and remain in the safety of their mother's den. When they are about nine months old, their mother abandons them.
Tasmanian devils become sexually mature at the age of two years and have a lifespan of about six years.
Tasmanian Devil Predators, Diseases Tasmanian Devil Cancer
The Tasmanian devils are threatened by:
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Habitat loss
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Competition from introduced animals such as foxes and cats
-Collisions with motor vehicles.
Tasmanian Devil Cancer
Tasmanian devils are are endangered by a rare cancer called devil facial tumour disease. The Tasmanian Devil Facile Tumour Disease (DFTD) is a contagious, transmittable cancer first detected in wild Tasmanian devils in 1996. Since then, it has devastated vast numbers of these animals, bringing them to the brink of extinction.
The virus is believed to be transmitted from one devil to another when these animals bite and nip each other on the face and neck during feeding and mating. Once infected, an animal quickly grows huge hideous looking tumours on its face and jaw, which prevents it from eating. The infected animal then starves to death because it cannot eat or dies from organ failure once the cancer metastasises. The typical survival rate, once infected, is less than six months.
Is the Tasmanian Devil Endangered?
The Tasmanian devil, found only on the island of Tasmania today, has seen a drastic decline in its population. The primary cause of their decline is the Tasmanian devil Facial Tumour Disease (TDFTD), which has wiped out large numbers of them. They have been protected since 1941.
25 Tasmanian Fun Devil Facts
- The Tasmanian devil is the size of a small dog,
- It weighs up to 12 kgs and is about 60cm in length.
- It is the world's largest marsupial carnivore.
- The Tasmanian devil gets its name from the terrifying shrieks it makes, its appearance and its smell.
- It also has a terrible temper.
- Once found throughout Australia, it is now found only in Tasmania.
- Its front legs are longer than its rear legs.
- It is a scavenger, preferring to feed on dead animals rather than catch its prey.
- The Tasmanian devil's diet includes wombats, wallabies, birds, fish, insects, frogs, and reptiles.
- The Tasmanian devil's jaws are so powerful they can bit through bones.
- It eats all parts of a carcass including, skin, bone and fur.
- It eats the echidna, spines and all.
- It can eat up to 40% of its body weight in one sitting.
- Tasmanian devils store fat in their tail.
- When a group of devils feeds together, they emit terrible spine-chilling screams and screeches.
- They can be heard up to 2km away.
- The males fight boisterously and ferociously for the right to mate with a female.
- The female will mate with the most dominant male.
- A Tasmanian devil baby is as small as a grain of rice when it's born.
- Even though 20-30 babies are born, the mother has only four teats.
- So only the first four to reach her pouch have a chance of survival.
- Tasmanian devils live to about six years of age.
- They are endangered. There are only about 20,000 of these animals left.
- The most serious threat facing the Tasmanian devil is a rare cancer called devil facial tumour disease.
- The Looney Tunes character’s personality is based on the actual animal.
All Rights Reserved. (Last Updated: Jun 14, 2025)