The Tasmanian devil is the world’s largest surviving meat-eating marsupial. It lives in the wild only on the island of Tasmania, weighs about 4 to 14 kg and has jaws strong enough to eat bones. It hunts and scavenges at night. A contagious cancer called Devil Facial Tumour Disease has wiped out about 80% of wild devils, and it is listed as Endangered.
Tasmanian devils quick facts
- The Tasmanian devil is the largest surviving meat-eating marsupial.
- Wild devils live only on the island of Tasmania.
- Newborn devils are about the size of a grain of rice.
- A devil may travel up to 16 km in one night looking for food.
- Devil Facial Tumour Disease has wiped out about 80% of wild devils.
What is a Tasmanian devil?
The Tasmanian devil is a small, stocky animal with black fur and a very big bite. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says it is the world’s largest surviving meat-eating marsupial.
A marsupial is a mammal whose babies grow in a pouch on the mother’s body, like a kangaroo or a koala.
Tasmanian devils are famous for their wide, toothy gape and their spine-chilling screeches, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says. Their scientific name is Sarcophilus harrisii, which means Harris’s meat-lover.
| Tasmanian devil at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | only the island of Tasmania, in the wild |
| Body length | about 57 to 65 cm, plus a 24 to 26 cm tail |
| Weight | about 4 to 14 kg |
| Food | wallabies, possums, carrion and more |
| Babies | up to four survive in the pouch |
| Lifespan | up to about 6 years in the wild |
| Status | Endangered |
Where do Tasmanian devils live?
Wild Tasmanian devils now live only on the island of Tasmania, off the south coast of mainland Australia. The Australian Museum says they are found across the whole state.
Devils once lived on mainland Australia too, but they died out there thousands of years ago. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says this happened about 3,000 years ago, while the Australian Museum says 3,200 to 3,500 years ago.
Devils live in forests, woodlands and farmland. By day, they rest out of sight in dens, such as hollow logs, caves or burrows, and come out at night.
Size and body
A Tasmanian devil is about the size of a small dog, but much stockier. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says its body is about 57 to 65 cm (23 to 26 inches) long, with a tail of about 24 to 26 cm (9 to 10 inches).
Big males stand about 30 cm (1 foot) tall at the shoulder, according to the Australian Museum. Adults weigh about 4 to 14 kg (9 to 30 pounds), and males are bigger than females.
NRE Tasmania says devils have mostly black fur, often with white patches on the chest, rump or sides. Their ears turn pinkish-red when they are excited.
Surprisingly, devils are excellent swimmers, NRE Tasmania says.
Super-strong jaws
A Tasmanian devil’s jaws are its most amazing feature. The Australian Museum says devils have very powerful jaws, strong enough to eat a whole animal, including the bones and fur.
When a devil opens its mouth wide, it shows off a fearsome set of teeth. This wide gape often looks like a threat, but devils also yawn widely when they are nervous or unsure.
Night-time animals
Tasmanian devils are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says they rest during the day and search for food after dark.
Devils can cover a lot of ground. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says a devil may travel up to 16 km (10 miles) in one night looking for food. Animal Diversity Web says the average is about 3.2 km a night.
What do Tasmanian devils eat?
Tasmanian devils eat meat. They are both hunters and scavengers, which means they catch live animals and also eat animals that are already dead.
NRE Tasmania says devils eat wallabies, possums, wombats, small mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects and even sea squirts. In farming areas, they also eat dead sheep and cattle.
Devils eat almost every scrap. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says they eat their food completely, which helps keep the bush clean of dead animals. That makes them the clean-up crew of the Tasmanian bush.
Squabbles and screeches
Tasmanian devils mostly live alone. NRE Tasmania says they are not strongly territorial, but several devils may gather to feed at the same dead animal.
Mealtimes can get very noisy. Devils growl, screech and squabble over the best bits, and they may bite each other as they push and shove.
Those screams and growls helped give the devil its name. Early settlers in Tasmania heard the eerie noises in the dark bush and thought they sounded like devils.
Baby devils
Baby Tasmanian devils are called imps or joeys. NRE Tasmania says devils mate once a year, mostly between February and May, with March the busiest month.
A mother devil is pregnant for only 21 days. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says the newborn babies are about the size of a grain of rice.
A mother can give birth to many tiny babies at once. The Australian Museum says there can be 20 to 30, and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says up to 50. But her pouch has only four teats, so no more than four babies can survive.
NRE Tasmania says usually two or three babies survive. They stay in the pouch for about four months, each holding on to a teat for about 100 days.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says young devils become independent at about eight to nine months old. Life is hard for them: only about 40% survive their first year. Devils usually start breeding at about two years old.
How long do devils live?
Tasmanian devils do not live very long. NRE Tasmania says they live up to about six years in the wild. Animal Diversity Web says they can live seven to eight years in zoos.
Devils and people
For a long time, people did not treat devils kindly. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says that in 1830, the Van Diemen’s Land Company offered a reward for killing devils, because settlers saw them as pests.
Devils were finally protected by law in June 1941, NRE Tasmania says.
A deadly disease
Today, the biggest danger to Tasmanian devils is a disease called Devil Facial Tumour Disease, or DFTD. NRE Tasmania says it is a deadly cancer that spreads from devil to devil when they bite each other, during fights, mating or feeding.
DFTD is very unusual. The Australian Museum says it is one of very few cancers in the world that can spread between animals like an infection.
NRE Tasmania says signs of the disease were first seen in 1996. A second, separate kind of facial tumour was found in 2014.
The tumours grow on the face and in the mouth. NRE Tasmania says they can push out teeth and stop a devil from eating, and infected devils usually die within 6 to 12 months. There is no cure or vaccine yet.
The disease has been devastating. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says it has wiped out about 80% of wild Tasmanian devils.
It has even changed how devils live. NRE Tasmania says that in areas with the disease, females now start breeding at one year old, and often get only one breeding season instead of three.
Saving the devil
People are working hard to save the Tasmanian devil. NRE Tasmania says the Australian and Tasmanian governments set up the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program in 2003 to fight the disease.
The Tasmanian devil is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, and it is protected under Tasmania’s Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service says.
Scientists study the disease, look after healthy devils and keep watch on wild populations. Devils also live in zoos in Australia and around the world, where visitors can learn about them.
The devil’s family
Animal Diversity Web and the Australian Museum say Tasmanian devils belong to a family of meat-eating marsupials called the Dasyuridae. The devil is by far the biggest member of this family still alive today.
Like other marsupials, a devil mother carries her tiny babies in a pouch. But unlike a kangaroo, a devil is a meat-eater, with sharp teeth made for crunching through bone.
Keeping watch on the disease
Scientists keep a close eye on how the disease is spreading. NRE Tasmania says the second kind of facial tumour, found in 2014, was discovered in the Channel area of south-east Tasmania.
A study reported by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 2018 found that devil numbers were still falling where the disease had spread. It also found that females were starting to breed at a younger age.
Because the disease kills so many older devils, fewer adults survive to raise more than one family. That makes every healthy devil important for the future of the species.
Three things people get wrong
Tasmanian devils do not spin like the cartoon character. They are stocky marsupials about 30 cm tall.
Devils do not live all over Australia. In the wild, they now live only in Tasmania.
Devils are not only scavengers. They hunt live animals too.
Did you know? A mother devil can give birth to 20 or more babies, but only four can survive, because her pouch has just four teats.
Try it
Find Tasmania on a map of Australia. How far is it from the mainland, where devils lived thousands of years ago?
Knowledge check
What is a marsupial?
Show answer
A mammal whose babies grow in a pouch on the mother’s body.
How does Devil Facial Tumour Disease spread?
Show answer
When devils bite each other while fighting, mating or feeding.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Tasmanian devils live?
In the wild, Tasmanian devils live only on the island of Tasmania, off southern Australia. They died out on the mainland thousands of years ago.
What do Tasmanian devils eat?
Devils eat meat: wallabies, possums, wombats, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects and dead animals. They eat almost everything, including bones and fur.
Why are they called devils?
Early settlers heard the devils’ eerie screeches and growls in the dark bush and thought they sounded like devils.
How big is a Tasmanian devil?
A devil’s body is about 57 to 65 cm long, plus a tail of about 25 cm. Adults weigh about 4 to 14 kg.
How many babies do Tasmanian devils have?
A mother can give birth to 20 or more tiny babies, but her pouch has only four teats, so usually two or three survive.
Are Tasmanian devils endangered?
Yes. They are listed as Endangered. A contagious cancer called Devil Facial Tumour Disease has wiped out about 80% of wild devils.
Sources
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Tasmanian devil — size, babies, travel, survival and status
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan: Tasmanian devil — measurements, breeding, nightly travel and lifespan
- Australian Museum: Tasmanian devil — size, jaws, diet, babies, mainland extinction and DFTD
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Tasmanian devil — largest meat-eating marsupial, behaviour, diet, the 1830 bounty, status and decline
- NRE Tasmania, Save the Tasmanian Devil Program: about the devil — fur, swimming, diet, breeding, lifespan, protection and the programme
- NRE Tasmania, Save the Tasmanian Devil Program: about DFTD — what the disease is, how it spreads, its effects and the lack of a cure
