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The Tasmanian Devil are large meat-eating marsupials which mainly
feeds on carrion and carcasses, including the bones. It also eats
small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects - they are often described
as scavengers |
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here for Tas photos! |
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By 'cleaning up' carcasses, Devils maintain bush and farm which
reduces the risk of blowfly strike to sheep by removing food for
maggots. |
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Their large powerful jaws and teeth are noticeable, especially as
the jaws have a gape of 120 degrees |
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It shelters during the day in hollow logs, crevices and dense vegetation.
It is a solitary animal, but not territorial. |
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The young remain in the pouch for about 15 weeks and continue to
suckle until they are about seven months of age |
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Large males weigh up to 12 kg, and stand about 30 cm high at the
shoulder |
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It looks like a small wolf. Its shape is bear-like with a large
powerful head and long bushy tail |
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Its colour is dark with pale throat, pale patches on sides, and
a pale muzzle. Their ears are hairless and pink |
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It lives in a variety of places such as dense rain forests and open
plains. It can live in burrows of dense brush during the day and
attack prey at night. |
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The Tasmanian Devil use to cover all of Australia but now it is
limited to the southwest of Tasmania |
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The Tasmanian Devil is endangered for a number of reasons, one of
them is because the farmers believed that it ate large numbers of
livestock and poultry. It was exterminated there |
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Other reasons include that they are often hit by cars as they feed
on other road-killed animals. Also the arrival of the Dingo may
have caused their extinction on the mainland probably because they
would have competed for the same food |
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Some of the Tasmanian devils have been put in captivity so human
and/or other animals can't kill or hurt it |
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Tasmanian Devils are nocturnal, spending the daytime sleeping in
dens made in hollow logs, caves or old burrows made by wombats which
they line with grass and leaves |
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If attacked, adult Tasmanian Devils can use their threatening growls
and powerful bite to deter most animals |
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Young Devils are excellent tree climbers and it is thought that
this enables them to escape predators which may include adult Devils |
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The devil makes a variety of fierce noises, from harsh coughs and
snarls to high pitched screeches |
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The Devil's 'spine-chilling' screeches, black colour, and reputed
bad-temper, led the early European settlers to call it The Devil.
Despite being a small animal, it can sound and look incredibly fierce |
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Suprisingly, the screeching gape or yawn that they make is performed
more from fear, than from aggression |
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When distressed, the Tasmanian Devil produced a strong odour |
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