"Tasmanian Devil Facts - A pretty ferocious animal considering their size!"
If you are planning a trip to Tasmania, then you have to meet a Tasmanian Devil. You'll be amazed at the loud hissing noise that they make!
Below you will find some key facts about these creatures and understand why so many of them or dieing.
Facts about Size And Numbers
The devil is about the same size as a small pig and its shape and short legs make him look very similar to a piglet
The male devil is usually bigger than the female and is usually about 30cm tall and can weigh 12kg
It's hard to say how many there are in the Tasmanian Wild but estimates are anywhere between 30,000 and 50,000.
They can run quicker than a human can walk but not quicker than a good human runner!
They release a horrible smell when they are stressed!
Below you can see a video to see the size of them and also to hear the awful noise they make!
Tasmanian Devil Facts - Eating and Breeding
The devils are the the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial - this means that they carry their young in a pouch and eat meat
They can eat an entire wallaby including all of the bones and fur - they have very sharp front teeth that help them
They also like eating the carcass of sheep - eating all the bones up
The tasmanian devil has a very strong bite - 1200 PSI which is the strongest bite-to-size ratio in the animal kingdom.
Baby Devils are born after just 21 days, usually in April and there is often more than 4 babies born, even though the mother only has 4 teats in her pouch. Usually 2 or 3 survive
After about 4 months they leave the pouch but aren't ready to leave their mother for another few months
Tasmanian Devil Facts: Life Expectancy and Disease
Devils live for about 7 to 8 years
They used to live on the mainland of Australia but it is thought the introduction of the Dingo killed the species off - there are no dingoes in Tasmania
They were seen as a bit of a nuisance by farmers here in Tasmania and many were poisoned. They became a protected species from the 1940's
Now the devils face an awful disease that is spreading across Tasmania - Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). It is a type of cancer that causes a tumour on the devils face. Death usually follows within just a few months
The Tasmanian Devil could face extinction and has been elevated on the protected species list
