Tasmanian devil and death bites. The third story is about fantastic beasts and what they can teach us. Tasmanian devil or marsupial devil (lat. Sarcophilus laniarius) What does a marsupial devil eat?

The animal, which belongs to the marsupial organisms, has a second name - the Tasmanian devil. Lives only on the island of Tasmania.

Indeed, one cannot envy his appearance; of course, he is not so handsome. The body of the predator has well-developed muscles and is covered with black fur.

The marsupial devil has a large head, short legs and a rather unpleasant voice, but you can live with that. But his character and habits leave much to be desired.

The animal is famous for its exorbitant appetite and bite force. Leads single night look life, during the day it hides in dense bushes, but sometimes gathers in small flocks.

He is a predator, and like all animals leading such a lifestyle, he causes a negative attitude in people. In general, he is not the devil, in the literal sense of the word, and that’s what the people he called him called. When exploring the island of Tasmania, man first encountered this animal, and at first did not pay any attention to the marsupial devil. But the predator immediately made himself known by stealing the reserves of meat products from the first colonists and destroying all the chickens that the settlers brought.

People began to systematically exterminate the poor animal; who would want an unknown animal to rule with impunity? Moreover, people liked the meat of the marsupial devil himself. The hunting was so intense that this animal was preserved in very small quantities; it now lives high in the mountains in completely deserted areas.

In Australia it is not found at all; farmers have practically gotten rid of it. But many scientists believe that this animal is not so terrible and dangerous, and the almost complete extermination of the animal should not have been allowed. People are usually frightened by the loud scream that an animal makes in moments of danger, but these sounds are more reminiscent of a strong grinding sound. In addition, when enemies attack, the devil scares them away with an unpleasant odor, like a skunk. Any animal, if attacked, is forced to defend itself, showing all its cruel, bestial qualities. Anyone who has observed the behavior of the Tasmanian devil in the zoo doubts its disgusting features.

Young marsupial devils are tamed quite easily, become funny, you can play with them like dogs, but under no circumstances should they be allowed near the chicken coop; poultry is the animal’s favorite prey.

Listen to the voice of the Tasmanian (marsupial) devil

If you look closely, the devil has a rather pretty face, a well-groomed skin, they wash themselves, moisten their palms with saliva and wipe their fur. The appearance of the devil, if you are completely unaware of his mischief, does not make a repulsive impression on people.

Previously, no one had studied the habits of this animal, and only when it became a rare animal did scientists compose a description external signs and characteristics of the devil's behavior. At the same time it was discovered Interesting Facts: adult animals are very caring parents, they have to work hard to raise their cub. After all, a newborn baby born into the world has a body size of a little more than a centimeter, while its parents reach a body length of more than half a meter. So the baby has to sit in his mother’s bag until his eyes open and at least some semblance of hair appears.

The Tasmanian devil got its name because it is believed to be very aggressive. In addition, it makes a characteristic frightening sound. In fact, it is quite shy, feeds mainly on carrion and rarely hunts live prey. Previously, even before the dingo dog spread to Australia, the animal we are considering lived on the mainland. Today the Tasmanian devil is an animal that lives only in Tasmania, where it has no natural enemies, but is still an endangered species. The animal hunts at night and spends its days in the thickets. Lives on trees in hard leaves, also appears on rocky areas. Sleeps in different places: from a hollow in a tree to a cave in a rock.

The Tasmanian devil is an aggressive marsupial

Most of us associate this animal primarily with a cartoon character. In fact, this animal is as uncontrollable as its fairy-tale counterpart. But the facts suggest that even one individual can kill up to 60 poultry in just one night.

Tasmanian devils are unique animals. They are small marsupials with rat-like features, sharp teeth and thick black or brown fur. The animal is short, but do not be deceived: this creature is very fighting and is quite frightening.

Description of the Tasmanian devil

The real Tasmanian devil, in fact, is completely different from the famous cartoon character. It is not the same size and does not create a storm close to the surrounding area like a swirling tornado. The Tasmanian devil ranges from 51 to 79 centimeters in length and weighs only 4 to 12 kg. These animals exhibit sexual dimorphism: males are larger than females. Their life expectancy is on average 6 years.

It is the largest carnivorous marsupial currently in existence. The body of the beast is strong, strong and disproportionate: big head, the tail makes up almost half the length of the animal's body. This is where most of the fat accumulates, which is why healthy individuals have very thick and long tails. The animal has five toes on its front paws: four simple and one directed to the side. This feature gives them the ability to hold food in their paws. The hind limbs have four toes with very long and sharp claws.

The animal - the Tasmanian devil - has very strong jaws, reminiscent in its structure of the jaws of a hyena. They have prominent canines, four pairs of upper incisors and three lower ones. The beast can open its jaw to a width of 80 degrees, this allows it to generate a very large bite force. Thanks to this, he is able to bite through a whole carcass and thick bones.

Habitat

The Tasmanian devil lives in Australia, which covers an area of ​​about 35,042 square miles (90,758 square kilometers). Although these animals can live anywhere on the island, they prefer coastal scrub and dense, dry forests. Often drivers can meet them on the roads where devils feed on carrion. Because of this, they often die under the wheels of cars. In Tasmania, road signs warning drivers of the possibility of the Tasmanian devil are very common. But no matter what area of ​​the island these animals inhabit, they sleep under stones or in caves, hollows or holes.

Habits

Between the animal and the cartoon character of the same name there is one common feature: bad temperament. When the devil feels threatened, he goes into a rage, in which he growls violently, lunges, and bares his teeth. It also emits otherworldly, eerie screams that can seem very frightening. The last feature can be explained by the fact that the Tasmanian devil is a solitary animal.

This unusual beast leads a nocturnal lifestyle: sleeps during the day and is awake at night. This feature may be explained by their desire to avoid predators that are dangerous to them - eagles and people. At night when hunting, it can cover a distance of more than 15 km thanks to its long hind limbs. The Tasmanian devil also has long whiskers, allowing it to navigate the terrain well and search for prey, especially at night.

The habit of hunting at night is explained by their ability to see everything in black and white. Therefore, they react well to movement, but have problems with clearly seeing stationary objects. Their most developed sense is hearing. They also have a well-developed sense of smell - they can smell odors at a distance of more than 1 km.

Young devils can climb well and anchor themselves in trees, but with age this ability is lost. Most likely, this is the result of adaptation to conditions environment Tasmanian devils, whose lifestyle is also marked by cases of cannibalism. Adults, during times of severe hunger, can eat young ones, which, in turn, defend themselves by climbing trees.

Nutritional Features

As already said, Tasmanian devils- carnivorous animals. Most of the time they eat birds, snakes, fish and insects. Sometimes their victim can even be small kangaroo. Often, instead of hunting live animals, they feast on dead carcasses, called carrion. Sometimes several animals can gather near one carcass, and then fights between them are inevitable. While eating, they absorb everything without loss: they eat bones, wool, internal organs and the muscles of their prey.

The Tasmanian devil's favorite food, due to its high fat content, is the wombat. But the animal may well feast on any other mammals, fruits, frogs, tadpoles and reptiles. Their diet depends primarily on the availability of dinner. At the same time, they have a very good appetite: per day they can take food equal to half their weight.

Reproduction and offspring

Tasmanian devils usually mate once a year, in March. Females choose their partners very carefully, and the latter can start real fights for her attention. The female has a gestation period of about three weeks and babies are born in April. The litter can be up to 50 cubs. Young devils are pink and hairless, the size of a grain of rice, and weigh approximately 24 grams.

Reproduction of Tasmanian devils is closely related to strong competition. At birth, the young are in their mother's pouch, where they compete for one of her four teats. Only these four will have a chance to survive; others die due to malnutrition. The cubs remain in the mother's pouch for four months. Once they come out, the mother carries them on her back. After eight or nine months, the cubs are fully grown. Tasmanian devils live from five to eight years.

Conservation status

According to the Red List of Threatened Species, the Tasmanian devil is endangered, its numbers are declining every year. In 2007, the IUCN estimated that the distribution of the Tasmanian devil is declining. At that time, about 25,000 adults were counted.

The population of this animal has decreased by at least 60% since 2001 due to cancerous tumor called facial tumor disease (DFTD). DFTD causes swelling on the surface of the animal's face, making it difficult for it to feed normally. Ultimately the animal dies of starvation. This infection, because of which the species was on the verge of extinction. Today, the Devil Conservation Program is a movement created at the initiative of Australia and the Tasmanian government to save animals from a terrible disease.

Or, others - lions or tigers, and some - or octopuses.

In this article we will talk about a miniature bear, which bears the proud name - Tasmanian devil. So, who is the Tasmanian devil? Let's figure it out.

Description and appearance

Australia, known for its marsupials, is considered the homeland of the Tasmanian devil. The devil, in its shape and color, resembles a bear, albeit in miniature, because the length of the Australian predator reaches only 50 cm, and at the withers it is no taller than a yard. The characteristic color of this animal is black with rare splashes of white spots.

Man first encountered this predator during the colonization of the Australian continent, at a time when British prisoners were exiled to this huge island. European pets were also brought to Australia along with the prisoners.

It was then that night attacks on sheep and chickens by an unknown marsupial predator, the Tasmanian devil, became more frequent, so it’s not hard to guess why it was called that.

Thanks to the predatory features of the muzzle and the fickle mood, the Tasmanian miniature bear received such an unkind nickname. They also called him the devil because he makes sounds that are very unpleasant for human hearing, similar to whiny grumbling and howling, and in moments of anger - to a hoarse rumble, somewhat reminiscent of the rumble of a motorcycle.

The Tasmanian devil has a large head with a huge mouth dotted with sharp fangs. The power of its jaws is capable of crushing the bones, spine and even the skull of other animals in one bite.

Did you know? In terms of the ratio of bite force to body weight, the Tasmanian devil is the record holder among mammals.

Its stocky build and strong paws allow this predator to hunt all kinds of animals and even. The marsupial predator does not disdain sheep, rats, fish, and snakes. Also, if the hunt was unsuccessful, the animal may survive on carrion.

Habitat

Initially, the marsupial devil lived not only on the island of Tasmania, but throughout mainland Australia. But after local residents Dingoes were introduced, which became the main opponents of the marsupial predator, the population of devils began to decline rapidly. When in 1941 the number of devils dropped to a crisis point, a ban on their extermination was introduced.
Today, the marsupial predator can only be found in national reserves and northwestern regions of the island of Tasmania. This type of predator is not found in other places.

The main opponents of this species were marsupial wolves(thiacins), but they are already extinct, as well as dingoes. Since 2001, when it was illegally brought to Tasmania, the miniature bear has a new enemy. Their struggle for habitats continues today.

Wild Lifestyle

Surely by this time you have already formed a certain opinion about this animal. Someone has probably already given up on the idea of ​​taming a Tasmanian miniature bear and keeping it as a cute pet.

But there are probably those among you who have only begun to dream about it more and more. If you are one of the latter, then you can learn a lot more interesting and important information, which will be discussed in the following sections.

Nutrition

Marsupial devils live in any landscape. For them, the main thing is the presence of a large amount of food, since they daily norm consumption is approximately equal to 15% of body weight. We can conclude that these animals are very voracious.

Tasmanian devils feed on whatever they can get their hands on, as they say. They don't go overboard either fresh meat, nor missing. A special delicacy for these animals are already decomposed corpses of animals and fish with corpse worms infested there.

Thanks to their strong legs and powerful muscles, Tasmanian devils can easily climb trees or enter chicken coops and climb to roosts. Their strong, toothy jaws skillfully kill small animals and birds, as well as snakes, frogs and small fish, which devils hunt near bodies of water.

By nature they are clumsy and slow, and therefore most During the day they sleep somewhere in the shade of bushes or abandoned holes, but at nightfall they go out to their bloody hunt.

Tasmanian devils are colorful loners in the animal world. They can only be forced into groups by eating large carrion, such as a cow. Then a whole flock of marsupial devils gathers for a meal.
Often in such cases, clashes arise between males. It is in such skirmishes that miniature bears emit piercing, heart-rending and even devilish screams that can be heard for many kilometers around.

Did you know? In the excrement of Tasmanian devils, the remains of not only meat and carrion, but also many other objects were found. Among them were scraps of towels, rubber remnants from stingrays, a piece of boot sole and scraps of leather from a horse stirrup, as well as silver foil and echidna quills.

In addition to their incredible gluttony and diet that includes carrion, Tasmanian devils can cause other problems if they become your pet. During periods when the animal is afraid or stressed, stands out caustic bad smell, similar to the reaction of skunks.

So if this difficult animal ever appears in your home, be prepared for the fact that it will need to be surrounded with attention, care and... air fresheners.

Reproduction

The miniature bear is solitary by nature, but in March-April, when spring comes, they, like most animals, begin their breeding season. But even during this short period they show extraordinary aggression, demonstrating with all their appearance their reluctance to stay close to another representative of their race for a long time.
So, already on the 3rd day after sexual intercourse, the female drives away the male. On average, pregnancy lasts 21 days, after which about 30 cubs are born. It’s sad, but only the 4 strongest babies will survive, and they will be the first to attach to one of the female’s 4 nipples. The remaining cubs are eaten by the female.

At about the 3rd month, Tasmanian devil cubs' eyes open and they leave their mother's pouch, but do not move away completely. Only by the end of December the new generation of devils finally leaves their mother and becomes independent.

According to statistics, among the surviving devils, the majority are females, who begin to have sexual intercourse and reproduce already in the 2nd year.

Possible diseases

Like all living creatures on the planet, Tasmanian devils are also susceptible to many diseases, the worst of which is facial tumor. It's scary not only because it's terrifying appearance, but also because this disease is fatal, and there is no cure for it.
The only reassurance for those who decide to tame the devil is the fact that the disease is transmitted externally, that is, from an infected individual to a healthy one, through bites during fights for food or females. Over the past 20 years, this disease has destroyed more than 2/3 of the population.

The disease begins with the formation of small tumors near the animal’s mouth, which over time spread throughout the body and begin to grow, increasing in size. Around 12–18 months after infection, the tumors cover the mouth and completely block vision, leading to starvation.

Important! The mortality rate from facial tumors in the Tasmanian devil is 100%. No cures have been found to date.

In order to prevent the complete extinction of the species, special nurseries have been created that raise reserve populations. In addition, research is being conducted to find a cure for fatal disease, and there are already some successes.

For example, it was found that tumor processes occur in cells designed to protect nervous system animal, and also that when infected, the same structural changes occur in these cells. Now it’s up to the life-saving discovery of a drug that will be able to cure a sick devil.
But nature itself intervenes to save the miniature bear population. Thus, researchers found that females began to reproduce six months/year earlier than usual. And in addition, the breeding season of the Tasmanian devil now takes all year round, and not just the beginning of spring.

Is it possible to tame the Tasmanian devil?

Both small and adult individuals are capable of domestication. And if you really want to, you can tame them and make them pets. Now entire flocks are raised in artificial conditions. These animals are carefully monitored and cared for by people, and therefore the animals have become tame and are not afraid of us.

The main thing to remember: don't scare little bear , otherwise it may emit a very unpleasant odor. Raw meat is used for feeding, and vegetables are sometimes added. If you come to terms with its strange and frightening sounds, the Tasmanian marsupial can become a funny, but still capricious little animal.

Is there a chance of buying a predator?

As we have already found out, you can tame the devil, but can you buy him? Unfortunately, the Tasmanian devil is not released from its native country. Tasmania has banned the export of these animals from its territory, and you are unlikely to be able to find a miniature bear for sale.

The only thing that can be done is to find people in your country who are engaged in the artificial cultivation of this type of animal. This is the only way you can get an exclusive pet.

But before you storm the Internet in search of sellers of Tasmanian devils, it is better to go to the reserve where these animals are located to look at them in reality, because they look beautiful in the picture, but in reality everything looks completely different.
The Tasmanian miniature bear is, without a doubt, a very interesting and capricious animal, loving solitude and hunting under the cover of darkness. It's hard to imagine that just 20 years ago this type practically disappeared from the face of the earth, but through the forces of people and the forces of nature itself, their population was saved.

And although they seem like cute, tame and harmless little bear cubs, in fact they are real predators with powerful clawed paws and strong jaws, capable of breaking a skull or crushing bones in one bite. Therefore, before you decide to start such a difficult pet, it’s worth thinking carefully about this idea and first taking a look at the object of your dreams in reality.

And if after contact with the marsupial devil you want to see him in your home even more, feel free to look for a nursery and tame the mysterious and peculiar, ferocious and whimsical, but at the same time sweet and cute Tasmanian devil.

Ecology

Basics:

Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials in the world. Adults are about the size of an average dog and are stocky and muscular bodies. They can reach 80 centimeters in length and weigh up to 12 kilograms.

Devils have black fur and a white stripe on their chest. They usually lead a solitary lifestyle, but sometimes they can unite in small flocks while eating the carcass of a large animal.

Unlike others marsupials of Australia, Tasmanian devils can be active during the day, although they are nocturnal hunters. Devils were named by European explorers who heard their loud, shrill calls and observed their ferocious nature during feeding and mating season.

According to research, the huge head and neck of Tasmanian devils allow them to deliver the strongest bite per unit of body weight of any animal. terrestrial predators, and their jaws are strong enough to bite through metal traps.

Despite the fact that Tasmanian devils look fat, they are excellent at climbing trees and swimming across stormy rivers. Devils can't run with high speed to catch prey, but they are quite resilient and can run at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour for an hour.

Tasmanian devils feed on the meat of snakes and birds, fish and insects. Their victims can be animals the size of a small kangaroo. When hunting, Tasmanian devils rely on their sharp vision and an excellent sense of smell. They are not particularly picky eaters and will eat all parts of an animal's body, including fur and bones. Sometimes devils bury animal corpses in the ground and then eat the carrion.

Female Tasmanian devils give birth after 3 weeks of pregnancy and give birth to 20-30 very tiny cubs. These pea-sized babies get into the pouch, but not all survive, since the mother has only 4 nipples. After 4 months of living in the pouch, the evil devils emerge from it, but are still dependent on the mother. At the age of 8 months they begin to behave independent life. IN wildlife The life expectancy of these animals is 7-8 years.

Habitats:

Tasmanian devils once lived throughout almost all of Australia, but today they live exclusively on the island of Tasmania. Researchers believe that devils disappeared from the mainland at the same time that native tribes spread across Australia, and wild dingoes appeared about 3 thousand years ago.

Today, Tasmanian devils, as the name suggests, live on the island of Tasmania, but most of these animals can be found in wooded areas off the coast. In the 19th century, Tasmanian devils began to be mercilessly exterminated, as local farmers viewed them as sworn enemies of their livestock. They almost became extinct, but timely measures taken to save these animals allowed them to increase their populations.

Security status: an endangered species

Tasmanian devils became protected in 1941, but their population has declined by 60 percent in the past decade. Scientists believe that the reason for the decline in animal numbers is mainly due to an infectious, deadly form of cancer that affects devils and spreads very quickly. Tumors form on the devils' faces, making it more difficult for the animals to eat. The devils' problem is also the traffic on the roads.

Tasmanian devils are known to start eating dead animals from their digestive system, since these are the softest organs.

Devils can eat 5-10 percent of their body weight in food per day own body, and even more if they are very hungry. Given the opportunity, the devil can eat food that is 40 percent of his weight, and in record short time- in half an hour.

Devils have several natural enemies. Small individuals can fall prey to eagles, owls, and even their relative, the spotted-tailed marsupial.

These animals can emit a disgusting odor when under stress.

Animals can open their mouths very wide when they want to express fear or hesitancy. To challenge another devil to a duel, animals make shrill sounds.

The tail of a healthy devil has good reserves of fat, so sick animals have very skinny and flabby tails.

Latin name of animals - Sarcophilus laniarius literally translated means "Harris Meat Lover" named after the researcher who first described the Tasmanian devil.