Tasmanian devil beast. Marsupial devil. Nutrition, basic diet

Tasmanian devils have recently become very popular exotic pets, especially in the United States. Every day everything more people neglects traditional pets like cats and dogs to buy lovable Tasmanian devils. Although Tasmanian devils purchased bad reputation, thanks to the bad character Taz from the Looney Tunes cartoon series, they truly are one of the most lovable animals you'd want to have in your home. Let's find out a little more about our new furry friend.

Character and behavior of the Tasmanian devil
Tasmanian devils have a uniquely grumpy disposition and will fly into manic rages when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending their prey. Early European settlers nicknamed it "the devil" after witnessing similar displays in which it bared its teeth, attacked, and let out a chilling, guttural roar.

Photo. Cartoon hero, Taz

This amazingly vicious mammal has coarse brown or black fur, and its stocky build reminds us of a growing bear cub. Most have a white stripe or spot on the chest, as well as light spots on the sides or back. These animals have short hind legs and long front legs, which gives them the gait of a pig.

The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, reaching 76 cm (30 in) in length and up to 12 kg (26 lb) in weight, although its size varies depending on the specific habitat and food availability. The non-standard size head is armed with strong muscular jaws and sharp teeth. In terms of bite force per unit weight, its bite is one of the most powerful bites among mammals.

The Tasmanian devil is clearly a carnivore, hunting small prey such as snakes, fish, birds and insects and often feasting on carrion in groups. They often make a lot of noise as they fight for position while eating a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well fed, their tails swell with stored fat.

Tasmanian devils are hermits and lead night look life, spending their days in burrows, caves or hollow logs and emerging at night to feed. They use their excellent sense of smell, long whiskers and eyesight to avoid predators and find prey or carrion. They eat almost anything they can get their teeth into, and when they do find food, they are very voracious, eating everything including organs, hair and bones.

Females give birth after three weeks of gestation to 20 to 30 very tiny babies. These raisin-sized babies crawl through their mother's fur and into her pouch. However, the mother only has four nipples, so not all babies survive. Babies emerge from the pouch after about four months and, as a rule, are weaned by their mother in the sixth month or do so on their own in the eighth month.

Previously, Tasmanian devils lived throughout Australia, today they are found in wild conditions can be seen on the island state of Tasmania of the same name. In Tasmania, they live throughout the island, although some can be found in coastal forests and bushes. Experts believe that their disappearance on the mainland is due to the appearance of the dingo or Asian dogs.

In the late 1800s, efforts to eradicate Tasmanian devils (farmers mistakenly believed they were killing livestock, although they have been known to kill poultry) were very successful. In 1941, the Australian government classified the Tasmanian devil as a protected species, and today its numbers are constantly growing.

Endangered
In the mid-90s, a terrible disease was discovered that killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils. This disease is called Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) and is a rapidly spreading rare view cancer, which causes large tumors to form around the animal's mouth and head, making it difficult for the animal to eat. Eventually, the animal dies of starvation. Experts on these animals are focused on a captive breeding program to save this species from extinction. Due to the DFTD outbreak, the Australian government has classified Tasmanian devils as a vulnerable species.

Video. Angry Tasmanian devil

Fortunately, a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, in which scientists studied samples of these animals dating from 1999-2014, reports that the Tasmanian devil genome is rapidly mutating. Seven genes have been discovered that characterize immunity to cancer in humans. Therefore, scientists are confident that the Tasmanian devil will survive and develop immunity to this incurable disease.

Some Interesting Facts about the Tasmanian devil
1. Insanely powerful bite. Tasmanian devils do not attack humans unless provoked, but they are not afraid to defend themselves. When they bite, their powerful jaws can cause great harm. Their bite per unit body weight is 540 kg per square inch! This is strong enough to break the metal trap.

2. Small but fierce. These strong animals can swim across the river and climb onto the most tall tree. If necessary, they are capable of running for an hour at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour.

Photo. Tasmanian Devil's Mouth

3. Signaling ears. If you're not entirely sure whether a Tasmanian devil is angry (growling doesn't count), pay attention to the color of its ears. An angry Tasmanian Devil's ears will change in color from pink to bright fiery red.

4. Secret weapon. Even though they are ferocious, they prefer to run away rather than fight another animal. If they feel threatened by other animal species, they can release a terrible odor that resembles that of a skunk. When preparing for a confrontation with another Tasmanian devil, these creatures warn of their displeasure by sneezing and roaring similar to that made by a pig when it is slaughtered.

5. Big appetite. Tasmanian devils eat 5-10% of their body weight in food every day. If they are really hungry, these creatures are known to be able to eat up to 40% of their body weight in just 30 minutes.

6. Scientific name. Official scientific name Tasmanian devil - Sarcophilus Harrisii, which is translated from Latin language means "lover of flesh."

7. As a symbol. Tasmanian devil is a symbol of both the Tasmanian Service national parks And wildlife, as well as the former Australian rules football team, the Tasmanian Devils. He also received his own commemorative Australian dollar coin in the early 1990s. This animal is also very popular among tourists.

8. Nocturnal animals. Although these animals are not very numerous, the chances of seeing them increase if you drive through national parks or high mountain lakes after dark.

9. Tails are a sign of health. The Tasmanian devil's tail stores fat, and if its tail is skinny, then it sure sign sick or starving animal.

10. Females have pouches. The pouch in females is shaped like a horseshoe and opens backwards. This is a very clever design and avoids dirt filling the bag when the animal digs. There are only 4 nipples in the bag.

Video. Glutton in Tasmania

Tasmanian devil as a pet
Before you decide to get this animal, you should read this section of the article. Tasmanian devils do not like water. Devils are known to go into "psychotic rages" when forced to take baths. During this time they become very confused and anxious, they may run in circles endlessly and crash into a wall at top speed.

Unlike cats and dogs, the Tasmanian devil is easy to feed. They eat any remains, carrion and corpses. They also enjoy live food and are happy to hunt down and eat something, even if it means fighting. Their prey can be: cats, ferrets, dogs, iguanas, cows, horses and even elephants. Yes, you are probably wondering how they can kill an elephant? They have so much strong jaws that with them they can crush the head of elephants like a vice like a coconut.

Tasmanian devils also have many cute traits. They can be friendly, pleasant and even loving... as long as they are not irritated. Tasmanian devils can be irritated by many things, such as turning on the TV, changing the lights, talking, children laughing and being petted.

When they become violently angry, they often try to break windows, tear apart furniture that gets in their way, and violently attack small children. At this time, the main thing is not to scare them away.

It is also important to understand that Tasmanian devils are nocturnal animals. They love to wander around the house late at night and make their beautiful (but loud) repeated squeals. They also love to copulate, confusing anything with their potential partner. “Anything” could be: clothes from a laundry basket, a coffee table, even human leg. At this time, they tend to squeal wildly and bite.

To conclude, Tasmanian devils are not very good pets to keep. They are very energetic, fierce and capable of attacking you and other animals.

About the attacks of the Tasmanian devil on people
There are very few reports of attacks by Tasmanian devils on people; as a rule, people escaped with cuts and wounds on their arms (fed by hand) and legs. But there is definitely not a single report of a Tasmanian devil killing a person. Most often, tourists who suffer from these animals are those who have never seen such marvelous, voracious animals roaring like pigs.

Newly released Tasmanian devils on Mariah Island have caused serious harm to visitors by preying on birds and harassing people, the operator of a ferry at a popular tourist destination has said.

John Cole-Cook is afraid to take his child with him because he fears for him. Some of the Tasmanian devils have grown as large as Australian Cattle Dogs (Blue Heelers) and have become especially brazen towards people. Some of them have already bitten tourists.

28 Tasmanian devils were released on Mariah Island, which is home to a world heritage site listed in 2012 by Darlington Probation Station. This was done as part of a plan to create a healthy population to protect them from the Tasmanian demon facial tumor, which is decimating animals in Tasmania.

That initial population has now grown to nearly 100 individuals and Cole-Cook wants them fenced off for public safety reasons. Cole-Cook said that previously on the Cape, geese calmly laid eggs and nursed chickens, the same applies to other birds.

But now the island's once prolific bird population is dwindling due to the Tasmanian devil's more brazen interactions with humans.

"After all, they can do serious harm small child" Cole-Cook said. “Already, several tourists who have been hand-fed by Tasmanian devils have been bitten, and they have also been found in tents and on beds in campgrounds.”

“These devils are big, almost like blue heelers.” Cole-Cook said 16 Tasmanian devils that bit tourists on Mariah were deported back to Tasmania last week.

But the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and environment(DPIPWE), said the Tasmanian devils were sent back to support other protected groups and not because of "bad behaviour".

"Some of the older released animals were familiar and comfortable around people, but only one animal was removed from the island due to contact with people," he said.

“This animal doesn’t bite anyone, but holds its ground when cornered.” Cole-Cook advised tourists not to hand-feed Tasmanian devils, but he said many ignored the advice.

He said the Tasmanian devil relocation program had merit but it now needed to be rethought.

"It's time to confine them to some part of the island," he said.

DPIPWE said Mariah Island was chosen specifically because it was home to other introduced species such as the chicken goose.

“This is being done to ensure population sustainability to maximize genetic diversity and minimize their impact on other native species in the National Park.”

Marsupial devil- a marsupial animal that lives only on the island of Tasmania.

A predator that makes scary sounds, opens a huge mouth with fangs when in danger, and is simply a terrifying-looking predator is one one of the most mysterious on the planet.

Where did it get its name from? what does a marsupial devil look like and why does he not live more than eight years?

When the first settlers from Europe settled on the island of Tasmania, they could not even think that an animal could live on this land. making very scary and loud sounds.

On top of that, when the source of the screams was discovered, the Europeans were shocked by the huge mouth, as well as jet black animal fur.

Combined with the sound it makes, the beast looks like a real guest from the underworld. Yes, for appearance and for the sounds it makes, Europeans They called him the Tasmanian Devil. For a long time, the beast was also called the marsupial devil.

The height and weight of the Tasmanian devil depend on gender (males are larger) as well as habitat. The average body length with a tail length of 25 cm is 55-80 cm.

Tasmanian devil massive and awkward. Resembles a bear reduced to the size of a dog. In addition, the animal has asymmetrical paws (the hind legs are shorter than the front ones), which for marsupial species not typical. The claws on all paws are round and very strong.

It is important to know! Despite its physique and small stature, the Tasmanian devil is a marsupial with greatest strength bite.

The animal's fur is black and short, and there are long hair. Features of the Tasmanian devil - strong jaw and large sharp teeth with which he grinds bones.

The Tasmanian devil is an animal that, based on phylogenetic analysis, has family ties with quolls. Research has also shown that the thylacine is also a “relative” of the Tasmanian marsupial devil ( marsupial wolf).

Where is the Tasmanian devil marsupial found?

Scientists say that literally 600 years ago the Tasmanian devil could be found on mainland Australia, but today the marsupial devil is found exclusively on the island of Tasmania.

By official version this happened due to the introduction of the Dingo dog to the mainland by the aborigines of Australia 400 years before Europeans arrived here.

But also the meeting of the beast in Tasmania with new settlers from Europe was unsuccessful.

The settlers were outraged that the marsupial devil was sneaking into chicken coops and hunts their livestock. A hunt was announced, which every year had a worse and worse effect on the animal population.

Hunting and active development of the island forced the marsupial devil to go live in remote forest and mountain areas. It has been possible to preserve the population of this predator to this day only thanks to the ban on its hunting in 1941.

Today the marsupial devil in Australia is a full-fledged inhabitant of national protected areas . It can be seen in natural environment habitat in sheep pastures in the northern, western and central areas of the island.

I wonder what the marsupial devil not attached to certain territory . Tasmanian devil- this is a loner. The beast selects a territory of up to 20 square meters. km, where he hunts.

And even if another marsupial devil wanders into his area, there will be no “conflict”. These predators crossing of territories is allowed.

The scary voice of the devil and his resemblance to a skunk

When solitary marsupial devils gather together, and this happens only when they eat large prey, the joint meal forces each predator show your importance and primacy.

Sounds and noises that marsupial devils make when they eat together, residents of Tasmania can be heard several kilometers away.

The Tasmanian devil's range is diverse. Thus, the marsupial devil sometimes growls quietly and monotonously, When wants to scare the enemy.

Previously, people thought that the habit of the marsupial devil, when meeting any living creature, to immediately open its mouth filled with powerful sharp teeth was an indicator of the beast’s aggression. However, a number of studies by zoologists indicate that this reaction is not a manifestation of an evil spirit.

It is important to know! The Tasmanian devil is an animal that is quite possible to tame. Even animals raised in absolutely wild conditions can be tamed, and young animals can become excellent pets.

Quite the contrary - an animal surprised and alarmed. This hypothesis was confirmed when scientists provided as evidence the fact that the predator released a foul-smelling substance at the moment of excitement. Same defense mechanism Skunks use it.

What does the Tasmanian marsupial devil eat?

Tasmanian devil - gluttonous animal. Each meal accounts for 15% of its own weight.

Predator feeding large insects, snakes, tubers and plant roots, frogs, crayfish,

However main part of the diet The marsupial devil is occupied by carrion.

Well-developed sense of smell allows the predator to very quickly detect the corpses of sheep and marine life.

Tasmanian devils, living near pastures, feed on corpses livestock, eating everything along with skin and bones. Thus, by completely destroying carrion, the likelihood of reproduction of blowfly larvae, which pose a danger to the health of sheep, is reduced.

Due to indiscriminate feeding, the life of the Tasmanian devil is short. Even the most cautious individuals do not live more than eight years.

It is important to know! The fact that the Tasmanian devil destroys carrion is the main reason for the need to preserve the predator's population. The contribution of this predator to the regulation of the Tasmanian ecosystem is enormous.

Protecting the marsupial devil in Australia

In 1941, the predator included in the red book. Since then, the Tasmanian devil has been protected. This fact has allowed the animal population to be preserved to this day. But the animal is haunted by another misfortune - the facial tumor virus. This is a disease in last years significantly decimated the ranks of Tasmania's marsupial devils.

Attention! Since 2004, catching and exporting the Tasmanian devil outside of Australia has been completely prohibited!

The Tasmanian marsupial devil is an endangered animal that, despite its not very friendly appearance, not aggressive. Moreover, this predator looks quite clumsy due to the disproportion of its limbs.

This kind for a long time has been truly tested, but the extermination of the marsupial devil was stopped in time, so today this species of marsupial animal is preserved.

In conclusion, we offer you look interesting video about the Tasmanian marsupial devil:

Touching upon the topic of marsupials, it is impossible to ignore one of the most famous inhabitants island of Tasmania - the Tasmanian (Tasmanian) devil. Due to its black color, stocky powerful body, huge mouth with sharp teeth, terrible taste preferences and increased aggressiveness, Europeans called this animal the “devil.” And, you know, it’s not in vain. Even in his Latin name there is something sinister - Sarcophilus translated as “lover of flesh.”

This devil can now only be found on the island of Tasmania, in the central, northern and western parts islands. Although it previously inhabited mainland Australia, where it disappeared 400 years before the appearance of the first Europeans. But with the appearance of Western people on the island, the fight against this animal began. Although, probably, there was a reason - the Tasmanian devil was widely engaged in the destruction of chicken coops. I want to eat. In addition, the meat of this animal, which tasted like veal, was to our liking local residents.

As a result of the extermination that began, marsupial devils were forced to settle in the undeveloped forest and mountainous areas of Tasmania. Its numbers continued to decline steadily. But apparently the lesson benefited the people, and they came to their senses in time. In June 1941, a law was passed banning the hunting and destruction of this animal. The population was restored. Now the Tasmanian devil is quite widespread in areas allocated for sheep pastures (closer to places of food), as well as in national parks Tasmania.

The “devil” himself doesn’t look like a devil at all. Except he has a very bad character, and he growls so loudly that it sends goosebumps down your spine. Currently, the Tasmanian devil is the largest marsupial predator. Previously, this status belonged to . It is the size of a small dog, however, thanks to its dense, squat body and dark, almost black color with white spots on the throat and sides, it can resemble a brown bear cub.

The body length does not exceed 80 centimeters, followed by a 25-30 centimeter tail, sometimes thick and fluffy, and sometimes thin and hairless. This part of the body is a kind of “storehouse” for fat for the devil. In a starving animal, it becomes thin and long hairs often fall out.

Limbs are strong and short. The front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, which is unusual for marsupials. The head is large, and their jaws are generally another story. They are so strong and powerful that an animal can easily bite and crush bones with them. The devil can easily bite through the spine or skull of his prey.

The marsupial devil is very gluttonous and indiscriminate in food. It feeds on almost everything: small and medium-sized animals, birds, insects, amphibians, snakes, plant tubers and edible roots. Carrion is also included in his diet, and, moreover, is almost one of the main dishes. They eat any corpses, preferring already decomposed rotten meat. Only the largest bones remain from the animal's corpse. Thus, the Tasmanian devil serves as the island's natural orderly.

The female carries 2-4 cubs in her pouch. Although initially she brings up to 20-30 cubs, most of who dies before reaching the bag. The “lucky ones” develop quickly; by the age of 3 months they are covered with fur and their eyes open. Feeding of the cubs continues until 4-5 months of age, but 7-8 months after birth the babies finally leave their mother and begin to live independently. Sexual maturity in females occurs in the second year of life.

These animals are nocturnal, and daytime most often they take refuge in the crevices of stones, in empty holes, or in bushes and make a nest for themselves from bark, leaves and grass. Sometimes they can be seen basking in the sun. At night they walk around their properties in search of prey, most often carrion.

Devils are loners. They gather in small groups only when eating occurs. large production. Sometimes during such feasts, skirmishes occur between males, accompanied by fights with a terrifying growl, which has given this animal a bad reputation.

But, despite its terrible character, some residents keep the marsupial devil as a pet. They can be tamed, although you should do it carefully and it’s better to start with the cubs, otherwise you may be left without fingers.

In the note about the thylacine, we said that in addition to extermination by humans, this species of marsupial was attacked by canine plague, which claimed the lives of many animals. This is how the Tasmanian devil developed its own disease. It's called "devil's face disease" devil facial tumor disease) or DFTD.

The disease was first reported in 1999. It causes numerous malignant tumors on the animal's head, which then spread throughout the body. Tumors block the animal's vision, hearing and mouth. It can no longer hunt or eat and dies of hunger. The disease is caused by a virus transmitted to a healthy animal during fights and bites. According to sources, DFTD is unique to these animals and its outbreaks recur every 80-150 years.

Various anti-epidemic measures are being carried out, including the capture of sick animals, as well as the creation of “reserve” populations in case the animal dies out from this disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it yet.

Being the largest of modern predatory marsupials, this black animal with white spots on the chest and rump, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth has a dense physique and a stern disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the Tasmanian devil (lat. Sarcophilus harrisii). Emitting ominous screams at night, the massive and clumsy beast looks like little bear: the front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, big head, the muzzle is dull.

Sarcophilus (Greek) lover of flesh) is the name of its genus. These animals reach 50-80 cm in length, up to 30 cm in height and 12 kg in weight, the tail length is up to 30 cm. The female’s pouch opens backwards. Males are larger than females, but in principle a lot depends on age, nutrition and habitat: the size and weight of the animals can change in one direction or another.

But what is invariable for everyone is small pink ears, short hair, a strong tail (where fat reserves are deposited), large claws and the absence of the first toe on the hind limbs. , endowed by nature with sharp, strong teeth, is capable of taking a bite and crushing not only the bone, but also the spine of its prey with one bite!

Previously, this amazing animal lived on mainland Australia, but today the Tasmanian devil can only be found on the island of Tasmania. It is assumed that it was squeezed out by wild ones brought to the mainland by the aborigines. European settlers also did not spare the Tasmanian devil, mercilessly exterminating its family due to the animal’s habit of destroying chicken coops.

In 1941, an official ban on hunting the Tasmanian devil literally saved these animals from complete extinction from the face of the Earth. They currently live in Tasmania's national parks in the northern, western and central parts of the island, living in almost any landscape conditions, with the exception of densely populated regions.

As for the lifestyle and diet of the Tasmanian devil, inhabiting coastal savannas, dry sclerophyll and mixed sclerophyll-rain forests, they feed mainly on carrion, small animals (rats, rabbits) and birds. Insects, snakes and amphibians are also used.

The Tasmanian devil is very voracious: in a day he must eat 15% of his body weight. If he does not eat enough food of animal origin, he can snack on plant tubers and edible roots. The animal is active at night, hiding in dense bushes and rock crevices during the day.

The animals live in burrows and under the trunk of a fallen tree, making nests out of leaves, bark and grass. He loves to walk along the shore of a reservoir, eating nearby frogs, crayfish and other small aquatic inhabitants. Possessing an excellent sense of smell, the Tasmanian devil can smell carrion from a great distance.

Here size doesn’t matter - if necessary, he will eat both a sheep and a cow! I am especially pleased if the meat is properly rotten and decomposed. Going in search of prey, which the Tasmanian devil eats completely, along with bones and wool, he can fight for it with the marsupial marten.

By nature, Tasmanian devils are loners. They gather in groups only in one case - when they need to eat something large. At the same time, they fight and growl loudly, squeak, scream, making a wide variety of sounds, which earns them an additional bad reputation.

Representing scavengers, the Tasmanian devil plays vital role in the Tasmanian ecosystem, significantly reducing the likelihood of infection in sheep blow flies. Despite its harsh temperament, the Tasmanian devil can be tamed and kept as a pet. But just don’t scare him, otherwise he will emit an unpleasant odor.

The first animal to appear on the island of Tasmania was the Tasmanian devil. This animal screamed terribly at night, was ferocious and had a large mouth with very sharp teeth, its fur was coal black, because of all this the locals gave it such a name. After some time they began to call him the marsupial devil.

The marsupial devil is- predatory marsupials. It belongs to the genus Sarcophilus, this animal is the only representative of its genus. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that this animal is related to quolls. In addition, he is related to the marsupial wolf. But this relationship is less pronounced than the connection with quolls.

The marsupial devil is the leader in terms of body size among other predatory marsupials. This animal, which has a dark color and heavy build, is very similar to a bear, but its size is not so large, it can be compared to an average dog. The size of an animal is influenced by gender and age, and it depends on the characteristics of life and on how the animal feeds and where it lives.

Tasmanian devil body length can vary from fifty to eighty centimeters, while the length of the tail varies from twenty-three to thirty centimeters. Males are larger than females. Males are considered large when their height at the withers reaches thirty centimeters and their weight reaches twelve kilograms.

The Tasmanian devil looks a little clumsy, as it has a massive body and asymmetrical paws, which is uncharacteristic for marsupials. It is also very noticeable that these animals’ hind legs are shorter than their front legs, and they also lack thumbs. The claws on the paws are very strong and round in shape.

Animal's head large and disproportionate, the muzzle is slightly blunt, and the ears are small and pink color. Females have four nipples and a pouch, which is formed in a fold of skin, it is shaped like a horseshoe.

This Tasmanian animal has black fur. It is very long on the tail and quite short on the body. Many representatives of this genus have a completely naked tail, since the hair on it is often wiped off. By looking at the tail, you can determine whether the animal is healthy; if it is healthy, then it is short and thick, because it is in the tail that fat accumulates. If the animal is sick and starving, then the tail becomes thin and emaciated. The color also contains white horseshoe-shaped spots, in most cases they are located on the chest and rump.

Tasmanian devil skull very massive, the teeth are large and sharp, and the jaw is very strong. This animal grinds large bones without the slightest difficulty. The predator's prey dies instantly, as it immediately bites its spine or skull.

Distribution of the marsupial devil

The animals that exist today are an endangered species and live only on the island of Tasmania. This Tasmanian devil existed on Australian mainland even 600 years ago. There is a version that the animals began to disappear after Aboriginal people brought dingoes to the island. Dogs actively hunted the Tasmanian devil, which was the reason for their disappearance even before the arrival of European settlers.

But the animal’s acquaintance with European settlers influenced its safe life. These settlers mercilessly hunted the marsupial predator that frequented their chicken coops. The aggressive attitude of people forced the Tasmanian devil to go far into the mountains and forests. Only the fact that hunting this animal was banned in 1941 makes it possible to see it in our time. Now, these wonderful animals live in the island's national parks, and can safely appear on sheep pastures in different areas of Tasmania.

Lifestyle of the Tasmanian Devil

In relation to the landscape The animal is not at all picky. It can only be stopped by those areas where there are no forests or where there are a lot of people. He especially likes it in sclerophyll forests and near coastal savanna.

The Tasmanian devil can change its location, since it is not tied to one territory. Each animal lives in an area where there is always food and it is no less than twenty square kilometers. This animal can afford to appear even in those territories that are marked by other animals.

They lead a solitary lifestyle. They are collected only in cases when large prey appears. But even in such a situation, each individual will show that it is more important and important than everyone else. When animals gather, they make such noise that it can be heard several kilometers away.

Marsupial devil- a nocturnal animal, during the day he likes to spend time in a safe place. It can be:

But if he is not in danger, then he lies down in the sun and basks. He really likes this activity.

People think that this animal is very aggressive, because when it meets another animal or person, it instantly opens its mouth, which has sharp and very powerful teeth. But zoologists disagree with this; based on their experiments, they found out that this is not the aggression of the animal, but just wariness and surprise. There is a fact that confirms this: when the Tasmanian devil is scared or wary, he secretes a substance that does not smell very pleasant, this is done for protection, this method is also used by skunks. And also, it turned out that this animal can be tamed; predatory marsupials can be turned into pets.

If necessary, this beast can gallop up to thirteen kilometers per hour, although at first glance they are very clumsy. All predatory animals swim very well, but with age the animal’s activity decreases.

The Tasmanian devil has practically no enemies. The main predator that hunted them was the marsupial wolf, but it has been gone for a long time, since their population has not survived. But predators like the tiger marsupial marten and big predator birds, pose a threat to their lives.

Tasmanian devil nutrition

The Tasmanian devil is a very voracious animal. He can eat food equal to fifteen percent of his weight. But when there is a lot of food and he likes it, he can eat much more than normal. Their diet includes:

But the main food is carrion. Thanks to its sense of smell, the animal quickly finds the corpses of dead animals. They eat almost all the carrion they find; they only dislike dead fish and sheep. The greatest pleasure for the animal comes from carcasses that have managed to decompose and have been eaten by worms. Mostly when hunting at night, they find the carcasses of rats, wallabies, wombats, kangaroos and rabbits.

When a marsupial devil eats its prey, it eats it all, skin and bones, rather than selecting individual parts. The fact that they feed on carrion is a big plus, since flies and maggots are destroyed along with the carcasses of dead animals, which, in turn, pose a threat to the health of the sheep. The Tasmanian devil eats everything he can find., namely:

• heads of corn;
• different foil; leather boots;
• rubber;
• small echidna spines;
• kitchen towels.

Reproduction of the Tasmanian devil

The female, who has reached the age of two, goes out in search of a male. Even when mating marsupial devils are very aggressive, because they are used to living alone and do not tolerate being in a group of their own kind. After three days During their time together, the female drives away the male and this brings her great pleasure.

Pregnancy for a female marsupial devil lasts only three weeks. The offspring appear somewhere in late April or early May, since the mating period begins at the end of March or early April. The female gives birth to twenty cubs, which weigh no more than twenty-nine grams. But only four survive. The babies that do not survive are eaten by the female.

Tasmanian devils are born very small, but already at three months their eyes open and hair appears on their body, and at that time they weigh approximately two hundred grams. After a month, they can get out of the female’s pouch and explore the world on their own, but they feed on milk for the next two months.

The lifespan of a marsupial devil is no more than eight years.

Animal diseases

The main disease in the Tasmanian devil is facial disease. This disease first became known in 1999. It manifests itself in the fact that many malignant tumors appear on the animal’s head, which over time spread to the entire body. These tumors damage vision, hearing and mouth. Once ill, the animal will not be able to hunt and will die of starvation. This disease is transmitted to other animals of this genus, as it is caused by a virus.

To prevent healthy animals from becoming infected, sick animals are caught.

Medicines for this terrible disease, on this moment does not exist.