The Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the only extant member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world after the extinction of the Thylacine in 1936. It is characterised by its black fur, offensive odor when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils.

The Tasmanian Devil became extirpated on the Australian mainland about 400 years before European settlement in 1788. Because they were seen as a threat to livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected. Since the late 1990s devil facial tumour disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which in May 2008 was declared to be endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the Tasmanian government to reduce the impact of the disease.

Taxonomy

Naturalist George Harris wrote the first published description of the Tasmanian Devil in 1807, naming it Didelphis ursina. In 1838 the devil was renamed Dasyurus laniarius by Richard Owen, before being moved to the genus Sarcophilus in 1841 and named Sarcophilus harrisii, or "Harris's meat-lover", by Pierre Boitard. A later revision of the devil's taxonomy, published in 1987, attempted to change the species name to Sarcophilus laniarius based on mainland fossil records of only a few animals. However, this was not accepted by the taxonomic community at large and the name S. harrisii has been retained and S. laniarius relegated to fossil species. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the devil is most closely related to quolls, and more distantly to the extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

Physical description of the Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial in Australia. It has a squat and thick build, with a large head and a tail which is about half its body length. The devil stores body fat in its tail, so unhealthy devils often have thin tails. Unusual for a marsupial, its forelegs are slightly longer than its hind legs. Devils can run up to 13 km (8.1 mi) per hour for short distances. The fur is usually black, although irregular white patches on the chest and rump are common. Males are usually larger than females, having an average head and body length of 652 mm (25.7 in), with a 258 mm (10.2 in) tail, and an average weight of 8 kg (18 lb). Females have an average head and body length of 570 mm (22 in), with a 244 mm (9.6 in) tail, and an average weight of 6 kg (13 lb). The average life expectancy of a Tasmanian Devil in the wild is estimated at six years, although they may live longer in captivity.

The devil has long whiskers on its face and in clumps on the top of the head. These help the devil locate prey when foraging in the dark, and aid in detecting when other devils are close during feeding. When agitated, the devil can produce a strong odour, its pungency rivaling even the skunk. Hearing is its dominant sense, and it also has an excellent sense of smell. Since devils hunt at night, their vision seems to be strongest in black and white. In these conditions they can detect moving objects readily, but have difficulty seeing stationary objects. An analysis of mammalian bite force relative to the body size shows that the devil has the strongest bite of any living mammal (over 5,100 psi (35,000 kPa)). The power of the jaw is in part due to its comparatively large head. A Tasmanian Devil also has one set of teeth that grows slowly throughout its life.

Cultural references

The Tasmanian Devil is an iconic animal within Australia; it is the symbol of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the former Tasmanian Australian rules football team which played in the Victorian Football League was known as the Devils. The defunct Hobart Devils basketball team in the NBL was also named after the animal. The devil was one of six native Australian animals to appear on commemorative Australian two hundred dollar coins issued between 1989 and 1994. Tasmanian Devils are popular with domestic and international tourists. Because of their unique personality the Tasmanian Devil has been the subject of numerous documentaries and non-fiction children's books. The most recent Australian documentary on the Tasmanian Devil, Terrors of Tasmania, directed and produced by David Parer and Elizabeth Parer-Cook, was released in 2005. The documentary follows a female devil called Manganinnie through breeding season and the birth and rearing of her young. The documentary also looks at the effect of devil facial tumor disease and the conservation measures being taken to ensure survival of the Tasmanian Devil. The documentary has screened on television in Australia and in the United States on the National Geographic Channel.

Restrictions on the export of the Tasmanian Devil means that devils can normally only be seen kept in captivity in Australia. The last known overseas devil died at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in 2004. However, the Tasmanian Government has sent a pair of devils to the Copenhagen Zoo, following the birth of the first son of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark and his Tasmanian wife Mary in October 2005. These are the only devils that can be seen outside Australia.

Tasmanian Devil reference: Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Devil