Tasmanian Devils

The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial and, like most marsupials, it has reserves of fat in its tail. A fat tail is the sign of a healthy Tasmanian devil.

No,

The devils birthday is on 6/6/06.

It occurs every 100 years.

Its ears turn red when it becomes agitated.

Carrion is dead meat. It does not eat anything. However - cretures such as Tasmanian Devils eat carrion, as do crows, vultures and numerous worms.

Definitely not. They are unique and endemic to Australia alone. Specifically, they are now found only on the Australian island state of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian devil has no "cousins". The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial, or dasyurid, so its closest relatives are the other dasyurids, such as the quoll and the now-extinct Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger.

The Tasmanian devil shelters in dense undergrowth and bushland. They tend to shelter wherever they can, such as in thick shrubbery, caves, hollow logs and even old wombat burrows.

The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial of the order Dasyuromorphia.

The Tasmanian devil survives in its environment assisted by a number of unique adaptations.

Tasmanian devils have an excellent sense of smell, which assists it with nocturnal hunting. The Tasmanian devil is a scavenger, eating dead animals already killed by other animals, and feeding on roadkill. There are no dingoes on the island of Tasmania, so the Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial on Tasmania. Devils also hunt live prey.

Because it is nocturnal, and prefers dense bushland shelter, its black coat with white stripe provides excellent camouflage in both the night, and in dense bushland and undergrowth.

Tasmanian devils can also emit a pungent odor as a defence mechanism when threatened. They have sharp teeth and an incredibly strong bite. The animal also has a frightening devil-like shriek, enough to scare away a curious predator, even though this noise is usually emitted during territorial fights, rather than as a defence.

None. The other three species (Sarcophilus. S. laniarius and S. moornaensis) are already extinct.

Tasmanian devils have an undeserved reputation for being aggressive. They are actually shy and reclusive, living alone, yet (somewhat incongruously) gathering together to feed. Tasmanian devils only display aggression when they are asserting their dominance as they gather to feed on a carcass, or as part of their mating ritual. Like all wild animals, Tasmanian devils will have their playful moments.

The Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a fatal condition which causes cancers around the face and head of Tasmanian Devils. It first appears as small lesions and lumps around the animal's mouth which grow quite quickly, inhibiting the Devil's ability to feed. They slowly starve to death, whilst their their bodily functions gradually break down. It spreads from animal to animal through them biting each other, and given that this is natural behaviour for Devils, it means that the disease can quickly spread through a population.

Whilst there is no actual cure for the disease yet, scientists have identified the genetic marker that causes Tasmanian devils to be predisposed to the disease, and this will go a long way towards finding a cure. Also, scientists have recently reported promising results in cancer cures from a drug manufactured frfom a certain type of brushwood in the North Queensland tropical rainforests. This has worked successfully in trials on cancerous tumours in cats, dogs and horses, and as well as being hoped to be a potential cure in human cancers, it is also hoped to be able to be used against DFTD.

The Tasmanian devil's natural colouring of black with a white stripe across their front suits their nocturnal habits. This colouring means they can hide more easily amid the undergrowth of bushland in their habitat.

Tasmanian devils are not edible though they would have been eaten by the Tasmanian Aborigines. It would also be illegal to try to eat them.

Like all mammals, the Tasmanian devil is sexual. It must reproduce sexually.

Tasmanian devils are protected by law. Their fur is not used for anything.

They need water and food.They also need warmth and shelter.If they don't have shelter they may die from the cold.

Tasmanian devils have dozens of tiny bumps on the rather large pads of their feet which appear to act as gripping pads. The friction created by the pads gives them better contact with surfaces for running. It gives the animal better speed and agility when in pursuit of prey.

Younger, lighter Tasmanian devils use the pads to help them climb, but they are not arboreal (tree-dwelling) creatures. It is believed that, because young devils are sometimes prey of larger ones, climbing trees helps them to escape.

There are different levels of strength. Tasmanian devils have the strongest jaws of any mammal their size, but the honey badger would be stronger in its body.

No. The DFTD (Devil Facial Tumour Disease) is spread by contact via saliva. As Tasmanian devils are territorial animals which fight over their meals, the disease spreads very easily. However, it cannot (as yet) cross into other species. It is not known what sparked off this disease. Tasmanian Devils seem to be particularly vulnerable to this disease because of their genetic makeup: they have particularly low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation which is unique among carnivorous mammals. It is hoped that, by studying this genetic makeup, scientists will be able to develop a vaccine and/or cure.

The Tasmanian devil is at the top of the food chain, and nothing hunts the adult creatures.

Tasmanian devil joeys may be hunted by introduced creatures such as foxes and domestic dogs. Birds of prey such as falcons and goshawks may also take young devils.

The most common word by which Tasmanian Aborigines called the Tasmanian devil was "purinina".

Just read the book for class don't cheat ms adcins will know