Tasmanian Devils

The average number of Tasmanian Devil joeys that a mother may be rearing at any one time is 2-3.

A female Tasmanian devil actually may have several dozen tiny embryos in one birth - anywhere between 20 and 40 - but only four at most can latch onto a teat in the mother's pouch. The rest are lost.

Yes. There are still Tasmanian devils in the wild.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial mammal that is native to Tasmania. They do not lay eggs.

Tasmanian devils do not carry any diseases which may be passed on to humans.

However, they are at risk of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a fatal cancer which is transmitted to other Tasmanian devils through biting.

During the winter months, Tasmanian devils do exactly what they do during summer. They hunt and scavenge for food. Also, Tasmanian devils breed between late summer and early winter in Australia (February to June), so females are often busy raising their young.

It depends on your definition of decomposer. Tasmanian devils eat primarily carrion, but may also eat live animals. Most people would call them carnivores or scavengers (carrion-eaters). "Decomposer" usually refers to bacteria and fungi, not big animals like a Tasmanian devil. Sometimes, certain animals are called detritivores because they eat decomposing organic matter. However, this decomposing organic matter that they're referring to is usually not carrion, and these detritivores are usually, like, earthworms, rather than bigger animals. Technically, I guess the Tasmanian devil is a decomposer, because it eats decomposing dead matter, but it's usually called a scavenger or a carnivore.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) was hunted almost to extinction due to its threat to livestock such as sheep and poultry. They were protected by law before it was too late in June 1941 from where their numbers recovered sufficiently for them to be classified as "secure".

From about 1996, the Tasmanian Devil has been threatened by a fatal form of cancer called "Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD)" which has killed more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 45% of adults in medium to low density areas resulting in an "Endangered" classification. Since then, the Threatened Species Scientific Advisory Committee has recommended moving the Tasmanian Devil up the "Endangered Species" list. A number of groups have combined to fund, study, analyse and come up with a cure for DFTD. You can find out more about it or assist by going to the attached Web Page and selecting one of the options.

• Both creatures are endemic to Australia, but the wombat is found in parts of the southeastern mainland, while the Tasmanian devil has, from the time of European settlement, only ever been known in Tasmania.
• The wombat is herbivorous, while the Tasmanian devil is carnivorous, feeding on live prey, and scavenging carrion.
• Wombats burrow for shelter, while Tasmanian devils do not, simply hiding in undergrowth, caves or logs.
• Tasmanian devils emit an unearthly, piercing, frightening shriek when making territorial claims over food and mates. Wombats merely grunt.
• For defence, Tasmanian devils have sharp claws and teeth, and can emit a foul smell rather like the skunk does. Wombats burrow with their thick, reinforced rear end facing the entrance to the burrow which is quite a tight fit. Prey can rarely penetrate their thick hide, and they have no tail by which they can be pulled out.
• There is just one type of Tasmanian devil. There are three species of wombats: the common wombat, the Northern hairy-nosed wombat, and the Southern hairy-nosed wombat.
• Tasmanian devils are being afflicted with a terrible cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease and which, unless a cure is soon found, could see the extinction of wild Tasmanian devils. There is no such disease affecting wombats.
• The closest relative to the wombat is the koala. The Tasmanian devil is a dasyurid, or carnivorous marsupial, so its closest living relatives are other dasyurids, such as quolls.

No. Tasmanian devils are not built for climbing.

Terrible! From about 1996, the Tasmanian Devil has been threatened by a fatal form of cancer called "Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD)" which has killed more than 90% of adults in high density areas and 45% of adults in medium to low density areas resulting in an "Endangered" classification. Since then, the Threatened Species Scientific Advisory Committee has recommended moving the Tasmanian Devil up the "Endangered Species" list. A number of groups have combined to fund, study, analyse and come up with a cure for DFTD. You can find out more about it or assist by going to the attached Web Page and selecting one of the options.

No. Interbreeding between the Tasmanian devil and any other species is impossible. Further, Tasmanian devils are marsupials and all canines are placental mammals. Interbreeding cannot occur between two different classes of mammals.

The gestation period of a Tasmanian devil is between 18 and 21 days.

uhhhh you sell your soul for your wish

Australia does not have ranchers. This is an American term.

The farmers and landowners in Tasmania believed that the Tasmanian devil (and its distant cousin, the Thylacine or Tasmanian tiger) were a threat to their livestock. They were concerned that these animals would kill off their stock. The Tasmanian devil did pose some threat to the farmers' poultry.

The landowners did not realise that Tasmanian devils prefer carrion and smaller, easy prey, and that they tend to occupy areas where there is a lot of undergrowth, rather than to venture out into the open agricultural areas.

They farmers also expected the behaviour of Tasmanian devils to be like that of foxes and wild dogs, which often involved indiscriminate killing. Tasmanian devils only killed what they needed to eat, and were far less of a threat than the introduced foxes, dogs and feral cats.

Being a mammal, and a marsupial, a Tasmanian Devil has four feet.

Tasmanian devil is the correct spelling.

No. Tasmanian devils and echidnas are two different animals. Tasmanian devils are carnivorous marsupials which give birth to live young and raise their young in a pouch. They have black fur with white markings, and strong jaws.

Echidnas are insectivorous monotremes (monotremes are egg-laying mammals), which also raise their single young in a rudimentary pouch formed by a flap of skin. They have sharp spines, but they have no teeth.

Tasmanian devils' breeding season lasts from March to May. Female devils will mate with dominant males, who fight to gain their attention. Three weeks after conception, the females give birth to up to 50 babies, called joeys. These 50 extremely tiny joeys scramble to attach themselves to one of the four available teats in the mother's pouch. Those that do not make it will not survive.The remaining joeys will attach to the nipple in the pouch for roughly 3 months while they become fully developed. Like the wombat, the Tasmanian devil has a pouch that opens on the bottom to keep dirt out while traveling.After the joeys leave their mother's pouch, they remain hidden in the den for another 3 months. During this time the mother brings food to the young, and eventually the young devils begin venturing out on their own before finally leaving the den for good. They can live for up to 5 years in the wild.

Tasmanian devil conservation park is helping along with another, save the Tasmanian devil program.

Further information:

Scientists are breeding Tasmanian Devils in captivity to limit the spread of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). This disease is a great threat to Tasmanian devils living in the wild, affecting some two-thirds of the population. The Australian Government now has initiatives and programs set up to preserve the species. Tasmanian devils are being housed in captive breeding programmes, which should prevent the extinction of the marsupial, but not necessarily in the wild. In January 2010, a team of international scientists pinpointed the genetic marker that predisposes Tasmanian devils towards this fatal disease. With this knowledge, there is now a better chance of a cure, which would also stop the disease decimating the wild Tasmanian devil population.

Actual organisations involved in helping this creature are:
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors
Mark Webber Foundation
University of Tasmania
The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment in Tasmania
CSIRO

Tasmanian Devils are the only members of their Genus, which means they have no close relatives. They are, of course, distantly related to other marsupials and, since marsupials are technically mammals, even more distantly related to the rest of us. == ==