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Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian devils are marsupials the size of a small dog, and have the strongest bite among any living mammals similar to their size and weight. Females carry their offspring for one hundred days.
481 Questions
What is special about the Tasmanian devil?
The Tasmanian devil is important because it is a carrion-eater. This means it feeds on carcasses of dead animals, which helps keep its environment clean and free of diseases which might develop from animal bodies lying in the sun.
What is the closest relative to the Tasmanian devil?
There are no truly close relatives of the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial, or dasyurid, so its closest relatives are the other dasyurids, such as the quoll, while more distant relatives are the numbat and the now-extinct Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger.
What are the dangers of further damage to the environment for the Tasmanian devil?
Quite high. Logging is one of Tasmania's main industries, and where there is logging, there is, by default, loss of habitat. While greater areas of Tasmania are being protected by law, the regions currently unprotected mean that the Tasmanian devil's environment will continue to suffer damage. Also, given Australia's high bushfire rating, even protected areas suffer from major damage through bushfires.
What is better Tasmanian devil or mountain pygmy possum?
One cannot compare whether or not a particular animal species is "better" than another. Both of these native Australian marsupials are completely unique and suited to a particular niche.
While the Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest remaining dasyurid, or carnivorous marsupial, the mountain Pygmy possum is the only Australian marsupial that hibernates.
Is the Tasmanian devil the world's largest marsupial?
No. Tasmanian devils are quite small.
The largest marsupial is the red kangaroo, males of which can easily grow to 1.8 metres in height.
The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorousmarsupial.
How long is a Tasmanian devil's gestation period?
The gestation period of the Tasmanian devil is variously quoted as being about 18 - 21 days.
Tasmania is a state. It is the island state which is part of the country of Australia.
A Tasmanian is not an animal. A Tasmanian is a resident of Tasmania, Australia's island state.
What kind of climate do Tasmanian devils live in?
The Tasmanian devil is found in Tasmania, Australia's southern island state. Average temperatures in summer range between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius (62 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit), while winter temperatures tend to range between 3 and 11 degrees Celsius (37 and 51 degrees Fahrenheit).
Who discovered the Tasmanian devil How was the Tasmanian devil discovered and in what year?
The indigenous people in Australia knew of the Tasmanian devil for thousands of years. The first European to describe and name the Tasmanian devil was naturalist George Harris in 1807.
Absolutely. Scientists have found abnormally high levels of the carcinogenic flame retardant chemicals BB153 and BDE209 in fat tissue from a number of Tasmanian devils. Because Tasmanian devils are limited to the island of Tasmania, there is less and less genetic diversity, meaning the Tasmanian devils' immune systems are unable to combat the disease.
What attracts the Tasmanian devil to its mate?
Tasmanian devils are attracted to a mate based on their strength. The female ignores timid and docile males (except, sometimes, as a practice run) and chooses a strong, dominant male that bites and scratches her. She has a gentle whining call, and after issuing it, she expects the male to chase her. After chasing and catching her, the male brings her to his den, continuing to bite and scratch her into submission. When she is satisfied with his dominance, she falls into a trance-like state while he mates with her.
Do Tasmanian devils make nests and if so what are they made of?
They live in hollowed out logs lined with leaves and grass, sometimes live in caves They live in hollowed out logs lined with leaves and grass, sometimes live in caves
What is the name of the law that protects the Tasmanian devil?
The law that protects the Tasmanian Devil and other native Australian fauna and flora is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
See the related link for more details.
How did kill devil hills get its name?
Kill Devil Hills, located in North Carolina, got its name from the early colonial days when rum-running and piracy were common. The name is believed to derive from the term "kill devil," which referred to a potent local rum that was said to be strong enough to "kill the devil." The area was notorious for shipwrecks and the treacherous waters off the coast, leading to the association with the dangerous drink. Over time, the name stuck and has become a historical landmark, particularly known for its connection to the Wright brothers' first powered flight.
How long does a baby Tasmanian devil stay in a pouch?
At most, a female Tasmanian devil can carry only four joeys, as there are only four teats in the mother's pouch.
A female Tasmanian devil actually may have several dozen tiny embryos in one birth - anywhere between 20 and 40 - so apart from the ones which do make it to the pouch, the rest are lost.
The average number of Tasmanian Devil joeys that a mother may be rearing at any one time is 2-3.
Do Tasmanian devils need to live in hot places?
No. On the contrary, the Tasmanian devil lives in Australia's island state of Tasmania, which has a cool temperate climate.
Why is Australia not called an island?
Geographically, Australia is a continent, not an island. As a landform, it could be considered an island as it is entirely surrounded by water and not joined onto any other land mass. For this reason, it is often referred to as an island continent. Australia is too big to be formallyclassified as an island. The world's largest island is Greenland.
Another reason why Australia is also considered a continent is because it sits on its own tectonic plate. This is different from Greenland, which uses the same land mass as North America. That is why the geological appearances are much different in Australia from anywhere else. A place like Greenland shares the same geologic attributes as North America.
Australia and Antarctica are the only two true Continental Islands. That is, they are separated from all other continents by water. All other continents are connected by a landmass to at least one other Continent. If there are any waterways, they have been artificially created.
