Facts about the Devil

- The largest carnivorous marsupial in the world.

- Only found in the wild in the Australian island state of Tasmania.

- Can eat up to 40% of their body weight in 30 minutes.

- The average life expectancy in the wild is 5 years.

- When eating, every part of the carcass is consumed, including the fur and bones.

- Pound for pound, it has the most powerful bite out of the entire mammalian carnivore species.

- Its jaws can deliver a bite up to ten times more powerful than a dog bite.

- They have short broad skulls covered with masses of muscle.

- Mating occurs mainly in March.

- Their hearing is their dominant sense.

- Are nocturnal animals therefore only active at night.

- Gestation is 31 days and litter size is 2-4 young.

- Are very accomplished swimmers and climbers.

- Store fat in their tails

- A fat tail is usually a sign that an animal is in excellent condition.

- Males become sexually mature at the age of 2 and are monstrous.

- Young leave the pouch at about 105 days and are weaned by 8 months.

- Are solitary animals, coming together to mate an sometimes to share a kill.

- When stressed or excited their ears flush with blood, causing them to glow red.

- Give off an offensive odour when stressed.

- Head and body length is from 525 - 800 mm with tail length from 230 - 300 mm.

- It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge, but mainly depends on dead animals.

- They have been clocked running on a flat road at nearly 25 km/h for up to 1 km.

- Can run at 10 km/h for many kilometers.

- Their scientific name is Sarcophilus harisii. That means Harris' meat lover. Harris is the name of the scientist who described the Tasmanian devil.

- There extremely loud and disturbing screech is a bluff to try and intimidate other animals.

- Has a squat and thick build, with a large head and a tail which is about half its body length.

- A typical adult male would weigh 10 or 11 kg. A typical adult female would weight 7 or 8 kg

- A 10 kg devil has as powerful a bite as a 40 kg dog. Very similar to the spotted hyena of Africa

- They patrol an area up to 18km around their den each night, covering their territory in a large figure of eight pattern.

- They have squat and thick build, with a large head and a tail which is about half its body length.

- The molar teeth are developed into extremely strong bone crushers, like those of hyenas.

- The diet consists of a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates including poisonous snakes, and a small amount of plant material.

- When a male encounters a receptive female, they will mate continuously for up to five days.
During this time, the female will rarely eat or drink anything. When the male gets thirsty he will grab the female by the scruff of the neck, drag her down to the waterhole, and then after his thirst has been quenched, drag her back to the den.