Tasmanian Devil By: Allison Mayfield
Tasmanian Devil
When most people think of the Tasmanian Devil they think of Taz from the Loony Tunes. Although a real Tasmanian Devil looks nothing like Taz, he has been part of many peoples childhood. The Tasmanian Devil has a thick-set, squat build, with a relatively large, broad head and short, thick tail. Body size varies greatly, depending on the diet and habitat. The Tasmanian Devil can also store fat in their tail to use for later. Tasmanian Devil also have the strongest bite that is estimated to be around 2.2 lbs per square inch. This helps them to crush bones for consumption. They can also open their jaw 75-80 degrees.
When Tasmanian Devil‘s are born they are the size of a grain of rice. Once they are born they have to race blindly to the mother’s pouch because the mom only has four teats and gives birth to 20-40 joeys. The ones that are left behind are then eaten by the mother.
The Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world at 30cm (11in) and 12 kg (2 lbs). Tasmanian Devils used to be found all over Australia but now are only found in Tasmania. The reason their numbers have dropped are due to a Deadly Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) a disease that emerged in 1996 and still has no cure.
Tasmanian Devil Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iyvPjn2m240
Resources:
Auckland Zoo: Tasmanian Devil - https://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/animals/tasmanian-devil
10 Facts about Tasmanian Devils - https://www.rainforest.com.au/facts-about-tasmanian-devils/
I really like reading your post! It was interesting to learn that Tasmanian Devil store their fat in their tail. I also enjoyed the video and website links that you put up as well. They were very informative about the different characteristics of the the Tasmanian Devil. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYour post was very interesting to read. I learned things about the Tasmanian Devil that I would’ve never learned in my life.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the Tasmanian devil. It is a very interesting animal with different characteristics that I would have never even thought about. Also very interesting to learn that the Tasmanian devil is the largest animal among all of the ones in the marsupial's category.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was of TAZ from Looney Tunes and there is not resemblance between the two. Very interesting animal to get more information on, starting off the size of a grain of rice and having to make it to the mom to survive seems like the start to their fight to survival. I thought they would be a little bigger, but their small size sure does not stop them from acquiring food, as they make up for it with their strength in body and bite.
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