|
The largest surviving carnivorous marsupial of Australia is the
Tasmanian Devil. Tasmanian Devil is a nocturnal animal widely spread and
quite common throughout Tasmania. A solitary creature, the Tasmanian
Devil is found in all the habitats of Tasmania, including the outskirts
of urban areas as well.
 The look of the Tasmanian Devils
The Devils with vaguely bear-like appearances weigh up to 12
kilograms and measures 50 to 80 centimeters in length. This squat built
Devil with large head and a long fat tail stores all the body fat in its
tail. The black fur of the Tasmanian Devil is broken by white patches
along the chest and rump region. They live on trees, near water bodies
and on land. The male Tasmanian Devils are larger than its female
counterparts.
The Tasmanian Devil’s habitat
Tasmanian Devils are particularly fond of dry Sclerophyll forests and
coastal woodlands. The Devils love to live in dense bushes and holes.
When young, the Devils can climb trees but it becomes a problem when
they grow larger. These animals do not form packs but they cover
territories of 2 to 8 square kilometres. They are also good swimmers.
During daytime, the Devils usually hide in a den or in dense bush. They
are known for their famous yawn, which is done more from fear and
uncertainty than from aggression. They generally produce strong odour
when under stress and makes different fearful noises that ranges from
harsh coughs and snarls to high-pitched sneezes.
During the night, the Devils take the role of a scavenger and detect
food in the dark with the help of its long whiskers and clumps on the
head. One of its common behavioural traits is to emit odour to scare its
rivals.
Eating traits of the Devil
Though they prefer to eat already killed preys to live preys, the
Tasmanian Devils can prey up to the size of a small kangaroo. The diet
of the Tasmanian Devils varies largely but mainly depends on the food
available.
Along with wombats, these Devils eat all small native mammals, domestic
mammals, like sheep and birds, fish, insects, frogs and reptiles. Since
they mainly feed on carrions, all traces of carcass including bones and
fur, meat and internal organs are completely wiped out by the Devils.
Surprisingly, Tasmanian Devils hunt alone but eat in groups. In the
raucous communal eating some 12 Devils gather and feed on the carcasses,
the sound of their eating can be heard from several kilometres away.
In fact, a study of feeding Tasmanian Devils has identified 20 different
physical postures that include their characteristic yawn with 11
different vocal sounds, which they use for communicating while eating.
Survival crisis
The Tasmanian Devils were completely wiped out about 400 years back
as they were considered threat to the livestock. Presently, the
occurrence of a facial tumour disease is immensely threatening the
population of Tasmanian Devils.
|
