The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now confined to the island of Tasmania.
The size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is related to quolls, and distantly related to the thylacine.
It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites per unit body mass of any extant predatory land mammal. It hunts prey and scavenges on carrion.
This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme
What did Tasmania have that kept the devils alive? If they had the proper food or shelter in other states, perhaps there would be less of a risk of going extinct. Or was it predators?
ReplyDeleteHe looks so cute.Must be called a devil for some reason. https://craftygardener.ca/orb-weaver/
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything about them in a long time either. They are kind of cute...and kind of scary. Neat photo!
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