Tasmanian Devil

Largest Carnivorous Marsupial

The Tasmanian devil is the world’s largest surviving marsupial carnivore. It is not found in the wild anywhere else in the world.

Although only the size of a small dog, it can look and sound incredibly fierce. Powerful teeth and jaws (nine times stronger than a dog’s and comparable to a shark or crocodile) enable it to completely devour its prey – bones, fur and all.

The devil is a scavenger and feeds on what is available, mostly carrion, although it will occasionally hunt young or wounded animals. Devils can be famously rowdy during communal feedings – their sounds and aggression are used to establish dominance.

Tasmanian devils were regarded as common a little over a decade ago.

The species has suffered a major decline over the last ten years and is now listed as endangered. This decline in population is due to an infectious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The first signs of DFTD were recorded in 1996 near the east coast. This new and fatal condition has only been recorded in Tasmanian devils and is characterised by cancers around the mouth and head.

Save the Tasmanian Devil Program

The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STTD) was established in 2003 as the official response to the terrible threat posed by DFTD. For more on the STTD: www.tassiedevil.com.au.