The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus laniarius), also referred to
simply as 'the devil', is a carnivorous marsupial now found only in
the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the
only member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but
stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous
marsupial in the world. It is characterised by its black fur,
offensive odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing
screech, and viciousness when feeding. It is known to both hunt
prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it
sometimes eats with other devils.
The Tasmanian Devil is the largest surviving carnivorous
marsupial in Australia. It has a squat and thick build, with a
large head and a short, stubby tail. The devil stores body fat in
its tail and an unhealthy devil often has a thin tail. Unusually
for a marsupial, its forelegs are slightly longer than its hind
legs. Devils can run in bursts at the impressive speed of 13
kilometres per hour (8.1 miles per hour). The fur is usually black,
although irregular white patches on the chest and rump are common.
Males are usually larger than females, having an average head and
body length of 652 mm, with a 258 mm tail, and an average weight of
8 kg. Females have an average head and body length of 570 mm, with
a 244 mm tail, and an average weight of 6 kg. The average life
expectancy of a Tasmanian Devil in the wild is estimated at six
years, although it may live longer in captivity.
The devil has long whiskers on its face and in clumps on the top
of the head. These help the devil locate prey when foraging in the
dark, and aid in detecting the closeness of other devils during
feeding. When agitated, the devil can produce a strong odor, its
pungency rivalling even the skunk. Hearing is its dominant sense,
and it also has an excellent sense of smell. Since devils hunt at
night, their vision seems to be strongest in black and white. In
these conditions they can detect moving objects readily, but have
difficulty seeing stationary objects. An analysis of mammalian bite
force, corrected for body size, shows that the devil has the
strongest bite of any living mammal. The power of the jaw is in
part due to its comparatively large head. A Tasmanian Devil also
has one set of teeth that grows slowly throughout its life.