The Aboriginal Australians were the first to discover the Tasmanian devil, an elusive and mysterious animal that rarely appears before humans.
In Australia, a vast land with sparse population, there exists a creature known as the “Tasmanian devil”. This species is now found in only small numbers in Tasmania and is critically endangered, making it a national treasure for Australia.
The Tasmanian devil is small and stout, with glossy black fur, small eyes, and a large mouth. While these characteristics may render them as an unremarkable group of animals, they are, in fact, dubbed “devils” in the animal kingdom.
Centuries ago, European settlers flooded into Australia, leading to intense hunting of the Tasmanian devil, pushing them to the brink of extinction.
Today, scientists are making various efforts to protect the Tasmanian devil, but no one can predict when this species may face extinction.
The Tasmanian devil is small and stout.
In reality, the Tasmanian devil has a very aggressive temperament; it will attack and tear apart its prey, even its own kind, without mercy when necessary.
Its mouth can open and close at an angle of 180 degrees, allowing it to easily kill prey that weighs six times its own weight.
Scientists have discovered that among animals of similar size, the Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite force. If it were the same size as a lion or tiger, its bite force would be approximately three times greater than that of these big cats.
The Tasmanian devil is nocturnal.
Hundreds of years ago, Aboriginal Australians first discovered the Tasmanian devil, but they are rarely seen by humans. So, how did the name “Tasmanian devil” originate?
This is because the Tasmanian devil is nocturnal, often emitting horrifying screams while hunting at night. Their howls are particularly chilling when heard in the dark.
Additionally, the Tasmanian devil has an exceptionally strong bite, capable of easily biting through iron bars with its jaws, and can even crush sturdy traps. This animal also emits a foul odor and often consumes carrion, leading local Aborigines to believe that the Tasmanian devil is a demon from hell.
The Tasmanian devil eats a lot.
The Tasmanian devil has a body length of less than one meter but is very strong and robust. Except for the white fur on its throat and tail, the rest of its fur is glossy black.
The Tasmanian devil has a voracious appetite, capable of consuming food equivalent to half its body weight. It is an opportunistic feeder, and its prey can include venomous snakes, lizards, kangaroos, wallabies, rabbits, and sometimes even garbage and tires when food is scarce.
The Tasmanian devil is also quite intimidating when feeding; it will arch its back and push forward like a small forklift. After each meal, it leaves no trace behind, not even bones. It uses its powerful bite to chew and swallow bones, and within a few minutes, a couple of Tasmanian devils can finish off a large kangaroo.
The Tasmanian devil is intimidating while feeding.
The entire body of the Tasmanian devil emits a foul odor because when confronted by enemies, they secrete a smelly saliva from their mouths, leaving very few people with a positive impression of them.
However, the Tasmanian devil is not a dirty animal; in fact, they are somewhat clean. After scavenging, the Tasmanian devil will seek out a waterhole to wash itself, carefully using its claws to scrub its cheeks and ears like a cat. They patiently groom the blood off their fur before retreating to their den to rest.
The Tasmanian devil is a native marsupial of Australia, with females nursing their young in pouches. The area behind the neck of female Tasmanian devils swells quickly with hard, red lumps during estrus, emitting an unpleasant smell; the stronger the odor, the more males they attract.
The Tasmanian devil is a native marsupial of Australia.
To compete for mating rights, the males often howl and fight each other. This type of combat often ends tragically, as they specifically target the face, throat, and other vital areas of their opponents.
Meanwhile, the females will watch the males’ battle until the last moment. Once the “dating” is over, the female Tasmanian devil will do everything to escape the den, while the male will try hard to pull her back and keep her there.
This is because female Tasmanian devils are prone to boredom; if the male Tasmanian devil lets down its guard, the offspring in the female’s womb may end up with multiple fathers.
Seven days after “dating,” the lump on the female Tasmanian devil’s neck gradually disappears, marking the end of her estrus. At this point, the male allows the female to roam freely and do as she pleases.
Males often howl and fight for mating rights.
After the female Tasmanian devil becomes pregnant, her belly grows larger, and her movements slow down. If natural enemies such as dingoes or birds of prey attack her, the female Tasmanian devil will die instantly.
Therefore, the male Tasmanian devil will act as a guard for the female, always waiting nearby and searching for food for her. The gestation period for the female Tasmanian devil is a short month, during which she can give birth to about 20 young, but not all of them survive.
The young Tasmanian devils in their mother’s pouch will constantly compete with each other, pushing, fighting, and vying for a chance to suckle. Consequently, some smaller and weaker Tasmanian devil young may die from starvation due to lack of milk.
Each time, the Tasmanian devil can give birth to about 20 young.
The young Tasmanian devils will live in the pouch for about 100 days, but the nursing period for the female Tasmanian devil lasts up to 8 months, during which she must take the entire litter to forage for food.
As the young Tasmanian devils begin to live independently, their survival skills and resistance become very strong, allowing them to hunt venomous snakes, lizards, or scavenge carrion without falling ill.
