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Tasmanian devil - SARCOPHILUS HARRISI
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Tasmanian Devil": Well, it comes from Tasmania, and it's a ferocious dog-sized animal. Harris named it after himself, "Sarcophilus Harrisi," which means "Harris's flesh lover."
Location: Tasmania.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Eucalypt forests.
Description: Tasmanian devils are stocky, ornery animals about the size of a small dog, with a large head and wide neck, short muzzle, and strong jaws. They have heavy limbs, rounded ears, and a stubby tail. The fur is short, dense, soft, and almost uniformly black; although sometimes there is a white crescent on its chest or white patches on its shoulders or rump. They grow to between 20" to 30"long, and weigh up to 26 lb.
Behavior: The tasmanian devil is the largest of the carnivorous marsupials. It has powerful jaws to devour its prey bones and all. It feeds on most small animals, whether mammal, reptile, fish, or invertebrate. It can even be a scavenger by eating carrion (dead animal) if it finds it. The devil is active during the twilight and nighttime hours, and is primarily terrestrial though able to climb trees if necessary. The animal is rather slow but quite cunning and strong. It can smell out its prey, and often takes it by surprise. It spends its daytime hours sheltered in a hollow log or a rock crevice where it builds a nest of dry vegetation.
Reproduction: The breeding season lasts from March through May, when between one and four young are born. After a gestation of about a month, the babies suckle on the four teats located in the pouch. After 15 weeks the young are left in the nest or are carried on their mother's back, and they are weaned five weeks later.
Go to the Marsupials Page to get a general discussion of these animals.
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