Tasmanian Devil Facts
Tasmanian Devil Facts
|
| Interesting Tasmanian Devil Facts: |
|---|
| Tasmanian devils look like dogs of medium size. They can reach 30 inches in length and up to 26 pounds in weight. |
| Body of Tasmanian devil is covered with black fur, with white patches on the chest, shoulders and rump. Tasmanian devil has large head and very strong jaw. |
| Tasmanian devil has one of the strongest bites in the animal world: 1200 pounds per square inch, which means that it can bite through the metal trap. |
| Tasmanian devil is a carnivore that can eat both live prey and the carcasses. Fish, snakes, birds and insects are often of the Tasmanian devil's menu. It is not a picky eater; once the prey is caught - Tasmanian devil will eat all of it, including bones and fur. These animals eat 5 to 10% of their own body weight each day. |
| Tasmanian devil has excellent sense of eyesight and smell, which are used for detection of the prey. |
| Tasmanian devil stores fat in the tail. Tail in the healthy animals is thick and swollen, while it is limp and skinny in the diseased animals. |
| Tasmanian devils are not very fast runners (they can reach only 15 miles per hour), but they can run extended period of time (one hour without resting). Also, they are excellent climbers and swimmers. |
| Tasmanian devils are named that way because of the ferocious behavior which they exhibit during eating and mating and because of the very loud screeching noise that they produce. |
| Tasmanian devils are classified as nocturnal animals (active during the night), but they are also active during the day. |
| When threatened, Tasmanian devil will open its jaws widely to express fear and uncertainty. Also, in stressful situations, it will release pungent odor to chase away the predators. |
| Tasmanian devils are solitary creatures that often fight with other males for territory. Prior the fight, Tasmanian devil uses sharp sneezing sound to challenge the opponent. |
| Breeding season of Tasmanian devils lasts from February to June. Females usually have four litters in their lifetime. |
| Pregnancy lasts three weeks, after which 20 to 30 pea-like babies crawl to their mother's pouch. Only several babies will survive because female have only 4 nipples to feed babies with milk. |
| Babies spend their first four months in the mother's pouch, after which they can leave it. When they reach eight months, Tasmanian devils are ready to begin solitary life. |
| Tasmanian devils live between 7 and 8 years in the wild. |
|
Related Links: Facts Animal Facts Animals Facts |