Tasmanian marsupial devil. Tasmanian marsupial devil (sarcophilus harrisii)
The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial animal, in some sources even the name "marsupial devil" is found. This mammalian animal got its name for the ominous cries that it emits at night.
The rather ferocious nature of the animal, its mouth with large, sharp teeth, its love of meat, only consolidated the unflattering name. Tasmanian devil, by the way, is related to the marsupial wolf, which has long since died out.
In fact, the appearance of this beast is not at all repulsive, but, on the contrary, quite cute, resembling either a dog or a small one. Body size depends on nutrition, age and habitat, most often, this animal is 50-80 cm, but larger individuals are also found. Females are smaller than males, and males reach a weight of up to 12 kg.
The Tasmanian devil is able to bite the spine of its victim with one bite.
The animal has a strong skeleton, a large head with small ears, the body is covered with short black hair with a white spot on the chest. The devil's tail is especially interesting. This is a kind of storage for body fat. If the animal is full, then its tail is short and thick, but when the devil is hungry, then his tail becomes thin.
If we consider Pictures with picture tasmanian devil, then a feeling of a cute, glorious animal is created, which is pleasant to cuddle and scratch behind the ear.
However, do not forget that this cutie is able to bite his victim's skull or spine with one bite. The bite force of the devil is considered the highest among mammals. Tasmanian devil- marsupial animal, therefore, in front of the females there is a special fold of skin, which turns into a bag for the cubs.
For interesting and peculiar sounds, the animal was called the devil
From the name it is already clear that the beast is common on the island of Tasmania. Previously, this marsupial animal could also be found in, but biologists believe that dogs completely exterminated the devil.
The man also played an important role - he killed this animal for the destroyed chicken coops. The number of the Tasmanian devil was declining until a ban on hunting was introduced.
Character and lifestyle
The devil is not a big fan of companies. He prefers to lead a solitary life. During the day, this animal hides in bushes, in empty burrows, or simply burrows into foliage. The devil is a great master of hiding.
During the day, it is impossible to notice, and to capture the Tasmanian devil on video is a great success. And only with the onset of darkness begins to wake up. Every night this beast walks around its territory to find something to eat.
For each such "owner" of the territory, there is a fairly decent area - from 8 to 20 km2. It happens that the paths of different "owners" intersect, then you have to defend your territory, and the devil has something to do.
True, if large prey comes across, and one animal cannot overpower it, brothers can join. But such joint meals are so noisy and scandalous that the screams of the tasmanian devils can be heard even for several kilometers.
The devil generally uses sounds very widely in his life. He can growl, bark and even cough. And his wild, piercing cries not only forced the first Europeans to give the animal a kind of sonorous sound to them, but also led to the fact that about the tasmanian devil told terrible stories.
Hear the tasmanian devil cry
This beast has a rather angry temperament. With his relatives and with other representatives of the fauna, the devil is quite aggressive. When meeting with rivals, the animal opens its mouth wide, showing serious teeth.
But this is not a way of intimidation, this gesture shows the uncertainty of the devil. Another sign of insecurity and anxiety is a strong unpleasant odor that devils emit in the same way as.
However, due to his unkind nature, the devil has very few enemies. Dingo dogs hunted them, but the devils chose places where the dogs are uncomfortable. Young marsupial devils can still become prey for large birds, but adults are no longer able to do so. But the enemy of the devils was an ordinary fox, which was brought to Tasmania illegally.
Interestingly, adult devils are not very dexterous and mobile, rather clumsy. However, this does not prevent them from reaching speeds of up to 13 km / h in critical situations. But young individuals are much more mobile. They can even climb trees with ease. It is known that this animal swims miraculously.
Tasmanian devil food
Very often, the Tasmanian devil can be seen near livestock pastures. This can be explained simply - herds of animals leave behind fallen, weakened, wounded animals, which go to the devil's food.
If such an animal cannot be found, the animal feeds on small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and even plant roots. The devil has to eat a lot, because his diet is 15% of his own weight per day.
Therefore, its main diet is carrion. The devil's sense of smell is too well developed, and he easily finds the remains of all kinds of animals. After the supper of this beast, there is nothing left - meat, skin, and bones are used as food. He does not disdain meat "with a smell", it even attracts him more. Needless to say, what a natural orderly this animal is!
Reproduction and lifespan
The aggressiveness of the devil does not subside even during the mating season. In March, early April, pairs are created in order to conceive offspring, however, these animals do not observe any moments of courtship.
Even at the moments of mating, they are aggressive and pugnacious. And after mating has taken place, the female drives the male away in anger in order to spend the pregnancy alone - 21 days.
Nature itself controls the number of devils. The mother has only 4 nipples, and about 30 cubs are born. They are all small and helpless, their weight does not even reach a gram. Those that manage to cling to the nipples survive and remain in the bag, while the rest die, they are eaten by the mother herself.
After 3 months, the babies become covered with wool, by the end of the 3rd month their eyes open. Of course, compared to kittens or rabbits, this is too long, but the babies of the devil do not need to "grow up", they leave the mother's pouch only by the 4th month of life, when their weight is about 200 grams. True, the mother still continues to feed them up to 5-6 months.
In the photo, the cubs of the Tasmanian devil
Only in the second year of life, towards the end, the devils become fully grown and can breed. In nature, Tasmanian devils do not live longer than 8 years. It is known that these animals are very popular, both in Australia and abroad.
Despite their grumpy disposition, they are well tamed, and many keep them as pets. On the Internet you can find many tasmanian devil photo in a home environment.
The Tasmanian Devil is an excellent swimmer and runner.
The unusualness of this animal is so mesmerizing that there are many who want to buy tasmanian devil. However, export of these animals is strictly prohibited.
Very rare zoo can boast such a valuable specimen. And is it worth depriving this grouchy, restless, angry, and yet wonderful inhabitant of nature of freedom and habitual habitat.
The marsupial devil is a marsupial animal that lives only on the island of Tasmania.
Making scary sounds, opening a huge mouth with fangs in case of danger, and simply a frightening-looking predator is one of the most mysterious on the planet.
Where did he get this name from? what does a marsupial devil look like and why doesn't he live more than eight years?
When the first settlers from Europe settled on the island of Tasmania, they could not even think that an animal could live on this land, making very scary and loud sounds.
In addition, when the source of the screams was discovered, the Europeans were shocked by the huge mouth, as well as jet black animal fur.
In combination with the sound it makes, the beast looks like a real guest from the underworld. So, for the appearance and for the sounds that it makes, the Europeans nicknamed him the Tasmanian Devil. For a long time, the beast was also called the marsupial devil.
The height and weight of the Tasmanian devil depends on the sex (males are larger), as well as habitat. On average, the body length with a tail length of 25 cm is 55-80 cm.
tasmanian devil massive and clumsy. It resembles a bear reduced to the size of a dog. In addition, the paws of the animal are asymmetrical (the hind ones are shorter than the front ones), which is not typical for a marsupial species. The claws on all paws are round and very strong.
It is important to know! Despite its build and small stature, the Tasmanian devil is a marsupial with the greatest bite force.
The coat of the beast is black and short, and there are long hairs on the tail. Feature of the Tasmanian devil - strong jaw and large sharp teeth with which he grinds bones.
The Tasmanian devil is an animal that, based on phylogenetic analysis, has kinship with quolls. Studies have also shown that the thylacine (marsupial wolf) is a "relative" of the Tasmanian marsupial devil.
Where is the marsupial Tasmanian devil found?
Scientists say that literally 600 years ago, the Tasmanian devil could be found on mainland Australia, but today the marsupial devil is found exclusively on the island of Tasmania.
According to the official version this was due to the introduction of the Dingo dog to the mainland by the Aborigines of Australia 400 years before the Europeans arrived here.
But the meeting of the beast in Tasmania with new settlers from Europe was not successful.
The settlers were outraged that the marsupial devil was sneaking into chicken coops and preys on their livestock. A hunt was announced, which every year worse and worse reflected on the population of the beast.
Hunting and active development of the island forced the marsupial devil to live in remote forest and mountain areas. To date, it has been possible to save the population of this predator only thanks to the ban on his hunting in 1941.
Today, the marsupial devil in Australia is a full-fledged inhabitant of national reserves. It can be seen in its natural habitat in sheep pastures in the northern, western and central areas of the island.
Interestingly, the marsupial devil not tied to a specific area. The Tasmanian devil is a loner. The beast selects territory up to 20 square meters. km, on which he hunts.
And even if another marsupial devil wanders into his site, there will be no “conflict”. These predators allowed to cross territories.
The scary voice of the devil and his similarities with the skunk
When lone marsupial devils gather together, and this happens only when they eat large prey, a joint meal makes each predator show your importance and superiority.
Sounds and noises that marsupial devils make when they eat together, the inhabitants of Tasmania heard for miles.
The range of the Tasmanian devil is varied. So, the marsupial devil sometimes quietly and monotonously growls, when wants to scare the enemy.
Previously, people thought that the habit of the marsupial devil, when meeting with any living creature, immediately opening its mouth filled with powerful sharp teeth is an indicator of the beast's aggression. However, a number of studies by zoologists suggest that this reaction is not a sign of malice.
It is important to know! The Tasmanian devil is an animal that is quite realistic to tame. Even animals that have grown up in absolutely wild conditions can be tamed, and young individuals can even become a wonderful pet.
Rather, the animal surprised and worried. This hypothesis was confirmed when scientists provided as evidence the fact that a predator emitted a foul-smelling substance at the time of excitement. Skunks use the same defense mechanism.
What does the Tasmanian marsupial devil eat?
Tasmanian devil - voracious animal. Each meal is 15% of its own weight.
Predator eats large insects, snakes, tubers and roots of plants, frogs, crayfish,
However the main place of the diet marsupial devil takes carrion.
Well developed sense of smell allows the predator to very quickly detect the corpses of sheep and marine life.
Tasmanian devils living near pastures, feed on corpses livestock, eating everything together with the skin and bones. Thus, by completely destroying carrion, the probability of reproduction of sheep that are dangerous to health, blowfly larvae, is reduced.
Due to illegible food, the life of the Tasmanian devil is short. Even the most cautious individuals do not live more than eight years.
It is important to know! The fact that the Tasmanian devil destroys carrion is the main reason for the need to preserve the predator population. The contribution of this predator to the regulation of the Tasmanian ecosystem is enormous.
Protection of the marsupial devil in Australia
In 1941 a predator entered in the red book. Since then, the Tasmanian devil has been under protection. This fact made it possible to preserve the population of the beast to this day. But the animal is pursued by another misfortune - the face tumor virus. This disease has significantly decimated the ranks of the marsupial devils of Tasmania in recent years.
Attention! Since 2004, the capture and export of the Tasmanian devil outside of Australia has been completely prohibited!
The Tasmanian marsupial devil is an endangered animal that, despite its not very friendly appearance, not aggressive. Moreover, this predator looks quite clumsy due to the disproportion of the limbs.
This view for a long time put to the real test, but the extermination of the marsupial devil was stopped in time, so today this species of marsupial is preserved.
In conclusion, we offer you watch an interesting video about the Tasmanian marsupial devil:
Being the largest of modern predatory marsupials, this animal is black in color with white spots on the chest and rump, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth, has a dense physique and severe disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the Tasmanian devil (lat. Sarcophilus harrisii). Emitting ominous cries at night, the massive and clumsy beast outwardly resembles a small bear: the front paws are slightly longer than the hind legs, a large head, and the muzzle is blunted.
Sarcophilus (gr. Flesh lover) is the name of its genus. These animals reach 50-80 cm in length, up to 30 cm in height and 12 kg in weight, the length of the tail is up to 30 cm. The pouch of females opens back. Males are larger than females, but in principle, a lot also depends on age, nutrition and range: the size and weight of the animals can change in one direction or another.
But what is invariable for everyone is small pink ears, short hair, a strong tail (where fat reserves are deposited), large claws and the absence of a first finger on the hind limbs. , awarded by nature with sharp strong teeth, with one bite is able to bite and crush not only the bone, but also the spine of its prey!
Previously, this amazing animal lived on mainland Australia, but today the Tasmanian devil can only be found on the island of Tasmania. It is assumed that it was squeezed out by wild ones, brought to the mainland by the natives. European settlers also did not spare the Tasmanian devil, ruthlessly exterminating his family because of the beast's habit of ruining chicken coops.
In 1941, an official ban on hunting the Tasmanian devil literally saved these animals from complete extinction from the face of the Earth. Currently, they live in the national parks of Tasmania, in the northern, western and central parts of the island, living in almost any landscape conditions, with the exception of densely populated regions.
As for the lifestyle and diet of the Tasmanian devil, inhabiting coastal savannahs, dry sclerophyll and mixed sclerophyll-rain forests, they feed mainly on carrion, small animals (rats, rabbits) and birds. Insects, snakes and amphibians are also used.
The Tasmanian devil is very voracious: he must eat 15% of his body weight per day. If he does not eat up food of animal origin, then he can eat both plant tubers and edible roots. The animal shows activity at night, during the day hiding in dense bushes and crevices of stones.
Animals live in burrows and under the trunk of a fallen tree, arranging nests for themselves from leaves, bark and grass. He likes to walk along the shore of the reservoir, eating the surrounding frogs, crayfish and other small aquatic inhabitants. Possessing an excellent sense of smell, the Tasmanian devil can smell carrion at a great distance.
Here the size does not matter - if necessary, he will eat both a sheep and a cow! Especially pleased if the meat is properly rotten and decomposed. Going in search of prey, which the Tasmanian devil eats completely, along with bones and wool, he can fight for it with the marsupial marten.
By nature, Tasmanian devils are loners. They gather in groups only in one case - when you need to eat something large. At the same time, they fight and growl loudly, squeak, shrill scream, making a wide variety of sounds, which earns an additional bad reputation.
As a scavenger, the Tasmanian devil plays a critical role in the Tasmanian ecosystem by greatly reducing the chances of blowfly infestation in sheep. Despite its stern disposition, the Tasmanian Devil can be tamed and kept as a pet. But just don’t scare him, otherwise he will emit an unpleasant smell.
marsupials, as everyone knows, live in Australia, New Guinea and the surrounding islands. The exception is American opossums. Marsupials are closer to primitive animals that fed their offspring in bags on their stomachs.
In the process of the struggle for existence, mammals with full intrauterine development won, since they were born stronger, developed better and surpassed in their vitality those who stayed a short time in the womb and fed milk in her bag for a long time.
Better adapted mammals have supplanted marsupials on every continent except Australia. Why they were preserved there and why it happened - no one has yet been able to convincingly explain.
One of these curiosities is marsupial, or tasmanian, devil(and that's a scientific name, not a nickname). It is a small bear-like predator with a body about 70 cm long. It has an unusually large gallop, a broad bulldog muzzle and large ears, covered with hair on the outside, but completely naked inside, the pink skin of which contrasts with the black fur.
He also has a naked nose, lips, and an almost bare tip of the muzzle. Its tail is similar to a large carrot: thick at the base, with a sharp end. A white collar and two white spots stand out on the chest of the beast.
Such is the portrait of the Tasmanian devil, which got its name not because of its scary appearance, but because it is considered the most rabid and aggressive creature in the world.
He most likely owes such a reputation to the testimonies of hunters, struck by the wild fury with which this clumsy-looking beast defends itself. And since it is rare, such a characteristic was subsequently simply retold or reprinted many times.
The reputation of the poor devil stuck to him firmly. And only in the thirties of the last century, when the first copies of these marsupials appeared in zoos, it became clear that it was built on random and incorrect observations. These devils are tamed no worse than other animals, even if they fall into captivity as adults.
But upon closer acquaintance with them, it turns out that a very unpleasant smell emanates from them. By habits, the marsupial devil resembles a hyena - it feeds on carrion. All this repels from him a person who involuntarily ascribes all sins to an unpleasant creature indiscriminately.
It should be said that the devil's food is not only carrion, he eats everything: frogs, insects, and even poisonous snakes. In addition to gluttony, this animal is distinguished by illegibility in food - echidna needles, pieces of rubber, silver foil, pieces of leather shoes and harnesses, dish towels and undigested carrots and corn cobs were found in its excrement.
His hunting passion manifested itself in one amusing case: when a male devil ran into the open doors of the house and tried to drag away a cat dozing on the fireplace.
Another reason why hunters dislike him is his ability to ruin snares. With his strong teeth, he is able to gnaw through even iron bars.
The Tasmanian devil is nocturnal, but at the same time it behaves very noisily: the animal lapping water can be heard from 25 meters away. Just as loudly, forgetting about all caution, male devils yell during fights, their wild cries are carried far in the stillness of the night.
As for the offspring, the name "devil" seems to be the most appropriate here, because males happen to eat their cubs, and even at the moment when they, completely helpless, emerge from the mother's pouch. Devilish, frankly, concern. However, we must remember that such a phenomenon as eating offspring is not so rare in the animal world, for example, in domestic pigs.
But at the moment when the marsupial devil arranges a "family nest", the male works on a par with the female. In pits from uprooted trees, in hollows of fallen trunks, future parents line the bottom with bark, grass and leaves. The number of cubs that will appear in late May - early June reaches four, and the same number of nipples in the mother's bag.
For the first time, the offspring of the marsupial devil was obtained in captivity in the 40s of the last century. At the beginning of June, in the pouch of the female, which was kept together with the male, four small pink, naked and blind creatures, barely one and a half centimeters long, appeared. After seven weeks, they had grown to eight centimeters, were already moving their legs and giving voice.
At a month and a half they were overgrown with black fur, but only at the age of fifteen weeks did they finally break away from their mother's nipples, which until then they had been holding on to continuously. They opened their eyes and at the eighteenth week they began to crawl out of the bag and show interest in games. At the slightest danger, however, they clung to their mother, trying to climb into the bag on their own.
As further observations showed, these animals do not live long in captivity - seven years at the most.
But why does the marsupial devil live not in Australia, like all marsupials, but on a small island south of this continent? As shown by fossil remains, he used to live in Australia, like the second marsupial predator - the marsupial wolf, but was forced out of there in ancient times. It is not known who brought to Tasmania, he survived only on this relatively small piece of land.
Tasmanian devils caused a lot of trouble for European settlers, ruining chicken coops, eating animals caught in traps, and allegedly attacking lambs and sheep, which is why these animals were actively persecuted. In addition, the meat of the marsupial devil turned out to be edible and, according to the colonists, tasted like veal.
By June 1941, when the Tasmanian Devil Protection Act was passed, it was on the verge of extinction. However, unlike the marsupial wolf, which became extinct in 1936, the population of marsupial devils was restored.
The greatest danger to devils in our time is a contagious tumor. For the first time, a fatal disease called devil facial tumor disease ( devil's facial neoplasm disease, "devil's facial tumor"), or DFTD, was registered in 1999. Over the past period, according to various estimates, from 20 to 50% of the population of marsupial devils died from it, mainly in the eastern part of the island.
There are currently no cures for DFTD. To restore the population of devil cubs, they are raised in special nurseries and then released into the wild.
Classical zoological science singles out in its systematics up to 5,500 modern species of mammals. All of them differ markedly from each other in size, areola, structure and external features. One of the most specific animals of this class was a warlike predator, which received the name of the Tasmanian devil.
It is the only representative of its kind, however, scientists have noted its significant similarity with the quolls and most distantly with the extinct thylacine marsupial wolf.
Why is the Tasmanian devil called that?
It was the terrible screams and sharp teeth that gave people reason to call this animal the "devil"
In 1803, when a dilapidated boat of English officers, sailors and convicts moored on the banks of the wide river Derwent, located south of Tasmania, its composition met with a ferocious marsupial predator.
In their diaries, the settlers of the island immediately noted his formidable growl, mixed with piercing cries and a toothy mouth.
The predator has been characterized as an immensely wild and extremely dangerous pest for livestock. Its sharp teeth were so developed that it chewed on the large bones of domesticated animals, crushed hard cartilage, and ate carrion.
It is worth noting that disputes still arise among people regarding the correct name of this animal. Disagreements are built around two phrases similar in sound - "Tasmanian devil" and "Tasmanian devil".
This animal was named the Tasmanian devil in the university work “The Extinction of Ancient Reptiles and Mammals” by the Soviet paleontologist L.K. Gabunia. This option is found both in fiction, covering the books of Yu. B. Nagibin, D. A. Krymov, and in popular science works, including V. F. Petrov.
As of 2018, all the leading media of the Russian Federation and scientific publications designate this predator with the word “Tasmanian” in their materials, which gives reason to assume the correctness of this particular option.
What does it look like
With its outlines, the island "devil" resembles a dense and squat dog
The Tasmanian devil has officially been recognized as the largest living carnivorous marsupial on planet Earth. He entered the detachment and family of the Australian predatory marsupials. Compared to its entire body, the predator's head is quite impressive in size.
Behind the anus, the devil has a short and thick tail. In its structure, it differs from the body parts of other mammals, as it accumulates fat reserves. In sick predatory marsupials, the tail acquires a thin and frail shape. Long hair grows over its area, which are often wiped on the ground, and then the mobile appendage on the back of the animal's body remains almost naked.
The front legs of the Tasmanian devil are slightly longer than its hind legs. Thus, marsupials are capable of reaching speeds of up to 13 km / h, but they are only enough for short distances.
Fur is usually dyed black. Often there are rare white spots and peas on the chest (although about 16% of wild devils do not have such pigmentation).
Males reach greater length and mass than females:
- The average weight of a male is 8 kilograms with a body length of 65 centimeters.
- Women's - 6 kilograms with a length of 57 centimeters.
Large males weigh up to 12 kilograms, although it is worth considering that devils in western Tasmania tend to be smaller.
Marsupials have five long toes on their front feet. Four of them are directed strictly forward, and one looks out from the side, which allows the devil to more comfortably hold food.
The first finger on the hind limbs is absent, but there are still large claws that contribute to a strong grip and tearing food.
The Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite in relation to its own body size. Its grip cannot be compared to other mammals. The compression force is 553 N. The jaw can open up to 75–80°, allowing the devil to generate more power to tear meat and crush bones.
The devil has long whiskers on its face, which are endowed with the function of smell and help the predator find prey in the dark. Its sense of smell is able to recognize odors at a distance of up to 1 kilometer, which contributes to the calculation of the victim.
Because devils hunt at night, their vision seems to be sharpest at night. Under these conditions, they can easily detect moving objects, but have difficulty seeing stationary elements of the surrounding world.
Habitat
The Tasmanian Devil is endemic to Australia.
Devils inhabit all places in the Australian state of Tasmania, including the outskirts of urban areas.. They spread throughout the Tasmanian mainland and mastered its nearby parts, for example, Robbins Island.
Up to a certain point, mentions of a marsupial predator on the island of Bruni are known, but after the 19th century no one met him in this region. It is assumed that from other areas the Tasmanian devil was driven out and exterminated by dingo dogs introduced by the natives.
Now these mammals are found daily in the central, northern and western parts of the island in areas designated for sheep pastures, as well as in the national parks of Tasmania.
Lifestyle
The Tasmanian Devil is a nocturnal and dusk hunter. He spends the daytime in a dense bush or a deep hole.
Young devils can climb trees, but this becomes increasingly difficult as they grow older. Adult predators can devour young members of their family if they are very hungry. Therefore, climbing and moving through trees became a means of survival for young individuals, allowing them to hide from their ferocious brethren.
Devils also thrive in water and are able to swim. It follows from the observation that predators can cross a river 50 meters wide. Predators are not afraid of cold waterways.
What does it eat
Tasmanian devils are practically omnivores.
Tasmanian devils have the ability to overpower prey the size of small kangaroos. However, in practice, they are more opportunistic and eat carrion more often than they hunt live animals.
Devils are able to devour food weighing up to 40% of their own body weight per day with a special feeling of hunger.
Despite the fact that the devil's favorite food is wombats, he will not refuse to feast on other local mammals. Predators may be affected by:
- opossum rats;
- potor;
- livestock (including sheep);
- birds;
- fish;
- insects,
- frogs;
- reptiles.
The facts of hunting of marsupial devils for water rats near the sea are documented. They also don't mind eating dead fish that have washed ashore.
Near human habitation, they often steal shoes and chew them into small pieces. Surprisingly, the predators also consumed the collars and tags of the eaten animals, jeans, plastic, etc.
Mammals inspect flocks of sheep, sniffing them from a distance of 10-15 meters and begin to act if they understand that the victim has no chance to resist them.
The study of devils during their meal has established twenty sounds that act as a means of communication.
Mammals try to show their dominance through a ferocious roar or by taking up a fighting pose. Adult males are the most aggressive, standing on their hind legs and attacking each other with their forelimbs, similar to sumo wrestling.
Sometimes the Tasmanian devil can be seen torn flesh around the mouth and teeth, which were harmed during the fight.
Behavioral Features
Animals do not consolidate into groups, but spend most of their time alone when they stop feeding on their mother's breasts. In the classical view, these predators were described as solitary animals, but their biological relationships have not been studied in detail. A study published in 2009 shed some light on this.
Tasmanian devils in Narauntapu National Park were equipped with radar that recorded their interactions with other individuals over several months from February to June 2006. This showed that all mammals were part of one huge contact network, characterized by interaction between each other.
Tasmanian devil families set up three or four dens to improve their own security. Minks, previously owned by wombats, are used by females during their pregnancy due to increased comfort and security.
Tasmanian devils prefer to live in burrows
Dense vegetation near streams, dense thorny grasses and caves are also great as a shelter. Adult predators live in the same minks until the end of their lives, which then pass to younger individuals.
In self-defense and intimidation of other animals, the Tasmanian devil is capable of making heartbreaking sounds. They can also growl hoarsely and grunt piercingly as danger approaches.
According to the general idea, a marsupial predator cannot threaten a person in any way. However, situations of attacks of these mammals on tourists are known. Therefore, when this animal is found nearby, it is better not to disturb it with provocative actions and be careful.
Diseases
The disease of these predatory animals, first encountered in 1996, was called the "facial tumor of the devil." According to statistical estimates, from 20% to 80% of the population of the Tasmanian devil suffered from its impact.
The tumor is characterized by high aggressiveness and almost guaranteed mortality of infected animals within 10–16 months.
This disease is an example of a transmissible disease that can be transmitted from one animal to another. As of 2018, no cure for facial tumors has been developed, so the animals have to look for natural mechanisms to combat this dysfunction. As it turned out, these animals have them:
- In mammals, the processes of sexual maturation have increased. The volume of pregnant females under the age of one year has increased significantly, which allows maintaining the reproductive component of the species at the proper level.
- The family of predatory marsupials began to breed all year round, while earlier the mating season lasted only a couple of months.
The diversity of transmissible tumors raises questions about the likelihood of the disease occurring in humans, the researchers warn.
reproduction
A female can give birth to up to 30 cubs
Females are ready to perform their reproductive functions upon reaching puberty. On average, their body is fully formed by the age of two. After this point, they are able to produce offspring a couple of times a year, producing several eggs.
The devil's reproductive cycle begins in March or April. During this period, there is an increased number of potential victims. Thus, the described time seasons coincide with the maximization of food supplies in the wild. It is spent on newly born young Tasmanian devils.
Mating takes place in March in sheltered areas during the day and night. Males fight over females during the breeding season. Female mammals will mate with the most dominant predator.
Females may ovulate up to three times in a 21-day period, and copulation may take five days. A case was recorded when a couple mated for eight days.
Tasmanian devils are not monogamous. Thus females are willing to copulate with multiple males if not protected after mating. Males also breed with more females during the season.
average life expectancy
The biological structure of the Tasmanian devils controls their numbers. The mother has four nipples, and the cubs are born about thirty. All of them are very small and helpless. Therefore, those who manage to cling to the source of milk survive.
The female continues to feed her offspring up to 5-6 months. Only after this period can mammals embark on the path of self-sufficiency in obtaining food.
In nature, animals do not live longer than eight years, which makes the renewal of representatives of this population very fleeting.
The mammal belongs to the symbolic animals of Australia. The image with it is the emblem of many Tasmanian national parks, sports teams, coins and emblems.
Despite the fact that the appearance of the devil and the sounds he makes can inspire danger, this family of predatory marsupials is a worthy representative of the animal kingdom.