Sarcophilus harrisii
Tasmanian devil

Currently Sarcophilus harrisii is found only in Tasmania, although fossil evidence suggests that it once occupied much of the Australian mainland. It has been suggested that its absence in many previously occupied areas can be explained by competition with the introduced dingo in Australia. (Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils are numerous throughout Tasmania except in areas where there has been extensive habitat fragmentation and deforestation. They are most numerous in coastal heath and rangeland areas where agricultural practices maintain a constant supply of carrion. They also occur in open, dry schlerophyll forest and mixed schlerophyll rainforest. Their dens typically are located in hollow logs, caves, or burrows. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils are stocky with a brownish black pelage. They have a white throat patch, white spots on their sides and backside, and a pinkish snout. The head is massive with well developed jaw muscles. Molar teeth are heavy and adapted for their role in crushing bone and tearing through muscle and thick skin. Females are slightly smaller than males. Body size varies considerably with diet, habitat, and age. Large males may reach 12 kg and 30 cm at the shoulder. Total length ranges from 525 to 800 mm and tail length from 230-300 mm. Male weight ranges from 5.5 to 12 kg and female weight from 4.1 to 8.1 kg. Fat storage occurs in the tail, as in many dasyurids. Females have four mammae and, unlike many other dasyurids, the marsupial pouch is completely closed when breeding. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils most often live to a maximum of 5 years old in the wild. Most young die immediately after dispersing out of their natal range as a result of food scarcity or competition. They may live 7 to 8 years. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils are nocturnal and usually solitary. Occasionally, when individuals congregate at food sources, such as carrion, they interact aggressively but they are not territorial. When fighting, Tasmanian devils vocalize with growls, screeches, and vibratos. There also seems to be a learned dominance hierarchy, at least in captive situations.

Both males and females make nests of bark, grass and leaves which they inhabit throughout the day. They may be seen sunbathing during the day in quiet areas. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Home Range

Tasmanian devils stay within a relatively small home range, traveling an average of 3.2 km in a night. (Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils have keen senses of smell, sight, touch, and taste. They communicate through a wide variety of vocalizations and physical cues, such as yawning and raising their tails. Tasmanian devils are regarded with some awe because of the blood-curdling shrieks and growls they use, particularly when a group is scavenging a carcass. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005)

Tasmanian devils have been considered livestock predators. In reality, these marsupials take most of their large prey, such as wombats, wallabies, sheep, and rabbits, in the form of carrion. Tasmanian devils are efficient scavengers, eating even bones and fur. Tasmanian devils may have depended on carrion left from Tasmanian wolf kills in historical times. Other food items, such as insects, insect larvae, snakes, and small amounts of vegetation, are taken when encountered. Tasmanian devils forage in a slow, lumbering manner, using their sense of smell to find food at night. They are famous for their rowdy communal feeding, which is accompanied by aggression and loud vocalizations. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Adult Tasmanian devils have few natural predators, although Tasmanian wolves may have preyed on them occasionally. Small S. harrisii may fall prey to eagles (Accipitridae), owls (Strigiformes), and spotted tail quolls (Dasyurus maculatus). Tasmanian devils are ferocious when attacked and are impressively armed with heavy jaw musculature and robust teeth, they are able to protect themselves against larger predators. Their nocturnal activity may help them avoid some predators (such as Tasmanian wolves, historically). (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005)

Tasmanian devils are important predators in native, Tasmanian ecosystems. After the Tasmanian wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus), they are the largest native, mammalian predator on Tasmania.

Tasmanian devils were once thought to kill livestock, such as sheep. Although this is unlikely, they have been known to kill poultry. They may be considered "nuisance" animals by some. However, the value of Tasmanian devils as important members of functioning ecosystems and as scavengers probably outweighs any negative effect of these animals on human. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils are important as top predators in native, Tasmanian habitats. As scavengers they are important in removing carcasses. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

At one time, Tasmanian devils were thought to be in danger of extinction due to persecution by settlers and destruction of forest habitat. Populations stabilized, and may have increased with the increased availability of carrion in rangelands. In recent years many populations of Tasmanian devil have been devastated by a new, usually lethal, cancer-like disease that is spreading rapidly throughout Tasmania. There is some evidence that this disease is not new, but is endemic to Tasmanian devils. Historical record and epidemiological modeling suggest that this epidemic may cycle through Tasmanian devil populations at 77-146 year intervals. Although this has no resulted in extinction in the past, the effect of additional, human-associated threats may pose a grave threat to the persistence of Tasmanian devil populations. Tasmanian devils are protected in Tasmania. (Bradshaw and Brook, 2005; DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)

Tasmanian devils were previously known by the name Sarcophilus laniarius. (Nowak, 1991; Wilson and Reeder, 1993)