A mighty bite
For its size it has one of the strongest bites of any mammal, and can crunch through bone.
The bush
Tasmanian devil
Sarcophilus harrisii
A stocky, black marsupial the size of a small dog, with a white chest band, pink ears and strong jaws.
- Size
- About 65cm long, plus the tail
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Forest and farmland in Tasmania
Lopes after you with a rocking run. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Tasmanian devil
Good to know
Six things about the tasmanian devil
A terrible noise
Its screams and growls over a meal gave it the name devil.
The clean-up crew
It eats dead animals, bones, fur and all, which helps to keep the bush clean.
Ears that blush
Its ears turn bright red when it is excited or cross.
A fat tail
It stores fat in its tail, so a plump tail is a sign of a healthy devil.
Tiny young
Up to forty are born, each the size of a grain of rice, but only four can find a place in the pouch.
The real thing
Photos of the tasmanian devil
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Devils come out at night. Several wildlife parks in Tasmania have them, and you may see one on a quiet road after dark.
How to help
A catching face cancer has killed most wild devils. Support the Save the Tasmanian Devil programme, and drive slowly at night in Tasmania.
Keep going