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Table of Contents
The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial that is related to koalas and kangaroos. This mammal is found only on the island state of Tasmania, a part of Australia, hence its name.
See the fact file below for more information on the Tasmanian devil or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Tasmanian Devil worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
DESCRIPTION
- It is black in color, and it is the size of a small-sized dog.
- It has an oversized head, neck, and jaws that are well suited to crushing bones.
- Its mouth is able to open wide, and although it may seem threatening, it is most likely to express fear and uncertainty rather than aggression.
- They have stocky bodies and large heads, making their movements look awkward.
- It produces a foul order when placed in situations of stress.
- The Tasmanian devil uses fierce snarls and high-pitched screams to establish dominance at feeding time around a carcass.
- Before fighting with other devils, they let out a strong sneeze. This is part of a ritual to lessen any real fighting that may lead to serious injuries. After they confront each other, their ears turn red, and one or both animals usually back down.
HABITAT AND DIET
- The Tasmanian devil’s habitat includes woodlands, coastal scrubland, eucalyptus forests, and agricultural areas.
- They find shelter in small dark places, such as stones, caves, bushes, old wombat burrows, and hollow logs.
- They maintain home ranges in the wild, and these vary with the availability of food.
- In order to find food, Tasmanian devils travel long distances every night. They cover as much as 10 miles (16 kilometers) daily. They use their keen sense of hearing and smell to find prey or carrion.
- As the top carnivores in Tasmania, they are basically carrion eaters, and they scavenge anything that comes their way. They also hunt live prey, such as birds and small mammals. They have tearing, shearing teeth and powerful jaws that allow them to eat most of the carcass, including the bones.
- They are solitary animals, but they often group together to feed on carcasses. They are gorge feeders, and they consume large amounts of food at a time. Because they are also scavengers, they contribute to their habitat by eating what they find lying around (even things that are old and rotten).
FAMILY LIFE
- Baby Tasmanian devils are called imps. They are born pink and hairless, and they remain in their mother’s pouch for up to four months. There can be around 50 imps born in one litter.
- The imps have to race a short distance of around 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) from the mother’s birth canal to the mother’s rear-facing pouch. They use their well-developed claws to compete and to attach themselves to one of four available teats. Only the four imps that are able to attach to the teats will have a chance to survive and grow. The imps keep a tight grip on the teat until they are about 100 days old. They hold on and are often dragged underneath their mother as she travels.
- After emerging from the pouch of the mother, the imps ride on their mother’s back. They often stay behind in the den while their mother goes out to hunt. When the imps are around six months old, they become weaned. At around nine months old, they become independent.
- Young Tasmanian devils are more physically agile than adults, and they can even climb trees. If they are able to survive their first year of life, the devil’s lifespan in the wild lasts about seven to eight years.
CONSERVATION
- Tasmanian devils were once found throughout Australia. However, they slowly lost ground to the dingo.
- European settlers came to Tasmania in the late 18th century. They considered Tasmanian devils and another animal, the Tasmanian tiger, to be pests and nuisances because these animals would hunt the settlers’ livestock (chicken and sheep).
- Bounties were placed on the devils and tigers in the 1830s until they neared extinction by the end of the century. As a matter of fact, the Tasmanian tiger was deemed extinct in the year 1936. The devils gained protection in the year 1941, which allowed the population to gradually increase.
- The devils increase in numbers every summer when the young leave their mothers to live on their own. Only around 40% of the imps survive the first few months because of the high competition for food. The drastic increase in population only occurs once a year. Now, farmers actually appreciate the Tasmanian devils, as they help keep down the rodent population that consumes their crops.
- Attacks from domestic dogs and foxes act as threats to the Tasmanian devils. Other threats include being hit by cars, disease, or loss of habitat. The Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle is the largest predator in the devil’s ecosystem. They compete for food with other scavenging devils.
- A new challenge that these organisms face is disease. There is a rare contagious cancer that is found in devils called the devil facial tumor disease. This disease was detected in 1996, and it is transmitted from one animal to another through biting. Biting is a common behavior among them when they are feeding and mating. The disease kills an infected devil within 6 to 12 months, and there is no known cure or vaccine.
- Despite its originally bad reputation, it’s clear that the Tasmanian devil has made its mark on the island. It was even chosen as the symbol of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Tasmanian Devil Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Tasmanian Devil across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Tasmanian Devil worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Tasmanian devil which is a marsupial that is related to koalas and kangaroos. This mammal is found only on the island state of Tasmania, a part of Australia, hence its name.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Tasmanian Devil Facts
- CreARTure
- One Big Family
- Travel Guide
- It’s Feeding Time
- Baby Imps
- Habitat Art
- Meal Madness
- Species Threatened
- In the Wild
- Do Your Part
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Link will appear as Tasmanian Devil Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 15, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.