Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil is a small, sturdy animal with shiny black fur and a pinkish nose. It lives on the island of Tasmania, off the south coast of Australia, and it is found nowhere else in the wild. Even though it is only about the size of a small dog, it is the biggest meat-eating marsupial in the whole world.

A marsupial is a special kind of mammal. When Tasmanian devil babies, called joeys, are born, they are tinier than a jellybean. They crawl into a snug pouch on their mother's tummy and stay there for months, drinking milk and growing bigger until they are ready to peek out at the world.

Tasmanian devils are shy and like to be on their own. They come out at night to find food, sniffing the ground with their excellent sense of smell. Most of the time they are helpful clean-up animals, eating up bits of food and old bones that other animals have left behind. This keeps the countryside tidy.

The Tasmanian devil is famous for its very loud screech. It sounds much fiercer than the animal really is. Devils often screech and squabble when they gather to share the same meal, but it is mostly noise and show. Their big head and strong jaws give them one of the strongest bites of any land animal their size, perfect for crunching through tough bones.

Sadly, there are fewer Tasmanian devils than there used to be. A catching illness called Devil Facial Tumour Disease has made many of them poorly, and some are also hurt by cars on the roads. Scientists, wildlife carers, and special safe parks are all working hard to look after the devils and help their numbers grow strong again.