Tasmanian Devil

• Largest carnivorous marsupial

• Only found on Tasmania

• Stocky and muscular• Size of a small dog

• The fur is usually black

• Stores body fat in its tail

• Forelegs are slightly longer than its hind legs.

• Can run up to 8 mph for short distances.

• Males are usually larger than females,

• Life expectancy in the wild is six years, although they may live longer in captivity.

• Long whiskers on its face and in clumps on the top of the head help the devil locate prey when foraging in the dark

• Can produce a strong odor

• Has the strongest bite of any living mammal

• One set of teeth that grows slowly throughout its life

Reproduction

• Gestation lasts 21 days, and devils give birth to 20-30 young weighing approximately 0.18–0.24 grams (size of a grain of rice)

• Despite the large litter at birth, the female has only four nipples so competition is fierce as they crawl to the pouch.

•Once inside the pouch, they each remain attached to a nipple for the next 100 days.

Threats

• Listed as endangered do to hunting and destruction of habitat

• Devil facial tumor disease causes tumors to form in and around the mouth, interfering with feeding and eventually leading to death by starvation.

• Affected high-density populations suffer up to 100% mortality in 12–18 months.

•Two "insurance" populations of disease-free devils are being established at an urban facility