Animal marsupial devil. The Tasmanian Devil and the Bites of Death. The third story is about fantastic beasts and what they can teach us. Habitat of the marsupial devil

The Tasmanian marsupial devil (lat. Sarcophilus laniarius) is a mammal from the order of Carnivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia) that lives on the island of Tasmania. Previously, representatives of this species also lived in Australia, but were destroyed by dingo dogs and evil farmers.

Suspicious agrarians were sure that marsupial devils attack sheep, although in fact they feed on carrion and on livestock hunting is extremely rare.

The animal got its name because of the terrible ominous growl, bloodthirstiness and indomitable aggression even in relation to much stronger creatures.

In the middle of the last century, it was on the verge of extinction. Since 1945, the view has been taken under state protection.

Behavior

Most readily, the Tasmanian devil settles in forests with sparse undergrowth, but is often found on mountain slopes, meadows and pastures. He is a typical lone hunter. In the selected area, the predator builds a shelter in a secluded cave, pit or hole dug under the roots of trees.

The Tasmanian devil lines its dwelling with dry grass. During the daylight hours, he sleeps, and with the advent of twilight he goes hunting. The marsupial mammal walks around its lands in a leisurely jog in search of food. Insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small kangaroos become its prey.

The jaws of a predator are armed with sharp and strong teeth that easily tear the body of the victim, grind cartilage and crush bones.

The favorite delicacy of the Tasmanian devils is carrion. Near her, a whole team of tailed like-minded people often gathers, attracted by the smell of rotten meat. Everyone tries to tear off the most appetizing pieces quickly and more, not forgetting to push away and drive away from the delicacy of his less agile neighbor.

These animals also love dead fish. Noticing her in the water, they swim to her in the blink of an eye and pull her ashore. Their disposition is, to put it mildly, grumpy. Beating or biting a relative is a common thing for them. Males fight each other especially fiercely. The fight begins with loud, intimidating screams. Then the opponents stand on their hind legs and try to bite each other hard on the face.

Fights are dangerous because they often cause infectious diseases. Because of them, many animals suffer from cancer of the lymph nodes. Patients develop nodular thickenings all over their bodies, due to which they cannot hunt, weaken and die of starvation in 3-4 months.

reproduction

The mating season for Tasmanian marsupial devils is not much different from ordinary life. First, the male beats the competitors half to death, then fights with the females. If the female wins, the unlucky boyfriend is kicked out of the site.

In the event of the victory of the male or the very rare favor of the female, the lucky man, without undue ceremony, grabs the lady of the heart with his teeth by the scruff of the neck and pulls into the hole. After a while, she shows miracles of dexterity and escapes the dungeons in search of a new partner.

Pregnancy lasts 21 days. About 30 underdeveloped embryos are born. They are completely naked, without paws and eyes. The mother has only 4 nipples in her pouch, so only those who manage to reach and suck on them first survive.

At the age of 3 months, the cubs are overgrown with wool. They grow hair, teeth erupt, eyes, paws and claws appear. The grown-up little devils leave the mother's pouch and begin to leave the hole.

When the mother goes hunting, they are left all alone. A loving mother brings them dead animals. With a squeal, the cubs tear them to pieces and eat them with great appetite. At 7 months, adolescents themselves begin to hunt on the mother's site. They catch lizards and other small animals. During this period, they themselves often become victims of tiger cats, foxes and Australian eagles.

After two months, the strengthened devils leave the parental nest and go to occupy their own lands. Two-year-old males already feel strong enough to enter into a bloody struggle for procreation.

Description

The body length is 50-80 cm, and the height at the withers is 30-35 cm. The weight of adults can range from 4 to 12 kg.

The strong squat body is covered with thick fur. The coat is black or dark brown. There are white stripes on the coccyx and chest. The tail is covered with rather sparse hair and reaches a length of 23-30 cm. Fat reserves are deposited in the tail for a rainy day, so in healthy animals it is thick, and in sick animals it becomes very thin.

The head is massive and wide, and the muzzle, on the contrary, is short and almost hairless. The black nose is a very sensitive organ of smell. Long and thick vibrissae grow on the sides of the muzzle. The ears are large, covered with sparse hair. The legs are short and very strong. The fingers are armed with sharp claws. Life expectancy is about 10 years.

Despite their innate ferocity, Tasmanian marsupial devils are easily tamed and attached to their master, whom they try to protect like dogs.

The marsupial devil is a marsupial animal that lives only on the island of Tasmania.

Making scary sounds, opening a huge mouth with fangs in case of danger, and simply a frightening-looking predator is one of the most mysterious on the planet.

Where did he get this name from? what does a marsupial devil look like and why doesn't he live more than eight years?

When the first settlers from Europe settled on the island of Tasmania, they could not even think that an animal could live on this land, making very scary and loud sounds.

In addition, when the source of the screams was discovered, the Europeans were shocked by the huge mouth, as well as jet black animal fur.

In combination with the sound it makes, the beast looks like a real guest from the underworld. Yes, for appearance and for the sounds it makes, the Europeans nicknamed him the Tasmanian Devil. For a long time, the beast was also called the marsupial devil.

The height and weight of the Tasmanian devil depends on the sex (males are larger), as well as habitat. On average, the body length with a tail length of 25 cm is 55-80 cm.

tasmanian devil massive and clumsy. It resembles a bear reduced to the size of a dog. In addition, the animal's paws are asymmetrical (the hind legs are shorter than the front ones), which for marsupial not typical. The claws on all paws are round and very strong.

It is important to know! Despite its build and small stature, the Tasmanian devil is a marsupial with the greatest bite force.

The coat of the beast is black and short, and on the tail there are long hair. Feature of the Tasmanian devil - strong jaw and large sharp teeth with which he grinds bones.

The Tasmanian devil is an animal that, based on phylogenetic analysis, has kinship with quolls. Studies have also shown that the thylacine (marsupial wolf) is a "relative" of the Tasmanian marsupial devil.

Where is the marsupial Tasmanian devil found?

Scientists say that literally 600 years ago, the Tasmanian devil could be found on mainland Australia, but today the marsupial devil is found exclusively on the island of Tasmania.

By official version this was due to the introduction of the Dingo dog to the mainland by the Aborigines of Australia 400 years before the Europeans arrived here.

But the meeting of the beast in Tasmania with new settlers from Europe was not successful.

The settlers were outraged that the marsupial devil was sneaking into chicken coops and preys on their livestock. A hunt was announced, which every year worse and worse reflected on the population of the beast.

Hunting and active development of the island forced the marsupial devil to live in remote forest and mountain areas. To date, it has been possible to save the population of this predator only thanks to the ban on his hunting in 1941.

Today, the marsupial devil in Australia is a full-fledged inhabitant of national reserves. It can be seen in natural environment habitats in sheep pastures in the northern, western and central territories of the island.

Interestingly, the marsupial devil not tied to a specific area. The Tasmanian devil is a loner. The beast selects territory up to 20 square meters. km, on which he hunts.

And even if another marsupial devil wanders into his site, there will be no “conflict”. These predators allowed to cross territories.

The scary voice of the devil and his similarities with the skunk

When lone marsupial devils gather together, and this happens only when they eat large prey, a joint meal makes each predator show your importance and superiority.

Sounds and noises that marsupial devils make when they eat together, the inhabitants of Tasmania heard for miles.

The range of the Tasmanian devil is varied. So, the marsupial devil sometimes quietly and monotonously growls, When wants to scare the enemy.

Previously, people thought that the habit of the marsupial devil, when meeting with any living creature, immediately opening its mouth filled with powerful sharp teeth is an indicator of the beast's aggression. However, a number of studies by zoologists suggest that this reaction is not a sign of malice.

It is important to know! The Tasmanian devil is an animal that is quite realistic to tame. Even animals that have grown up in absolutely wild conditions can be tamed, and young individuals can even become a wonderful pet.

Rather, the animal surprised and worried. This hypothesis was confirmed when scientists provided as evidence the fact that a predator emitted a foul-smelling substance at the time of excitement. Skunks use the same defense mechanism.

What does the Tasmanian marsupial devil eat?

Tasmanian devil - voracious animal. Each meal is 15% of its own weight.

Predator eats large insects, snakes, tubers and roots of plants, frogs, crayfish,

However the main place of the diet marsupial devil takes carrion.

Well developed sense of smell allows the predator to very quickly detect the corpses of sheep and marine life.

Tasmanian devils living near pastures, feed on corpses livestock, eating everything together with the skin and bones. Thus, by completely destroying carrion, the probability of reproduction of sheep that are dangerous to health, blowfly larvae, is reduced.

Due to illegible food, the life of the Tasmanian devil is short. Even the most cautious individuals do not live more than eight years.

It is important to know! The fact that the Tasmanian devil destroys carrion is the main reason for the need to preserve the predator population. The contribution of this predator to the regulation of the Tasmanian ecosystem is enormous.

Protection of the marsupial devil in Australia

In 1941 a predator entered in the red book. Since then, the Tasmanian devil has been under protection. This fact made it possible to preserve the population of the beast to this day. But the animal is pursued by another misfortune - the face tumor virus. This disease in last years significantly crippled the ranks of marsupial devils in Tasmania.

Attention! Since 2004, the capture and export of the Tasmanian devil outside of Australia has been completely prohibited!

The Tasmanian marsupial devil is an endangered animal that, despite its not very friendly appearance, not aggressive. Moreover, this predator looks quite clumsy due to the disproportion of the limbs.

This kind for a long time put to the real test, but the extermination of the marsupial devil was stopped in time, so today this species of marsupial is preserved.

In conclusion, we offer you look interesting video about the Tasmanian marsupial devil:

Being the largest of modern predatory marsupials, this animal is black in color with white spots on the chest and rump, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth, has a dense physique and severe disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the Tasmanian devil (lat. Sarcophilus harrisii). Emitting ominous cries at night, the massive and clumsy beast outwardly resembles a small bear: the front paws are slightly longer than the hind legs, a large head, and the muzzle is blunted.

Sarcophilus (gr. Flesh lover) is the name of its genus. These animals reach 50-80 cm in length, up to 30 cm in height and 12 kg in weight, the length of the tail is up to 30 cm. The pouch of females opens back. Males are larger than females, but in principle, a lot also depends on age, nutrition and range: the size and weight of the animals can change in one direction or another.

But what is invariable for everyone is small pink ears, short hair, a strong tail (where fat reserves are deposited), large claws and the absence of a first finger on the hind limbs. , awarded by nature with sharp strong teeth, with one bite is able to bite and crush not only the bone, but also the spine of its prey!

Previously, this amazing animal lived on mainland Australia, but today the Tasmanian devil can only be found on the island of Tasmania. It is assumed that it was squeezed out by wild ones, brought to the mainland by the natives. European settlers also did not spare the Tasmanian devil, ruthlessly exterminating his family because of the beast's habit of ruining chicken coops.

In 1941, an official ban on hunting the Tasmanian devil literally saved these animals from complete extinction from the face of the Earth. They currently live in national parks Tasmania, in the northern, western and central parts of the island, living in almost any landscape conditions, with the exception of densely populated regions.

As for the lifestyle and diet of the Tasmanian devil, then, inhabiting coastal savannas, dry sclerophyll and mixed sclerophyll-rain forests, they feed mainly on carrion, small animals (rats, rabbits) and birds. Insects, snakes and amphibians are also used.

The Tasmanian devil is very voracious: he must eat 15% of his body weight per day. If he does not eat up food of animal origin, then he can eat both plant tubers and edible roots. The animal shows activity at night, during the day hiding in dense bushes and crevices of stones.

Animals live in burrows and under the trunk of a fallen tree, arranging nests for themselves from leaves, bark and grass. He likes to walk along the shore of the reservoir, eating the surrounding frogs, crayfish and other small aquatic inhabitants. Possessing an excellent sense of smell, the Tasmanian devil can smell carrion at a great distance.

Here the size does not matter - if necessary, he will eat both a sheep and a cow! Especially pleased if the meat is properly rotten and decomposed. Going in search of prey, which the Tasmanian devil eats completely, along with bones and wool, he can fight for it with the marsupial marten.

By nature, Tasmanian devils are loners. They gather in groups only in one case - when you need to eat something large. At the same time, they fight and growl loudly, squeak, shrill scream, making a wide variety of sounds, which earns an additional bad reputation.

Representing scavengers, the Tasmanian devil plays essential role in the Tasmanian ecosystem, significantly reducing the likelihood of blowfly infestation in sheep. Despite its stern disposition, the Tasmanian Devil can be tamed and kept as a pet. But just don’t scare him, otherwise he will emit an unpleasant smell.

The first European colonists on the island of Tasmania heard the terrible cries of an unknown beast at night. The howl was so frightening that the animal was called the Tasmanian marsupial devil or the Tasmanian devil. The marsupial devil is found in Australia, and when scientists first managed to detect it, the animal showed its ferocious disposition and the name stuck. Lifestyle of the Tasmanian Devil and Interesting Facts from his biography, we will take a closer look in this article.

Description and appearance

Animal Tasmanian devil - predatory marsupial mammal. This is the only one of its kind. The scientists were able to establish kinship with a marsupial wolf, but it is rather weakly expressed.

The Tasmanian marsupial devil is a medium-sized predator, about the size of an average dog, that is, 12-15 kilograms. The height at the withers is 24-26 centimeters, less often 30. Outwardly, you might think that this is an awkward animal due to asymmetrical paws and a rather full physique. However, it is a very agile and successful predator. This is greatly facilitated strong jaws, powerful claws, his sharp eyesight and hearing.

This is interesting! The tail deserves special attention - an important sign of the health of the animal. If it is covered with thick hair and very thick, then the Tasmanian marsupial devil eats well and is absolutely healthy. Moreover, the animal uses it as a store of fat for difficult times.

Habitat of the marsupial devil

Modern representatives of such an animal as the marsupial devil are found only on the territory of the island of Tasmania. Previously included in the list of animals of Australia and the Tasmanian devil. Approximately 600 years ago, these were its fairly common inhabitants, who inhabited the mainland of the continent and were a rather large species in number.

After the natives brought in, who actively hunted the Tasmanian devil, their population declined. Settlers from Europe treated these animals no better. The Tasmanian marsupial devil constantly ruined chicken coops, and also caused significant damage to rabbit farms. Often raids of predators took place on cubs of sheep, and soon a real war of extermination was declared on this petty bloodthirsty bandit.

The Tasmanian devil almost suffered the fate of other animals, completely exterminated by man. Only by the middle of the twentieth century, the extermination of this rare species the animals were stopped. In 1941, a law was passed prohibiting the hunting of these predators.. Thanks to this to today managed to successfully restore the population of such an animal as the marsupial devil.

Understanding the danger of human proximity, cautious animals usually settle in inaccessible areas. They live mainly in the central and western parts of Tasmania. They live mainly in forest areas, shrouds and near pastures, and are also found in mountainous inaccessible areas.

Lifestyle of the Tasmanian Devil

Animal marsupial devil leads single night image life. It is not tied to a certain territory, so they are calm about the appearance of strangers in their place of residence. During the day, as a rule, they are inactive and prefer to sleep in burrows that are built in the roots of trees from branches and leaves. If the situation allows and there is no danger, they can go out into the air and bask in the sun.

In addition to holes built on their own, they can occupy strangers or abandoned by other animals. Rare conflicts between animals arise solely because of the food that they do not want to share among themselves.

At the same time, they emit terrible cries that are carried for several kilometers. The cry of the Tasmanian devil deserves special attention. These sounds can be compared to wheezing mixed with howls. The cry of the marsupial devil looks especially creepy and ominous when these animals gather in packs and give joint “concerts”.

Nutrition, basic diet

The Tasmanian marsupial devil is a ferocious predator. If we compare the bite force with the size of the animal, then this little animal will be a champion in jaw strength.

This is interesting! Among the interesting facts about the Tasmanian devil is the way this animal hunts: it immobilizes its prey by biting the spine or biting through the skull. He eats mainly small mammals, snakes, lizards, and if you are especially lucky on the hunt, then small river fish. Less commonly, carrion, if the carcass of the fallen animal is large, then several marsupial predators can gather for a feast.

At the same time, conflicts arise between relatives, often it comes to bloodshed and serious injuries.

Tasmanian devil and interesting facts about the diet of this predator.

This is interesting! This is a very gluttonous animal, extremely illegible in food; scientists managed to detect rubber, rags and other inedible objects in its secretions. While other animals usually eat from 5% to 7% of their weight, the Tasmanian devil can absorb up to 10% or even 15% at a time. In case the animal is really very hungry, it can eat up to half of its weight.

This also makes it a kind of champion among mammals.

reproduction

Marsupial devils reach puberty by two years. The pregnancy lasts three weeks. The mating season is March-April.

This is interesting! There are also very interesting facts in the breeding method of the Tasmanian devil. After all, the litter of the female is born up to 30 tiny cubs, each the size of large cherry. Immediately after the birth, they, clinging to the fur, crawl into the bag. Since females have only four nipples, not all cubs survive. Those cubs who could not survive are eaten by the female, this is how natural selection works.

The cubs of the Tasmanian devil come out of the pouch at about four months old. Switch from mother's milk to adult food at eight months. Despite the fact that the animal marsupial devil is one of the most prolific mammals, not all survive to adulthood, but only 40% of the brood, or even less. The fact is that young animals that have entered the adulthood often fail to compete in wild nature and become the prey of the larger ones.

Diseases of the marsupial devil

The main disease from which the marsupial devil suffers is a facial tumor. According to scientists in 1999, about half of the population in Tasmania died from this disease. At the first stage, the tumor affects the areas around the jaw, then it goes all over the muzzle and spreads to the whole body. Its origin and how this disease is transmitted is still not exactly known, despite the best efforts of scientists.

But it has already been proven that the mortality from such a tumor reaches 100%. No less a mystery to researchers is the fact that, according to statistics, a cancer epidemic among these animals recurs regularly every 77 years.

Population status, animal protection

The export of the Tasmanian marsupial devil abroad is prohibited. Due to the growth of the population, the issue of assigning the status of vulnerable to this unique animal is currently being considered, previously it was classified as endangered. Thanks to the laws adopted by the authorities of Australia and Tasmania, the number was restored.

The last sharp decline in the population of the marsupial predator was recorded in 1995, then the number of these animals decreased by 80%, this happened due to a mass epidemic that broke out among the Tasmanian marsupial devils. Prior to this, this was observed in 1950.

Buy marsupial (Tasmanian) devil

The last marsupial predator officially exported to the United States died in 2004. Now their export is prohibited and therefore it is impossible to buy a Tasmanian devil as a pet, unless of course you want to do it honestly. There are no nurseries in Russia, Europe or America. According to unofficial data, you can buy a marsupial devil for $15,000. However, this is not worth doing, the animal may be sick, because there will be no original documents for it.

If you still managed to acquire such a pet in one way or another, then you should prepare for a number of problems. In captivity, they behave aggressively towards both people and other pets. The Tasmanian marsupial devil can attack both adults and young children. They begin to scream menacingly and hiss even from minor irritants. Anything, even a simple stroke, can enrage him, and his behavior is completely unpredictable. Given the strength of the jaws, they can cause serious injury even to a person, and seriously injure or bite a small dog or cat.

At night, the animal is very active, it can imitate hunting, and the heartbreaking cry of the Tasmanian devil is unlikely to please your neighbors and household members. The only thing that can facilitate and simplify its maintenance is unpretentiousness in nutrition. In food, they are illegible and consume everything, literally it can be leftovers from the table, what has already deteriorated, you can give various types of meat, eggs and fish. It often happens that the animals also steal clothing items that are also eaten. Despite the formidable cry and bad temper, the Tasmanian marsupial devil is well tamed and loves to sit in the arms of his beloved master for hours.

Touching upon the topic of marsupials, one cannot bypass one of the most famous inhabitants of the island of Tasmania - the Tasmanian (Tasmanian) devil. Because of the black color, stocky powerful body, huge mouth with sharp teeth, terrible taste preferences and increased aggressiveness, the Europeans called this animal the "devil". And, you know, not in vain. Even in his Latin name there is something sinister Sarcophilus translated as "lover of the flesh."

You can now find this devil only on the island of Tasmania, in the central, northern and western parts of the island. Although earlier it also inhabited mainland Australia, where it disappeared 400 years before the appearance of the first Europeans. But with the advent of Western people on the island, a struggle began with this animal. Although, probably, there was something for it - the Tasmanian devil widely traded in the ruin of chicken coops. I want to eat something. In addition, the meat of this animal, which tasted like veal, was to the liking of the local residents.

As a result of the extermination that began, marsupial devils were forced to settle in the undeveloped forest and mountainous regions of Tasmania. Its numbers continued to decline steadily. But apparently the lesson went to the benefit of people, and they came to their senses in time. In June 1941, a law was issued banning the hunting and destruction of this animal. The population has been restored. Now the Tasmanian devil is quite widespread in areas designated for sheep pastures (closer to places of food), as well as in the national parks of Tasmania.

The “devil” itself does not look like a devil at all. Unless the character is very bad, and he growls so that goosebumps run through. Currently, the Tasmanian devil is the largest marsupial predator. Previously, this status belonged to . It is about the size of a small dog, however, due to its dense squat body and dark, almost black, color with white spots on the throat and sides, it can resemble a brown bear cub.

The length of the body does not exceed 80 centimeters, followed by a 25-30 cm tail, sometimes thick and fluffy, and sometimes thin and naked. This part of the body is the devil's kind of "pantry" for fat. In a starving animal, it becomes thin and long hairs often fall out.

The limbs are strong and shortened. The front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, which is uncharacteristic of marsupials. The head is big, and their jaws are another story altogether. They are so strong and powerful that the animal can easily bite and crush bones with them. The devil will easily bite through the spine or skull of his prey.

The marsupial devil is very gluttonous and illegible in food. It feeds on almost everything: small and medium-sized animals, birds, insects, amphibians, snakes, plant tubers and edible roots. Carrion is also included in his diet, moreover, it is almost one of the main dishes. They eat any corpses, prefer already decomposed rotten meat. From the corpse of an animal, only the largest bones remain. Thus, the Tasmanian devil performs the function of the natural orderly of the island.

The female bears 2-4 cubs in her pouch. Although initially she brings up to 20-30 cubs, most of which die before reaching the bag. "Lucky" develop quickly, by the age of 3 months they are covered with wool and their eyes open. The feeding of the cubs continues until the age of 4-5 months, but after 7-8 months after birth, the children finally leave the mother and begin to live independently. Sexual maturity in females occurs in the second year of life.

These animals are nocturnal and daytime most often they take refuge in crevices of stones, in empty holes, bushes, or arrange a nest for themselves from bark, leaves and grass. Sometimes they can be seen basking in the sun. At night, they go around their possessions in search of prey, most often they fell.

Devils are loners. They gather in small groups only when large prey is eaten. Sometimes during such feasts there are skirmishes between males, accompanied by fights with a frightening growl, which gave this animal a bad reputation.

But, despite its terrible character, some residents keep the marsupial devil as a pet. They are tameable, although it is worth doing it carefully and starting better with cubs, otherwise you can be left without fingers.

In a note about thylacine, we said that in addition to extermination by humans, this type of marsupial was attacked by dog ​​distemper, which claimed the lives of many animals. So the Tasmanian devil got his own disease. It's called "Devil's Facial Disease" devil facial tumor disease or DFTD.

The disease was first reported in 1999. It causes numerous malignant tumors on the head of the animal, which then spread throughout the body. Tumors block the sight, hearing and mouth of the animal. It can no longer hunt and eat and is dying of hunger. The disease is caused by a virus transmitted to a healthy animal during fights and bites. According to sources, DFTD is unique to these animals and its outbreaks are repeated at intervals of 80-150 years.

Various anti-epidemic measures are being taken, including the capture of sick animals, as well as the creation of "reserve" populations in case the animal dies from this disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it yet.