Tasmanian

devil
(Sarchophius harrisii)
 TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mamalia
INFRA CLASS: Marsupialia
ORDER: Dasyuromurphia
FAMILY: Dasyuridae
GENUS: Sarcophilus
SPECIES: Sarcophilus harrisii
 WHAT IS TASMANIAN DEVIL?

• Tasmanian devils are small marsupials with rat

like features, sharp teeth and coarse black or
brown fur.
• The Tasmanian devils is just 20 to 31 inches (51
to 67centimeters) tall and weighs only 9 to 26
lbs. (4 to 12 kilograms).
• The Tasmanian devil is also nocturnal; it sleeps
during the day and is awake at night.
• Tasmanian devils have been described as the
vacuum cleaners of the forest, as they mainly eat
animals that have already dead.
 ECOLOGY
• The Tasmanian devil lives in Tasmania, an island
separate from the mainland Australia by 240km. The
biome of Tasmania is a temperate rainforest. The
temperate rainforest includes hot summers, cold winters,
rainfall could be heavier in some areas, but in Tasmania
its moderate and actually seasonal droughts occur.
• Tasmanian devil is a tertiary consumer , because they eat
dead carcases, which includes rats, vultures, foxes,
anything that’s dead and was a carnivore in their former
life.
 DISTRIBUTION
Tasmanian devil were once widespread throughout
Australia, however became instinct on the mainland
around 400 years ago, most likely to the
competition of the dingo. But now Tasmanian devils
are only found in Tasmania and as result Tasmanian
devils are become huge Tasmanian icon.
 ABUDANCE

Tasmanian devils were once abundant on mainland

Australia as evidenced by fossils remains. It is
thought that they extinct from the mainland about
400 years ago. They are widespread and common in
Tasmania but are not found on Bass Strait Island,
although sub fossils have been found on Flinders
Island.
 ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE

Tasmanian are the important predators in native,

Tasmanian ecosystem after the Tasmanian wolf they
are the largest native, mammalian predator in
Tasmania.
Tasmanian devils are important as top predators in
native, Tasmanian habitats . As scavengers they are
important in removing carcases.
 HABITAT
• Their habitat includes eucalyptus forest,
woodlands, coastal scrubland, and agricultural
areas.
• During the day, Tasmanian devils find shelter
under stones, in caves, bushes, old wombat
burrows or hallow logs.
 REPRODUCTION
Mothers give birth after about three weeks of
pregnancy to 20 or 30 very tiny young. These
raisin-size babies crawl up the mother’s fur and into
her pouch. However, the mother has only four
nipples, so only handful of babies survive. Infant
emerge after about four months and are generally
weaned by the sixth month and on their own by the
eighth.
 CONSERVATION STATUS
According to the International Union for
Conservation status of Nature’s Red List of
Threatened Species, Tasmanian devils are
endangered, and the population numbers are
declining. In 2007, the IUCN estimated that the
population may have been around 25,000 adults.
Thank you 