Origin of name
The first European settlers on the island of Tasmania, the animal that makes terrible screams at night and has a huge mouth with sharp teeth combined with coal-black wool, seemed a real guest from the underworld. For the ferocity of an unfamiliar beast was called the Tasmanian devil. Later this animal was also called in another way - a marsupial devil.
Biological classification
Tasmanian devil is a predatory marsupial mammal. It is customary to refer it to the genus Sarcophilus, the only representative of which it is. The stocky beast has kinship with the quolls, which was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. It was also possible to establish some relationship with the marsupial wolf (tilacin, Latin Thylacine Cynocephalus). However, the connection with the latter is less pronounced.
Appearance
Among marsupial predators, the Tasmanian devil occupies a leading position in relation to body size. A dark-colored animal with a squat, heavy physique resembles a bear, if the latter is reduced to the size of a small dog. The body dimensions of the animal are determined by the peculiarity of its life, the quality of nutrition and even the environment. The size is affected by the sex of the beast and its age.
On average, the body length varies between 50 and 80 cm, with a tail length of 23 or 30 cm. Females are smaller than males. Large males are considered to have reached a height of 30 cm at the withers; their weight usually reaches 12 kg.
Possessing a massive body, the Tasmanian devil looks awkward. The illusion is enhanced by the asymmetry of the paws, which is considered an uncharacteristic sign for marsupials. The hind legs are shorter than the forepaws, which, when they are densely folded and overall shortened, becomes very noticeable. The hind limbs also differ in the absence of a thumb. The claws on both limbs are strong, round.
The animal also has a disproportionately large head, on which the blunt muzzle and small pink ears focus. Females have 4 nipples, their bag is a leather fold in the shape of a horseshoe.
The coat of the Tasmanian devil is black. On the body, it is short enough, and the tail is decorated with long hair. In many individuals, the hair on the tail is wiped off, leaving it completely naked. The animal’s tail itself is used as a place for fat accumulation; therefore, in well-fed and healthy individuals, the tail looks thick and short. Abnormalities in diet or illness cause the tail to thin. White horseshoe-shaped spots, which are usually located on the sacrum and chest, make a variety of colors, in some cases, they can also be on the sides.
The real decoration of the massive skull are sharp large teeth and a strong jaw. With molars, the Tasmanian devil grinds bones without difficulty. The victim of a predator dies from one of his bites, as a result of which her skull or spine is broken. With its growth and physique, the devil is considered a marsupial predator with the greatest bite force.
What the Tasmanian devil eats
The Tasmanian devil is usually enrolled in a group of extremely voracious animals. The norm for him is the amount of food equal to 15% of his own weight. In this case, the beast is not always limited to the concept of the norm in the presence of a large amount of food. Amphibians, snakes, large insects can act as a dinner for the inhabitant of the forest zone. Animals are not shy about adding plant roots and tubers to the menu. Those individuals that have chosen the coast as a subordinate territory use small sea inhabitants thrown ashore as the main food product. Those that settled on the banks of water bodies feed on crayfish, frogs and other small inhabitants of the coastal zone.
It is important to note that all this living creature is nothing more than an addition to the main diet, which is carrion. A well-developed sense of smell helps the animal quickly find corpses. It does not give preference to dead fish or, for example, sheep. The Tasmanian devil eats all the carrion that he manages to find. The greatest pleasure to the Tasmanian devil is the discovery of already decayed meat eaten by worms. Most often, night raids allow the beast to detect the corpses of rabbits, wombats, kangaroo rats and wallaby. Those Tasmanian devils that live near pastures can sometimes feed on the corpses of cows and sheep. There is an assumption that before the disappearance of tilacins, the marsupial devil had to eat up what was left of the feast of these predators. Nowadays, on occasion, the Tasmanian devil takes food from the marsupial marten.
In eating prey, the animal does not give preference to any parts of the carcass, eating everything together with bones and skin. Destroying carrion reduces the likelihood of breeding larvae of meat flies, which poses a serious threat to the health of sheep. The marsupial trait is so indiscriminate in food that it eats prey with elements that even it cannot digest.
Continued in the next article.