Tasmanian Devil

Sarcophilus harrisii

Difficult

The **Tasmanian Devil** (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a small Australian marsupial featured in the Oceania Pack DLC for *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population In Wild:** 10,000-25,000 (estimated)

The Tasmanian devil (or Sarcophilus harrisii) is a large, carnivorous marsupial native to the bushland and forests of Tasmania. It has also been reintroduced to New South Wales in Australia. Tasmanian devils have a stocky build with sturdy legs and a stout tail. They have a pointed snout, small eyes, and rounded, bald ears. The fur of the Tasmanian devil is black, with reddish brown fur on the tail and muzzle, and a white crescent-shaped marking running across the chest and shoulders. This species is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger and heavier than females. A male devil measures 62cm to 71cm (24in to 28in) in body length, and weighs between 5.5kg and 12kg (12lb and 26lb), while a female is shorter at 52cm to 57cm (20in to 22in) long, with a body weight of 4.1kg to 8.1kg (9lb to 18lb). Both stand roughly 20cm to 30cm (8in to 12in) tall at the shoulder, and have a tail length of around 25 cm (10in).

Tasmanian devils are considered and endangered species, although their population numbers currently remain stable. Historically, they have been persecuted by settlers in Tasmania due to false beliefs that they kill livestock, though they are known to kill poorly protected poultry. They are affected by a fatal, cancer-like disease called Devil Facial Tambour Disease, which is endemic to this species and has drastically reduced their numbers in the wild. With the additional threats of being hit by cars, population fragmentation, and habitat degradation, the population is prevented from recovering. Vaccination research is ongoing but has been so far unsuccessful. Conservation efforts to release healthy devils into the wild are in place to maintain and protect their wild population.

### Social Needs

Tasmanian devils are solitary in the wild, but may tolerate each other in communal locations in order to eat and defecate. Otherwise they only spend time together to mate or in the case of a mother with her litter.

### Reproduction

In the Southern Hemisphere, Tasmanian devils mate in autumn, around March and April, so their offspring are weaned in spring and summer, when prey is most abundant. Male devils track females and fight over them. A female devil will generally choose to mate with the most dominant male. Both fights and mating itself may be aggressive interactions, and both sexes often have marks and scars from these encounters. Tasmanian devils are polygamous, and subordinate males may still non-reproductively copulate with females after her mating with a chosen males, which helps them build experiences and makes them more likely o successfully sire offspring in future mating events. Females are fertile for roughly 9 days within their 21-day oestrus cycle.

Pregnancy in Tasmanian devils lasts 21 days, after which the females gives birth to up to 50, but usually between 20 and 30, very tiny and underdeveloped young. They crawl from the birth canal into their mother's pouch and attach themselves to a teat and suckle. As the mother only has 4 teats, all other infants will die. Once attached, the infants remain in the pouch for 4 months and feed continuously. Afterwards, they emerge from the pouch and are completely weaned by 6 months old. Younger females are likely to successfully raise 2 joeys, while more experienced mothers will have litters of 3 to 4 young.

Joeys are independent at 8 months old and leave their mother at this point to live alone. Female Tasmanian devils reach sexual maturity at 2 years old, and are likely to have offspring on their own from their first fertile season onwards, while males reach sexual maturity at 3 years old, and may not successfully compete for a mate right away.

## Animal care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Bamboo Feeder · Skittle Feeder · Frozen Blood Pumpkin · Piñata Zebra · Piñata Pronghorn · Dog Ball
Small Ball · Small Ball Colourful · Small Ice Ball · Small Ball Pumpkin · Rubber Duck · Rubbing Pad · Rubbing Pad Bark · Water Jet Rock · Water Jet · Blood Scent Marker

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* At birth, Tasmanian devil joeys weigh 0.2g and are the size of a grain of rice.
* Tasmanian devils store fat reserves in their tails, like other marsupials.
* Tasmanian devils can eat 40% of their body weight in a day.
* Tasmanian devils have the highest bite force in relation to body mass among mammals. They can bite though metal and bone.
* Tasmanian devils have been so named due to their scream, which is loud and ´unearthly´, and made early settlers think of demons hiding in the bushland.