Down in Tasmania, beady little eyes watch you, eyes of a devil, the Tasmanian devil that is. Tasmania is the only known habitat for this little creature. Tasmania is an island separated from Australia by the Bass Strait (a channel running 80 –150 miles long). It’s a mountain island similar to Australia; its climate changes moderately. This is probably why the creatures have inhabited it for well over hundreds of years. This little guy is no bigger than the family pet, but not always as sweet and a tad bit more muscular. They possess a strong jaw and are black in color with some white spotting towards the backside. They have an odor that can rival a skunk when they feel pressured.
For a small guy, the little devil picks on large prey such as Lizards and Kangaroos. Those inhabitants of Tasmania like to hide up in the hills and are generally loners, but sometimes dine with others. They are excellent night hunters and they are known to hold fat in their tail and one can tell it by the thickness of their tail, if ill. Hunters and farmers protecting their farm animals are the main cause of their death of late, not to mention a fast spreading cancer that has aided in their demise. Their average life expectancy is about six years. Those that remain in Tasmania are part of what is considered to be the only meat-eating marsupials around today.
The mating season in Tasmania is generally in the spring. The female is most fertile when reaching about two years of age. The male devils battle for the right to be with the female, who usually chooses the victor. If the male is not careful the female will wonder off after mating, so one should keep his eye out on his prize.
The lucky female will give birth to about 30 tots. The young, like the males will battle for the mother’s pouch, as there is only room for about four at a time. With age the pouch will shrink, so some younglings have it tougher than others finding a place to feed. Once settled in the pouch they will nestle there for about 100 days, feeding from the female’s nipple.
The devil, which has become a symbol for Australia, Tasmania to be exact, is honored in many different ways. National Parks use the devil as symbols as well have some sports teams and it’s even imprinted on an Australian coin. Literature and film have taken a liking to the furry imp; as well as it is the subject to many tours in Tasmania, as well as Australia. Perhaps Tasmania was put on the map with the creation of Warner Brother’s Tasmanian devil, Taz, a hot-tempered little bugger. He was so popular that in the early 90’s he received his own TV show called “Taz-Mania”. Not bad for a little critter found in the land down under, more commonly known as Australia, or to the devil, Tasmania.
Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=333465&ca=Education
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