Little Devils

Taronga Western Plains Zoo's Tasmanian Devil joeys have grown substantially in the past 10 months and continue to provide hope for the future of the species."

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Source: Taronga Zoo News

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial, now found in the wild only in Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. 

The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate amongst the strongest bite per unit body mass of any extant mammal land predator, and it hunts prey and scavenges carrion. Despite its rotund appearance, the devil is capable of surprising speed and endurance, and can climb trees and swim across rivers. It is believed that ancient marsupials migrated from what is now South America to Australia tens of millions of years ago and that they evolved as Australia became more arid. 

Fossils of species similar to modern devils have been found, but it is not known whether they were ancestors of the contemporary species, or whether the current devils co-existed with these species.

 It is seen as an important attractor of tourists to Tasmania and due to export restrictions and the failure of overseas devils to breed, there are almost no devils outside Australia.