Fun facts about Tasmanian Devils

If a wolf howling at the moon sends shivers up your spine, wait until you hear a Tasmanian devil. In fact, the first Europeans to enter Tasmania imagined demons lurking in the bush when they heard the blood-curdling shrieks and growls. Hence being dubbed ‘devils’. It's now known that their various vocalisations (coughs, growls, snorts, sniffs, screeches and even sneezes) are designed to scare off other animals. 

Like all marsupials, Tasmanian devils store fat in their tails, which thicken up like a human's waistline. A particularly plump tail is a sign of a healthy devil and, considering they can eat up to 40% of their bodyweight in one day, their tails can get mighty plump!

A mother Tassie devil gives birth to around 20-40 joeys at once. However, these joeys have to race to her pouch, which only has four teats. Talk about a hard start to life! The ones that make it will live in their mother’s pouch for roughly three months before they start to venture out on their own.

Tasmanian devils are very timid and don't normally pose a danger to people unless they are attacked or trapped. However, when they do feel threatened, they do strange ‘yawns’, showcasing their sharp teeth. While this looks quite fierce, it is actually more a display of fear and anxiety than aggression.

Tasmanian devils have been considered an endangered species since 2008; one of the primary causes of death is being hit by cars when they attempt to retrieve roadkill. In addition, a serious disease has affected some populations. The only known contagious cancer, this disease causes tumors to build up in affected animals' mouths, which stops them from eating. Tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils have died since the disease appeared in the late 90s.