Tasmanian Devil
Sarcophilus harrisii
Body length: males approx 65 cm, females approx. 57 cm
Males: approx. 14 kg, females: approx. 9 kg
Estimated at 10,000 - 25,000 adults
Occurs throughout mainland Tasmania
Unmatched. Pound for pound, the Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite force of any mammal. A ferocious predator and an opportunistic scavenger, the devil hunts alone and regularly hunts prey larger than itself. Yet this uniquely formidable creature faces a unique threat: Devil Facial Tumor Disease, a fatal infectious form of cancer has decimated populations. Scientists and conservationists are alarmed at the all-to-likely possibility of the devil's total extinction from the wild. Unmatched today, unknown tomorrow?
Unmatched. Pound for pound, the Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite force of any mammal. A ferocious predator and an opportunistic scavenger, the devil hunts alone and regularly hunts prey larger than itself. Yet this uniquely formidable creature faces a unique threat: Devil Facial Tumor Disease, a fatal infectious form of cancer has decimated populations. Scientists and conservationists are alarmed at the all-to-likely possibility of the devil's total extinction from the wild. Unmatched today, unknown tomorrow?