FaunaHub

Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

MammalMarsupialCarnivore

Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), a stocky black marsupial with a white chest band.

Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).

Image: Sleeps-Darkly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is the world's largest living carnivorous marsupial — a stocky, muscular animal about the size of a small dog, with black fur, often a white band across the chest, and disproportionately powerful jaws. Now found only on the Australian island of Tasmania, it is famous for its loud screeches, its strong bite, and its role as the island's top mammalian scavenger.

Despite a fierce reputation (and a famous cartoon namesake), the devil is mainly a scavenger, and its dramatic gaping and screaming are largely bluff and stress signals rather than true aggression.

Conservation note: the Tasmanian devil is Endangered, hit hard by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a rare contagious cancer. Verify current status at iucnredlist.org.

Habitat & Range

Tasmanian devils are found across the island state of Tasmania, in a variety of habitats including forests, woodlands, coastal scrub, and agricultural areas. They shelter by day in dens — hollow logs, burrows, caves, or dense vegetation — and range widely at night in search of food. They once lived on mainland Australia but disappeared there long ago.

Diet

Devils are carnivores and, above all, scavengers, feeding heavily on carrion such as dead wallabies, wombats, livestock, and roadkill. They also hunt small prey. With exceptionally strong jaws and teeth, they consume almost the entire carcass — flesh, fur, and bone — and so play an important role in cleaning up the landscape and limiting the spread of disease from carcasses.

Behavior

Tasmanian devils are mostly solitary and nocturnal, though many may gather noisily at a large carcass, where screeching, gaping, and posturing sort out who eats — much of it ritualised display rather than serious fighting. The wide, open-mouthed gape that looks so threatening is often a sign of fear or stress. Females raise their young (called joeys) in a backward-opening pouch, typical of this group of marsupials.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The Tasmanian devil is an icon of Tasmania, but it faces a serious threat from Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a transmissible cancer spread through biting that has sharply reduced populations since the 1990s. Conservation efforts include disease research, insurance populations, and carefully managed reintroductions. Road deaths are an additional pressure. Consult the IUCN Red List and Tasmanian wildlife authorities for current status.

More photos of the tasmanian devil

A Tasmanian devil with its mouth wide open, showing its powerful jaws.

Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) gaping — a stress display, not aggression.

Image: Canley, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Tasmanian Devil

Are Tasmanian devils as fierce as their reputation?
Less than you might think. Devils are powerful and can be noisy and dramatic, but they are mainly scavengers, and much of their screeching and wide gaping is bluff or a sign of stress rather than real aggression. The famous cartoon "Taz" greatly exaggerates their behaviour.
Why do Tasmanian devils open their mouths so wide?
That alarming wide-open gape usually signals fear, uncertainty, or stress, not an intent to attack. Devils use a range of vocal and visual displays — especially around shared carcasses — to avoid actual fighting, so the dramatic mouth-opening is largely communication.
What is Devil Facial Tumour Disease?
It is a rare contagious cancer, spread when devils bite one another, that causes tumours around the face and mouth and has killed a large share of the wild population since the 1990s. It is one of the main reasons the species is Endangered, and a major focus of conservation and research.
What do Tasmanian devils eat?
They are carnivores and dedicated scavengers, eating carrion such as dead wallabies, wombats, livestock, and roadkill, plus some live small prey. Their immensely strong jaws let them consume nearly the whole carcass — including bone — which helps clean up the environment.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.