Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).
Image: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2008 global assessment of Sarcophilus harrisii says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Tasmanian devil is the largest living carnivorous marsupial, known for its powerful bite and loud screeches. It is assessed as Endangered.
Its populations have been devastated by a rare contagious cancer.
Range & habitat
The Australian island of Tasmania.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- A contagious facial-tumour disease (DFTD)
- Road deaths
- Past persecution
Why it matters
As Tasmania's top marsupial predator and scavenger, the devil's fight against a transmissible cancer is a globally important conservation and disease-research story.
Gallery
Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).
Image: ARC CoE CABAH, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Tasmanian Devil
- IUCN Red List — look up Tasmanian Devil (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web