Tasmanian Devil

• Its wild population has been devastated by devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), one of only three transmissible cancers known in the animal world.
• It feeds mainly on carrion, along with small mammals, birds and reptiles it catches itself.
• Only 2 to 4 of the 20-30 young born survive, limited by the number of teats in the mother's pouch.
• fisiologíaDespite its fearsome name it is mostly a scavenger, and its bite is among the most powerful for its body size of any mammal.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marsupial mammal)

Habitat and environment

Dry open forest, coastal scrub and farmland of Tasmania

Birth weight

~0.02-0.29 grams (dozens are born, but only 4 survive, since the mother has only 4 teats)

Size at birth

Tiny and helpless at birth, only a few millimetres long

Sexual maturity

~2 years (though since a transmissible disease appeared, some females have begun breeding early, at one year old)

Gestation / incubation

21-31 days

Litter / clutch size

20 to 30 young are born, but only 2-4 survive, limited by the number of teats in the pouch

Life expectancy in captivity

Documented record of up to 13 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · VetTriage · Australian Museum · Animal Diversity Web · Animalia.bio · ABQ BioPark · PMC (anticancer immune capacity study, life-history trade-offs study) · SDZWA Library Fact Sheet

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.