Daily Babies

Friday, April 07, 2006

Baby Devil! Tasmanian Devil, That Is.

The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus laniarius), also referred to simply as 'the devil', is a carnivorous marsupial now found only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the only member of the genus Sarcophilus.[1] The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. It is characterised by its black fur, offensive odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and viciousness when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils.The Tasmanian Devil became extinct on the Australian mainland about 400 years before European settlement in 1788. Seen as a threat to livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they were officially protected.

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