Tassie devils

'Keeping Wildlife Wild'

Tasmanian Devils

Sarcophilus harisii

All of the Devils you see here today have been rehabilitated as a result of illness or being orphaned or injured.

They are cared for in this habitat while they reach full recovery and adulthood.

Devils feed on animals such as wallabies, platypus and echidnas. They also eat birds, fish moths and frogs.

They can consume as much as 40% of their body weight. Devils may travel 10-12 kilometres at night in search of food.

Devils mate in March and give birth in April. The young stay in the pouch feeding on a milk nipple for around 4 months. Life is continued in a den until around November - December . Most young becoming independent just before Christmas.

Devils have four nipples so can only rear four young.

However, devils give birth to twenty or thirty young making it a case of survival of the fittest from this early start.

Devils are very agile creatures. They climb tree's while they are young. Devils can run at a speed of between ten and twenty five kilometres per hour. The are very proficient swimmers but avoid swimming with young in the pouch.

Devils ears may become red if they are very excited because they flush with blood.

They will also yawn as a sign of low level stress.