Tasmanian Devils: general knowledge, population trends, causes of endangerment, protection strategies and impact on ecosystem.

1. Student Name
Name of species
Picture

2. Background Knowledge
Scientific Name: Sarcophilus harrisii
Nocturnal
Mostly black with little white
Scavengers as well
as carnivores
About 30cm in height
Eats
wallaby, ducks, chick
ens etc.
Structural adaptation: strong
jaws for digesting food
Physiological adaptation:
store fat in tail
Weigh about 12kg
Live in sclerophyll forests
Usually live 5-6 years
Marsupial
Mature at 2yrs of age
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/ekoe-6fa6qb?open

3. Threats to Species
Devil Facial Tumour Disease:
Introduction of the dingo:
• North-east Tasmania mid-1990s
• Dingoes more effective competitors
• Recently spread to other parts of
http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/Th
Tasmania
eLaws:
Disease/979FEB5F116CE371CA2576CB0011A2
• Protection from 1941
6E
European Settlers:
• Bounty scheme to remove Devils which were
eating chicken
• Trapped & poisoned for over 100 years
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=387

4. Population Trends
In Australia the Tasmanian Devil
is only found in Tasmania. It
became extinct in other parts of
Australia.
Numbers fell by 50% from mid-1990s
onward.
Fell from 40,000 to 15,000-20,000.
http://danielasundebrown.wordpress.com/
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/tasmanian-devil-epidemic-cause-isolated/

5. Strategies
Tasmanian Devils being placed in overseas zoos.
Two North American zoos received Tasmanian Devils under Save the Tasmanian
Devil program. Zoos selected by facility standards.
Managing Tasmania Devils in the wild by geographically removing those
affected by Devil Facial Tumour Disease to stop it spreading.
http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/news/204F7A6644F6B28DCA257BD9007E6911

6. http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf/Th
Animals that don’t belong in Tasmania such as the red fox is likely to
eincrease in abundance as there is less Tasmanian devils to compete with
Disease/979FEB5F116CE371CA2576CB0011A2
them for resources.
6E
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/ekoe-6fa6qb?open