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The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a small Australian marsupial featured in the Oceania Pack DLC for Planet Zoo.

Zoopedia Description

General[]

Population In Wild: 10,000-25,000 (estimated)

The Tasmanian devil (or Sarcophilus harrisii) is a large, carnivorous marsupial native to the bushland and forests of Tasmania. It has also been reintroduced to New South Wales in Australia. Tasmanian devils have a stocky build with sturdy legs and a stout tail. They have a pointed snout, small eyes, and rounded, bald ears. The fur of the Tasmanian devil is black, with reddish brown fur on the tail and muzzle, and a white crescent-shaped marking running across the chest and shoulders. This species is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger and heavier than females. A male devil measures 62cm to 71cm (24in to 28in) in body length, and weighs between 5.5kg and 12kg (12lb and 26lb), while a female is shorter at 52cm to 57cm (20in to 22in) long, with a body weight of 4.1kg to 8.1kg (9lb to 18lb). Both stand roughly 20cm to 30cm (8in to 12in) tall at the shoulder, and have a tail length of around 25 cm (10in).

Tasmanian devils are considered and endangered species, although their population numbers currently remain stable. Historically, they have been persecuted by settlers in Tasmania due to false beliefs that they kill livestock, though they are known to kill poorly protected poultry. They are affected by a fatal, cancer-like disease called Devil Facial Tambour Disease, which is endemic to this species and has drastically reduced their numbers in the wild. With the additional threats of being hit by cars, population fragmentation, and habitat degradation, the population is prevented from recovering. Vaccination research is ongoing but has been so far unsuccessful. Conservation efforts to release healthy devils into the wild are in place to maintain and protect their wild population.

Social Needs[]

Tasmanian devils are solitary in the wild, but may tolerate each other in communal locations in order to eat and defecate. Otherwise they only spend time together to mate or in the case of a mother with her litter.

Reproduction[]

In the Southern Hemisphere, Tasmanian devils mate in autumn, around March and April, so their offspring are weaned in spring and summer, when prey is most abundant. Male devils track females and fight over them. A female devil will generally choose to mate with the most dominant male. Both fights and mating itself may be aggressive interactions, and both sexes often have marks and scars from these encounters. Tasmanian devils are polygamous, and subordinate males may still non-reproductively copulate with females after her mating with a chosen males, which helps them build experiences and makes them more likely o successfully sire offspring in future mating events. Females are fertile for roughly 9 days within their 21-day oestrus cycle.

Pregnancy in Tasmanian devils lasts 21 days, after which the females gives birth to up to 50, but usually between 20 and 30, very tiny and underdeveloped young. They crawl from the birth canal into their mother's pouch and attach themselves to a teat and suckle. As the mother only has 4 teats, all other infants will die. Once attached, the infants remain in the pouch for 4 months and feed continuously. Afterwards, they emerge from the pouch and are completely weaned by 6 months old. Younger females are likely to successfully raise 2 joeys, while more experienced mothers will have litters of 3 to 4 young.

Joeys are independent at 8 months old and leave their mother at this point to live alone. Female Tasmanian devils reach sexual maturity at 2 years old, and are likely to have offspring on their own from their first fertile season onwards, while males reach sexual maturity at 3 years old, and may not successfully compete for a mate right away.

Animal care

PREFERRED OBJECTS

Processed Meat · Kibble · Eggs

FEEDING STATIONS
Food Tray · Water Bowl · Water Pipe · Water Trough

FOOD ENRICHMENT
Bamboo Feeder · Skittle Feeder · Frozen Blood Pumpkin · Piñata Zebra · Piñata Pronghorn · Dog Ball

HABITAT ENRICHMENT
Small Ball · Small Ball Colourful · Small Ice Ball · Small Ball Pumpkin · Rubber Duck · Rubbing Pad · Rubbing Pad Bark · Water Jet Rock · Water Jet · Blood Scent Marker

COMPATIBLE ANIMALS

Tasmanian Devil does not benefit from sharing space with other species

Trivia[]

Zoopedia Fun Facts[]

  • At birth, Tasmanian devil joeys weigh 0.2g and are the size of a grain of rice.
  • Tasmanian devils store fat reserves in their tails, like other marsupials.
  • Tasmanian devils can eat 40% of their body weight in a day.
  • Tasmanian devils have the highest bite force in relation to body mass among mammals. They can bite though metal and bone.
  • Tasmanian devils have been so named due to their scream, which is loud and ´unearthly´, and made early settlers think of demons hiding in the bushland.

Gallery[]


ANIMAL NAVIGATION
STANDARD: HABITAT
AardvarkAfrican BuffaloAfrican Savannah ElephantAfrican Wild DogAldabra Giant TortoiseAmerican BisonBactrian CamelBaird's TapirBengal TigerBlack WildebeestBongoBonoboBornean OrangutanCheetahChinese PangolinCommon OstrichCommon WarthogFormosan Black BearGalapagos Giant TortoiseGemsbokGharialGiant PandaGreater FlamingoGrizzly BearHimalayan Brown BearHippopotamusIndian ElephantIndian PeafowlIndian RhinocerosJapanese MacaqueMandrillNile MonitorNyalaOkapiPlains ZebraPronghorn AntelopeRed PandaRed Ruffed LemurReticulated GiraffeRing Tailed LemurSable AntelopeSaltwater CrocodileSiberian TigerSnow LeopardSpotted HyenaSpringbokTimber WolfWest African LionWestern ChimpanzeeWestern Lowland Gorilla
ANNIVERSARY UPDATES
African LeopardBlack-and-White Ruffed LemurCollared PeccaryRed Deer
STANDARD: EXHIBIT
Amazonian Giant CentipedeBoa ConstrictorBrazilian Salmon Pink TarantulaBrazilian Wandering SpiderCommon Death AdderEastern Brown SnakeGiant Burrowing CockroachGiant Desert Hairy ScorpionGiant Forest ScorpionGiant Tiger Land SnailGila MonsterGolden Poison FrogGoliath BeetleGoliath BirdeaterGoliath FrogGreen IguanaLehmann's Poison FrogLesser Antillean IguanaMexican Red Knee TarantulaPuff AdderTitan BeetleWestern Diamondback RattlesnakeYellow Anaconda
DELUXE EDITION
Komodo DragonPygmy HippoThomson's Gazelle
ARCTIC PACK
Arctic WolfDall SheepPolar BearReindeer
SOUTH AMERICA PACK
Colombian White-Faced Capuchin MonkeyGiant AnteaterJaguarLlamaRed-Eyed Tree Frog
AUSTRALIA PACK
DingoKoalaRed KangarooSouthern CassowaryEastern Blue Tongued Lizard
AQUATIC PACK
Cuvier's Dwarf CaimanGiant OtterGrey SealKing PenguinDiamondback Terrapin
SOUTHEAST ASIA ANIMAL PACK
BinturongClouded LeopardDholeMalayan TapirNorth Sulawesi BabirusaProboscis MonkeySun BearGiant Malaysian Leaf Insect
AFRICA PACK
African PenguinFennec FoxMeerkatSouthern White RhinocerosSacred Scarab Beetle
NORTH AMERICA ANIMAL PACK
American AlligatorArctic FoxBlack-Tailed Prairie DogCalifornia Sea LionCougarMooseNorth American BeaverAmerican Bullfrog
EUROPE PACK
Alpine IbexEurasian LynxEuropean BadgerEuropean Fallow DeerFire Salamander
WETLANDS ANIMAL PACK
Asian Small-Clawed OtterCapybaraNile LechwePlatypusRed-Crowned CraneSpectacled CaimanWild Water BuffaloDanube Crested Newt
CONSERVATION PACK
Amur LeopardAxolotlPrzewalski's HorseScimitar-Horned OryxSiamang
TWILIGHT PACK
Common WombatEgyptian Fruit BatRaccoonRed FoxStriped Skunk
GRASSLANDS ANIMAL PACK
Blue WildebeestCaracalCloudless SulphurEmuEuropean PeacockManed WolfMenelaus Blue MorphoMonarchNine-Banded ArmadilloOld World SwallowtailRed-Necked WallabyStriped Hyena
TROPICAL PACK
Asian Water MonitorBrown-throated SlothFossaLar GibbonRed River Hog
ARID ANIMAL PACK
AddaxAfrican Crested PorcupineBlack RhinocerosDama GazelleDesert Horned ViperDromedary CamelSand CatSomali Wild Ass
OCEANIA PACK
Little PenguinNorth Island Brown KiwiQuokkaSpectacled Flying FoxTasmanian Devil
EURASIA ANIMAL PACK
Hermann's TortoiseMute SwanSaigaSloth BearTakinWild BoarWisentWolverine
BARNYARD ANIMAL PACK
AlpacaAlpine GoatAmerican Standard DonkeyHighland CattleHill Radnor SheepSussex ChickenTamworth Pig
ZOOKEEPERS ANIMAL PACK
African Spurred TortoiseCoquerel's SifakaHamadryas BaboonKirk's Dik-DikMarkhorPallas's CatSpectacled Bear
For the main article, see here.
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