TASMANIAN DEVIL

(species Sarcophilus harrisii, sometimes S. ursinus), mammal of the marsupial family Dasyuridae, with a stocky body and large squarish head. The Tasmanian devil is 50 to 80 cm (20 to 31 inches) long and has a 23- to 30-centimetre (9- to 12-inch) bushy tail. Its appearance is vaguely bearlike. The coat is black mixed with brown, and there is a whitish breast mark; sometimes the rump and sides are white-marked, too. The Tasmanian devil, which has large jaws and strong teeth, is named for its devilish expression, husky snarl, and often bad temper. It is mainly a scavenger, feeding on dead wallabies and sheep. The larvae of certain beetles are its major source of live food, but it has been known to attack poultry. After a gestation period of 31 days, the female produces three or four young, which remain in the pouch for about five months. The Tasmanian devil, recently extinct on the Australian mainland, survives in Tasmania in remote rocky areas.