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Tasmanian Devil
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island state of Tasmania.
The Tasmanian devil is the only extant member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world after the extinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is characterized by its black fur, pungent odour when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity 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 was extirpated on the Australian mainland at least 3000 years ago,[3] well before European settlement in 1788. Because they were seen as a threat to livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected.
Since the late 1990s, devil facial tumour disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which in May 2009 was declared to be endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the Government of Tasmania to reduce the impact of the disease.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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Hi Maurie
Thanks for the great notes about this unique and endangered Tasmanian Devil. Nice capture showing off his muscular build and great set of teeth. He's giving you a nice pose. I'm not sure if you could get down to ground level to take a picture, but it may be worth a try some time.
TFS Janice
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