Vertebrate Zoology

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Tasmanian devil

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Tasmanian devil extremely voracious marsupial , or pouched mammal, of the dasyure family, now found only on the island of Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisi, formerly found also in Australia, is about 2 ft (60 cm) long, excluding the 12-in. (30-cm) tail. It has a large head, with powerful jaws, and weak hindquarters. Its blackish fur is marked with white patches on the throat, on each side, and on the rump. The animal has a fierce appearance. It is very strong for its size and preys on animals larger than itself, such as small kangaroos, as well as on rodents, lizards, and other small animals. It lives in burrows in rocky areas.

Like the related thylacine , or Tasmanian wolf, the Tasmanian devil was relentlessly hunted because of its inroads on domestic livestock and poultry. Although it survived in sizable numbers in remote areas of the island, it is now threatened by a fatal facial cancer that has spread steadily and decimated infected populations since the late 1990s. In 2009 the Tasmanian devil was officially declared endangered. A lack of genetic diversity in the marsupial has facilitated the cancer's spread; the recent discovery of a possibly resistant genetically different population in W Tasmania has raised hopes for the species. Efforts are being made to establish a sizable disease-free population on the Australian mainland.

The Tasmanian devil is classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Marsupialia, family Dasyuridae.

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Tasmanian devil

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

Tas·ma·ni·an dev·il / tazˈmānēən; -ˈmānyən/ • n. a heavily built marsupial (Sarcophilus harrisii, family Dasyuridae) with a large head, powerful jaws, and mainly black fur, found only in Tasmania. It is slow-moving and aggressive, feeding mainly on carrion.

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Tasmanian devil

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Tasmanian devil Carnivorous marsupial with a bear-like appearance; it is found only in the forest and scrub of Tasmania. It feeds on a wide variety of animal food, including carrion. Length: to 80cm (31in). Species Sarcophilus harrisii.

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Tasmanian devil

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisi) See DASYURIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tasmanian devil." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tasmanian devil." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Tasmaniandevil.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "Tasmanian devil." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Tasmaniandevil.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Tasmanian Devils Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 4/30/1998
	Tasmanian devils facing the fight of their lives.(News) Newspaper article from: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL); 1/25/2009
	Tasmanian devil diversity detailed: first genetic blueprints don't explain... Magazine article from: Science News; 7/30/2011