Tasmanian Devil: Habitat

Habitat and Geographic Range

The Tasmanian devil is now confined to Tasmania where it lives in underbrush in the forest. It has also expanded its habitat around farms where it may attack poultry. It formerly had a wide range across southern Australia including southwest WA as testified by fossils in southwest caves.

The upper jaw is formed from the base of the skull. The lower jaw is made up of two bones which are loosely fused at the front and on each side (left and right) is hinged behind with muscles to the back of the skull. Movement of these muscles works the lower jaw up-and-down and in some animals sideways as well.

Food and Foraging

The animals have a fearsome appearance, especially when they bare their teeth and make growling or screaming sounds. Nevertheless they feed mainly on carrion rather than live animals which includes grubs, small mammals and birds and occasionally poultry. The powerful jaws and teeth enable them to crunch up all parts of dead animals (carrion), for example a kangaroo, including the bones and skull. Devils are generally nocturnal but may also forage in the day time in secluded areas. Animals may range over a wide area of more than ten kilometres if food is sparse.

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