TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mamalia

INFRA CLASS: Marsupialia

ORDER: Dasyuromorphia

FAMILY: Dasyuridae

GENUS: Sarcophilus

SPECIES: Sarcophilus harrisii

ECOLOGY
The Tasmanian devil in Tasmania, an island
separate from the mainland Australia by
240km. The biome of Tasmania is a
temperate rainforest, and the temperate
rainforest includes hot summers, cold
winters, rainfallcould be heavier in some
areas, but in Tasmania it’s moderate and
actually seasonal droughts occur. Soil of
temperate rain forest is dark and nutrient-
rich with fertile upper layers.
Trophic levels show an ecosystem’s food
chain, there are four trophic levels:
producers, primary consumers, secondary
consumers and tertiary consumers.
Producers are plants such as grass, algae.
Primary consumers are consumers that only
eat producers, herbivores. Secondary
consumers are consumers that only eat
primary consumers, and carnivores. Tertiary
consumers are consumers that only eat
secondary consumers. The Tasmanian devil
is tertiary consumer, because they eat dead
carcases, which includes rat, vultures, foxes,
anything that’s dead and was a carnivore in
their formal life. And its nitche is an
oraganism role or purpose in an ecosystem.
The Tasmanian devil’s purpose in its
ecosystem is to scavenge for food and
reproduce so that their species can
continue on. And also Tasmanian devil do
not interact with other animals unlike most
animals in an ecosystem.
DISTRIBUTION
Tasmanian devil were once widespread
throughout Australia, however became
extinct on the mainland around 400 years
ago, most likely due to the dingo.
Tasmanian devils are now only found in
Tasmania and as a result, Tasmanian devils
are now only found in Tasmania devils have
become a huge Tasmanian icon. Tasmania is
the only place in the world with wild devils,
with all other devil populations only being
found in wildlife parks or Zoos.
Devil’s are very adaptable and therefore are
capable of living in a variety of habitats
from coastal to alpine. This adaptability has
allowed the Tasmanian devil to become
hugely widespread throughout Tasmania,
even in spite of the significant reduction in
population size.
ABUNDANCE
Tasmanian devil were once abundant on
mainland Australia as evidenced by fossil
remains. It is thought that they became
extinct from the mainland about 400 years
ago. They are widespread and common in
Tasmania but are not found on Bass Strait
Island, although subfossils have been found
in Flinders Island.
ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE
Tasmanian devil are important predators in
native, Tasmanian ecosystem, after the
Tasmanian wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus),
they are the largest native, mammalian
predator on Tasmania. As scavengers they
are important in removing carcasses. Even
though Tasmanian devil were once thought
to kill livestock, such as sheep. Although this
is unlikely, they have been known to kill
poultry, they may be considered
“nuisance”animals by some. However, the
value of Tasmanian devils as important
members functioning ecosystem and as
scavengers probably outweighs abny
negative effect of these animals on human .
REPRODUCTION
Mothers give birth after about three weeks
pregnancy to 20 to 30 very tiny young.
These raisin size babies crawl up the
mother’s fur and into her pouch. However
the mother has only four nipples, so only a
handful of babies survive. Infants emerge
after about four months and are generally
weaned by the sixth month and on their
own by the eighth.

CONVERSATION STATUS
According to the International Union for
Conservation of Nature’s Red List of
Threatened Species, Tasmanian devil are
endangered, and their population numbers
are declining. In 2007 the IUCN estimated
that the population may have been around
25,000 adults. The Tasmanian devil’s
population has declined by at least 60
percent since 2001 due to a cancer called
devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). DFTD
causes tumors to form on the devil’s facial
tumor area’ making it difficult for them to
eat. Eventually, the animals starve to death.
To save the Tasmanian devil program is an
initiative created by the Australian and
Tasmanian to save the animals from DFTD.