Leslie Massey
The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, was once abundant on mainland Australia but became extinct there between 3,200 and 3,500 years ago. In 2020, for the first time in 3,000 years, 11 Tasmanian devils were reintroduced to mainland Australia in a 400-hectare wildlife sanctuary in Barrington Tops, New South Wales. This was a historic moment for the country with the world's worst mammal extinction rate. The Tasmanian devil population is rapidly declining and they are currently listed as endangered. Conservation efforts are being made to protect these iconic creatures from extinction.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current location | Tasmania |
| Past location | Australia |
| Reintroduction location | Barrington Tops, New South Wales |
| Population in Tasmania | 25,000 |
| Population in wildlife sanctuary | 11 |
| Population in Aussie Ark | 200 |
| Population in Australia Zoo | Small population |
| Habitat | Open forest, dry forest, coastal woodlands, outskirts of urban areas, roadsides |
| Diet | Wallabies, small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, sheep, cattle |
| Conservation status | Endangered |
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What You'll Learn
- Tasmanian devils are found in all habitats on Tasmania
- They became extinct on mainland Australia 3,500 years ago
- They have been reintroduced to mainland Australia in a wildlife sanctuary
- Devils are found in dry forests and coastal woodlands in Tasmania
- They are also found near roads where roadkill is prevalent
Tasmanian devils are found in all habitats on Tasmania
The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, is found in all habitats on the island of Tasmania, including the outskirts of urban areas. They are widespread and common in Tasmania but are not currently found on the Bass Strait islands. The Tasmanian devil population is rapidly declining, and they are currently listed as endangered. Conservation efforts by organisations like Bush Heritage Australia and Aussie Ark are helping to protect these iconic marsupials from extinction.
Tasmanian devils are nocturnal and spend their nights roaming great distances in search of food. They prefer open, dry forests to tall, wet forests. They are also found near roads where roadkill is prevalent, although they themselves are often killed by vehicles while retrieving the carrion. Their powerful jaws and teeth enable them to completely devour their food, including bones and fur. They are particularly known for their noisy communal eating, during which they use noise and threatening physical displays to assert dominance within the pack.
The "core habitat" of the Tasmanian devil is considered to be within the "low to moderate annual rainfall zone of eastern and north-western Tasmania". They are distributed throughout the Tasmanian mainland and on Robbins Island, which is connected to mainland Tasmania at low tide. The north-western population is located west of the Forth River and as far south as Macquarie Heads.
Tasmanian devils were once present across mainland Australia but became extinct there between 3,200 and 3,500 years ago due to factors such as the introduction of the dingo, intensification of human activity, and climatic change. In 2020, Aussie Ark reintroduced a small population of Tasmanian devils to a wildlife sanctuary on mainland Australia for the first time in over 3,000 years. This historic moment is critical to the rewilding of Australia, a country with the world's worst mammal extinction rate.
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They became extinct on mainland Australia 3,500 years ago
The Tasmanian devil, a carnivorous marsupial, was once found across mainland Australia. However, it became extinct there around 3,500 years ago, leaving only a small population in Tasmania. This event coincided with the extinction of the Thylacine, another Australian carnivore. The exact reasons for the Tasmanian devil's extinction on the mainland are not fully understood, but several factors have been proposed.
One factor is the introduction of the dingo, a wild dog that became the top predator of the Tasmanian devil. The arrival of dingoes likely played a significant role in the local extinction of the devils. Even in Tasmania, where dingoes were not present, domestic dogs became a significant threat, with an estimated 50 devils killed by dogs each year. This number is believed to be an underrepresentation of the actual figure, as many cases go unreported.
Human activity and intensification is another proposed factor. Hunting by humans and land clearance have been suggested as possible causes of the Tasmanian devil's extinction on the mainland. While there is some debate about the extent of systematic hunting by indigenous Australians, archaeological evidence suggests that the devil was hunted for its teeth. For example, a 7,000-year-old human skeleton found in western New South Wales wore a necklace made from 178 teeth belonging to 49 different devils. Additionally, the arrival of European settlers brought further threats, as Tasmanian devils were considered pests and actively eradicated by farmers.
Climatic change is also believed to have played a role in the devil's extinction on the mainland. During the Miocene era, severe climate change transformed Australia's climate from warm and moist to an arid, dry ice age, resulting in mass extinctions. While the Tasmanian devil's genome was sequenced in 2010, providing insights into its evolutionary history, the specific reasons for its extinction on the mainland remain a subject of ongoing research and discussion.
Today, the Tasmanian devil is considered endangered and is the subject of various conservation efforts and research projects aimed at protecting the species from extinction. These efforts include breeding programs, habitat protection, and disease management, as the species now faces new threats such as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), roadkill, and competition with feral cats. While the Tasmanian devil once roamed the Australian mainland, it now finds refuge primarily on the island of Tasmania, with a small population recently reintroduced to mainland Australia in protected sanctuaries.
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They have been reintroduced to mainland Australia in a wildlife sanctuary
The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, was once abundant on mainland Australia. However, fossil evidence suggests that they became extinct there between 3,200 and 3,500 years ago, with some sources stating that they have been extinct on the mainland for over 3,000 years. Their extinction has been attributed to various factors, including the introduction of the dingo, increased human activity, and climatic change.
In recent years, efforts have been made to reintroduce the Tasmanian devil to mainland Australia. In 2020, 26 adult Tasmanian devils were released into a 400-hectare (approximately 990-acre) wildlife sanctuary in the Barrington Tops area of New South Wales. This marked the first time in over 3,000 years that Tasmanian devils had been present on the Australian mainland. The sanctuary is run by Aussie Ark, a conservation organization dedicated to the recovery and reintroduction of the species.
Aussie Ark's Tasmanian devil breeding program was established in 2011 with 44 individuals. The organization has carefully selected devils for reintroduction based on those most suitable for breeding without inbreeding. The sanctuary provides a protected environment that helps prevent the spread of diseases, such as Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), and keeps them safe from threats like feral pests, noxious weeds, and vehicles. By late April 2021, seven joeys had been born within the sanctuary, with up to 20 expected by the end of the year.
The reintroduction of Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia is significant for the species' recovery and for the restoration of Australia's ecosystem. As native apex predators, they help control feral cats and foxes that threaten other endangered species. Their scavenging nature also contributes to maintaining a clean and disease-free environment. The success of this reintroduction paves the way for future conservation efforts and the potential release of Tasmanian devils into other suitable habitats on the mainland.
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Devils are found in dry forests and coastal woodlands in Tasmania
The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, was once abundant on mainland Australia but has been extinct there for around 3,500 years. Devils are now found in all habitats on the island of Tasmania, including the outskirts of urban areas. They are distributed throughout the Tasmanian mainland and on Robbins Island, which is connected to the Tasmanian mainland at low tide. The north-western population is located west of the Forth River and as far south as Macquarie Heads.
Tasmanian devils are nocturnal and spend their nights roaming great distances in search of food. During the day, they hide in their dens or in dense bushland. They are particularly found in dry forests and coastal woodlands in Tasmania, although they are not found at the highest altitudes of the region. Their population density is low in the button grass plains in the south-west of Tasmania, but their numbers are high in dry or mixed sclerophyll forests and coastal heaths. Devils prefer open forest to tall forest, and dry forests to wet forests.
Tasmanian devils are wholly protected under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and are listed as 'endangered' under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. They are also placed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Devils are currently threatened by car strikes and Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a fatal and contagious disease that causes cancerous tumours around their face, neck and mouth.
Conservation efforts are being made to protect the Tasmanian devil from extinction. In 2020, 26 adult devils were released into a 400-hectare protected area in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales, marking the first time in 3,000 years that the species had lived on the Australian mainland. This reintroduction is critical to restoring the natural balance of Australia's ecosystem, as the Tasmanian devil is a native apex predator that helps control feral cats and foxes that threaten other endangered species.
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They are also found near roads where roadkill is prevalent
The Tasmanian devil, the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, is now only found on the island of Tasmania. They are found in all habitats on the island, including the outskirts of urban areas, and are distributed throughout the Tasmanian mainland and on Robbins Island. They are also found near roads where roadkill is prevalent.
Tasmanian devil populations have been declining since 1996 due to the spread of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), a contagious and often fatal cancer. Roadkill is the second most significant source of mortality for these endangered animals. Devils are often killed by vehicles while retrieving roadkill for food. They are difficult for drivers to detect and avoid due to their small size. A 2010 study found that motorists would need to drive at around half the current speed limit in rural areas to avoid hitting them.
Conservation efforts are being made to reduce devil deaths on roads. The Circular Head Roadkill Mitigation Project, for example, is working to implement traffic-slowing measures, create alternative routes for devils, and install light reflectors to indicate oncoming vehicles. Other measures include removing roadkill, installing rumble strips and signage, and raising driver awareness.
Tasmanian devils are also threatened by habitat modification, competition for food from feral cats, and the introduction of the dingo. They prefer open, dry forests to tall, wet forests and are found in dry sclerophyll forests and coastal woodlands. Their population density is low in the button grass plains in the south-west of Tasmania.
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Frequently asked questions
Tasmanian devils are found in all habitats on the island of Tasmania, including the outskirts of urban areas, and are distributed throughout the Tasmanian mainland and on Robbins Island. They are also found in Tasmanian reserves, such as Friendly Beaches, Liffey Valley Reserves, and South Esk Pine. In 2020, Tasmanian devils were reintroduced to mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years. 11 Tasmanian devils were released into a 400-hectare wildlife sanctuary in Barrington Tops, New South Wales.
The extinction of Tasmanian devils from mainland Australia is attributed to various factors, including the introduction of the dingo, increased human activity, and climatic changes. They were also hunted for their teeth, which contributed to their extinction.
Yes, Tasmanian devils are listed as 'endangered' under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. They are also placed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The primary threat to their survival is Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a fatal and contagious cancer transmitted through biting.
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