---
title: "What the sources say about the Tasmanian Devil | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "82 claims from the Tasmanian Devil profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/tasmanian-devil-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/tasmanian-devil/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Tasmanian Devil (*Sarcophilus harrisii*)

> 82 claims from the Tasmanian Devil profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Tasmanian Devil](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/tasmanian-devil/)

## Tasmanian Devil. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/tasmanian-devil

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a scavenger's take-no-prisoners appetite | As scavengers, devils also help their habitat by eating most anything lying around, no matter how old or rotten. (note: tagline; figure of speech for eating anything, however old or rotten) |
| Coastal scrubland, eucalyptus forests, woodlands and farmland on the island of Tasmania | The Tasmanian's devil's range is the island state of Tasmania, which is part of Australia. Their habitat includes eucalyptus forests, woodlands, coastal scrubland, and agricultural areas. (note: stats.habitat; 'farmland' for 'agricultural areas') |
| Mostly carrion | they mainly eat wildlife that has already died (note: stats.diet) |
| Endangered | Today, Tasmanian devils are still endangered. (note: stats.conservationStatus, current corroboration: the Red List assessment above is from 2008) |
| it is about the size of a small dog | something the size of a small dog |
| Its body measures 57 to 65 centimeters, plus a 24-to-26-centimeter tail | Length: 23 to 26 inches (57 to 65 centimeters) ... Tail length: 9 to 10 inches (24 to 26 centimeters) (note: the page lists length and tail length separately, so the 57 to 65 cm excludes the tail) |
| it weighs 5 to 14 kilograms | Weight: 11 to 30 pounds (5 to 14 kilograms) |
| A devil can live five to eight years. | LIFE SPAN 5 to 8 years (note: the fact box names no setting, so the sentence names none. The same page's body gives 'about seven to eight years' in native habitats for a devil that survives its first year. The 2009 listing advice's 'up to six years in the wild' (citing Jones 2001) was cut: the current page wins) |
| Nature's Cleanup Crew | As scavengers, devils also help their habitat by eating most anything lying around, no matter how old or rotten. (note: heading) |
| Devils are scavengers first and hunters second | As carnivorous marsupials, Tasmanian devils are basically carrion eaters, scavenging anything that comes their way. But they also hunt live prey such as small mammals and birds. |
| and small mammals and birds | But they also hunt live prey such as small mammals and birds. |
| Powerful jaws and shearing teeth let a devil eat most of a carcass, bones included | Because of their tearing, shearing teeth and powerful jaws, devils can eat most of a carcass, including the bones. |
| Devils live alone, but they often gather at carcasses | while they are solitary by nature, they often come together to feed on carcasses |
| Mostly Bluff | These are mostly spectacular bluff behaviors, all part of a ritual to lessen any real fighting that may lead to serious injuries. (note: heading) |
| A devil's famous gape, a wide-open yawn, looks threatening but is more likely to signal fear and uncertainty than aggression. | A mouth that opens quite wide— While the famous gape, or yawn, of the Tasmanian devil looks threatening, it is more likely to express fear and uncertainty than aggression. |
| Devils also give off a foul odor under stress | A foul odor— This is produced under stress, not when the devil is calm and relaxed. |
| may sneeze hard before a fight | A strong sneeze ... the sneeze may come before a fight between devils. |
| and use fierce snarls and high-pitched screams to establish dominance at a carcass | Fierce snarls and high-pitched screams— These are used to establish dominance at feeding time around a carcass. |
| Most of this is bluff, part of a ritual that cuts down on real fighting | These are mostly spectacular bluff behaviors, all part of a ritual to lessen any real fighting that may lead to serious injuries. |
| after a nose-to-nose confrontation, during which their ears flush red, one or both devils usually back down | After a nose-to-nose confrontation—during which their ears flush red!—one or both usually back down. |
| Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a contagious cancer, first detected in 1996. | Devil facial tumor disease, a rare, contagious cancer found only in devils, has been killing adult devils in recent years. Detected in 1996 |
| It spreads through biting, which is common when devils mate and feed | the disease is transmitted from one individual to another through biting, a common behavior among devils when mating and feeding. |
| During a nose-to-nose confrontation with another devil, after which one or both usually back down. | After a nose-to-nose confrontation—during which their ears flush red!—one or both usually back down. (note: FAQ 3) |
| Devils have a whole set of signals like this | Tasmanian devils use spirited behaviors to communicate and thrive. (note: FAQ 3) |
| a wide gape that is more likely to show fear than aggression | While the famous gape, or yawn, of the Tasmanian devil looks threatening, it is more likely to express fear and uncertainty than aggression. (note: FAQ 3) |
| a foul odor produced under stress | A foul odor— This is produced under stress, not when the devil is calm and relaxed. (note: FAQ 3) |
| a strong sneeze that may come before a fight | A strong sneeze ... the sneeze may come before a fight between devils. (note: FAQ 3) |
| snarls and high-pitched screams used to establish dominance at a carcass | Fierce snarls and high-pitched screams— These are used to establish dominance at feeding time around a carcass. (note: FAQ 3) |
| Most of it is bluff, part of a ritual that lessens real fighting. | These are mostly spectacular bluff behaviors, all part of a ritual to lessen any real fighting that may lead to serious injuries. (note: FAQ 3) |
| for a scavenger that mostly settles feeding disputes by voice | These are mostly spectacular bluff behaviors, all part of a ritual to lessen any real fighting that may lead to serious injuries. (note: vibe.reason) |
| fierce snarls and high-pitched screams establish dominance at a carcass | Fierce snarls and high-pitched screams— These are used to establish dominance at feeding time around a carcass. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sarcophilus_harrisii/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| bloodcurdling nocturnal screams | Tasmanian devils are nocturnal and usually solitary. ... Tasmanian devils are regarded with some awe because of the blood-curdling shrieks and growls they use (note: tagline) |
| bones and fur included | Tasmanian devils are efficient scavengers, eating even bones and fur. (note: stats.diet) |
| insects, reptiles and a little plant matter | Other food items, such as insects, insect larvae, snakes, and small amounts of vegetation, are taken when encountered. ... Animal Foods mammals amphibians reptiles (note: stats.diet; "a little plant matter" is "small amounts of vegetation"; fruit (ADW keyword list only) cut in the final pass) |
| with males heavier than females | Females are slightly smaller than males. ... Male weight ranges from 5.5 to 12 kg and female weight from 4.1 to 8.1 kg. |
| Its head is massive, with well-developed jaw muscles and heavy molar teeth adapted for crushing bone. | The head is massive with well developed jaw muscles. Molar teeth are heavy and adapted for their role in crushing bone and tearing through muscle and thick skin. |
| At night they follow their nose to carrion | Tasmanian devils forage in a slow, lumbering manner, using their sense of smell to find food at night. |
| Insects, snakes and small amounts of plant matter get eaten when a devil comes across them. | Other food items, such as insects, insect larvae, snakes, and small amounts of vegetation, are taken when encountered. |
| and fur goes down too | Tasmanian devils are efficient scavengers, eating even bones and fur. |
| the feeding turns rowdy, with aggression and loud calls | They are famous for their rowdy communal feeding, which is accompanied by aggression and loud vocalizations. |
| Its head is massive, with well-developed jaw muscles and heavy molar teeth adapted for crushing bone. | The head is massive with well developed jaw muscles. Molar teeth are heavy and adapted for their role in crushing bone and tearing through muscle and thick skin. (note: FAQ 1) |

## Sarcophilus harrisii - Tasmanian Devil. Species Profile and Threats Database, Australian Government Department of the Environment.

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=299

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| especially possums, kangaroos and wallabies | It will eat the carcasses of a range of vertebrates, but mostly possums and macropods (note: stats.diet; macropods are the kangaroo and wallaby family) |
| plus slow or sick live prey | The Tasmanian Devil tends to hunt down slow prey such as wombats or sick wallabies or lambs (note: stats.diet) |
| mostly the carcasses of possums and macropods, the kangaroo and wallaby family | It will eat the carcasses of a range of vertebrates, but mostly possums and macropods (note: the gloss defines macropods for the reader) |
| They also hunt live prey: slow animals such as wombats, sick wallabies and lambs | The Tasmanian Devil tends to hunt down slow prey such as wombats or sick wallabies or lambs |

## Tasmanian Devils FAQs. Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, 2022.

https://nre.tas.gov.au/conservation/threatened-species-and-communities/lists-of-threatened-species/threatened-species-vertebrates/save-the-tasmanian-devil-program/tasmanian-devils-faqs

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| its jaws bite as hard as a dog about four times its weight | Devils have the highest relative bite force of living mammals and equates to jaws with biting power as strong as a dog about four times their weight. Therefore, a 10 kg devil has a bite as powerful as a 40 kg dog (note: vibe.reason) |
| No, according to Tasmania's environment department. Devils do not attack people, though they will defend themselves if attacked, cornered or trapped | Are Tasmanian devils dangerous to people? No, Tasmanian devils are not dangerous. They do not attack people, although they will defend themselves if attacked, cornered or trapped. (note: FAQ 4; NRE is the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania) |
| despite their appearance they are timid, quiet animals that would much rather run away | Despite their appearance they are very timid, quiet animals that would much rather run away (note: FAQ 4) |
| a devil bites as hard as a dog about four times its weight, so a 10 kg devil has the bite of a 40 kg dog | Devils have the highest relative bite force of living mammals and equates to jaws with biting power as strong as a dog about four times their weight. Therefore, a 10 kg devil has a bite as powerful as a 40 kg dog (note: FAQ 4) |

## Pemberton & Renouf (1993). A Field-Study of Communication and Social-Behavior of the Tasmanian Devil at Feeding Sites. Australian Journal of Zoology.

https://doi.org/10.1071/zo9930507

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A Forty Percent Feast | Devils gorged themselves, eating approximately 40% of their body mass. (note: blockquote lead-in; the sentence beneath keeps 'roughly') |
| In a 1993 field study of devils feeding together at carcasses, they gorged on roughly 40 percent of their own body mass. | it congregates when feeding on carcasses. In this study, observations of behaviour during group feeding were used to document the communication and social organisation of these little-known animals. ... Devils gorged themselves, eating approximately 40% of their body mass. (note: 1993 is the paper's publication year (reference metadata)) |
| At feeding sites, aggressive encounters between devils seldom turn into physical fights, a 1993 field study found | observations of behaviour during group feeding were used to document the communication and social organisation of these little-known animals. ... Agonistic interactions seldom resulted in physical clashes (note: agonistic interactions are aggressive encounters; the study's title names feeding sites) |
| though the few that did left damage and heavy scarring on the muzzle and rump, and adult males were scarred most | but a few led to damage to the muzzle and rump, as supported by heavy scarring in these regions. Adult males were the most frequently and seriously scarred |

## Wroe, McHenry & Thomason (2005). Bite club: comparative bite force in big biting mammals and the prediction of predatory behaviour in fossil taxa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2986

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Pound for pound, the strongest estimated bite of any living mammal predator studied | Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa (note: tagline. BS is bite force; 'pound for pound' is 'adjusted for body mass'; 'studied' keeps the study's scope and 'estimated' its qualifier) |
| Pound for pound, no living mammal predator in a 2005 study had a higher estimated bite force than the Tasmanian devil. | We provide the first predictions of bite force (BS) in a wide sample of living and fossil mammalian predators. ... Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa. (note: stats.superpower; 2005 is the paper's publication year (reference metadata)) |
| A Bite That Outclasses Its Size | we calculated an estimated bite force quotient (BFQ) as the residual of BS regressed on body mass. Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa (note: heading; the quotient measures bite force beyond what body mass predicts) |
| A 2005 study estimated the bite force of a wide sample of living and fossil mammal predators and scaled it to body size, and no living species in the study came out ahead of the devil | We provide the first predictions of bite force (BS) in a wide sample of living and fossil mammalian predators. To compare between taxa, we calculated an estimated bite force quotient (BFQ) as the residual of BS regressed on body mass. Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa. (note: 2005 is the paper's publication year (reference metadata)) |
| Pound for pound, stronger than any other living mammal predator's in a 2005 study. | Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa. (note: FAQ 1; 2005 is the paper's publication year) |
| The researchers estimated bite force for a wide sample of living and fossil mammal predators and scaled it to body size, and among the living species the Tasmanian devil came out on top. | We provide the first predictions of bite force (BS) in a wide sample of living and fossil mammalian predators. To compare between taxa, we calculated an estimated bite force quotient (BFQ) as the residual of BS regressed on body mass. Estimated BS adjusted for body mass was higher for marsupials than placentals and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) had the highest relative BS among extant taxa. (note: FAQ 1) |

## Siddle et al. (2007). Transmission of a fatal clonal tumor by biting occurs due to depleted MHC diversity in a threatened carnivorous marsupial. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0704580104

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| and the tumor cells themselves pass from one devil to the next | A fatal transmissible tumor spread between individuals by biting has emerged in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), a carnivorous marsupial. Here we provide genetic evidence establishing that the tumor is clonal and therefore foreign to host devils. (note: clonal: the tumors are one line of cells, passed on, not each devil's own cancer) |
| That makes each tumor a graft, tissue from a different animal, which the immune system should recognize and reject. | Thus, the disease is highly unusual because it is not just a tumor but also a tissue graft, passed between individuals without invoking an immune response. ... because the tumor is a graft, it should still be recognized and rejected by the host's immune system due to foreign cell surface antigens. |
| which play a key role in immune responses to tumors and grafts | The MHC plays a key role in immune responses to both tumors and grafts. |
| that spreads when devils bite each other | A fatal transmissible tumor spread between individuals by biting (note: FAQ 2) |
| The tumor cells themselves pass from one devil to the next, so each tumor is a graft of tissue from another animal. | the tumor is clonal and therefore foreign to host devils. Thus, the disease is highly unusual because it is not just a tumor but also a tissue graft, passed between individuals without invoking an immune response. (note: FAQ 2) |
| which play a key role in immune responses to tumors and grafts | The MHC plays a key role in immune responses to both tumors and grafts. (note: FAQ 2) |

## Jones et al. (2008). Life-history change in disease-ravaged Tasmanian devil populations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0711236105

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the world's largest living carnivorous marsupial | the largest extant carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) |
| Devils have shown they can respond. | Devils have shown their capacity to respond to this disease-induced increased adult mortality |
| In five disease-hit populations tracked for a 2008 study, the cancer killed almost every devil past its first year of adult life | This change in life history is associated with almost complete mortality of individuals from this infectious cancer past their first year of adult life. ... These patterns are documented in five populations where there are data from before and after disease arrival (note: 2008 is the paper's publication year (reference metadata)) |
| and the share of devils reaching breeding age unusually early rose 16-fold | a 16-fold increase in the proportion of individuals exhibiting precocious sexual maturity (note: 'reaching breeding age unusually early' glosses 'precocious sexual maturity') |

## Epstein et al. (2016). Rapid evolutionary response to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. Nature Communications.

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12684

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A Cancer That Brought the Species to the Brink | A recently emerged infectious cancer has caused the near extinction of the Tasmanian devil, but some populations persist. (note: heading) |
| A 2016 study explains how DFTD slips through: devils have very little genetic variation, and the tumor interferes with MHC molecules | the lack of genome-wide variation in Tasmanian devils, combined with irregular tumour MHC expression and downregulation of host MHC by DFTD, have led to what appears to be universal susceptibility (note: replaces the 2007 explanation (low MHC diversity alone, and 'this mode of immune escape does not occur'), which the 2016 paper updates with tumor MHC changes found in 2013. 'interferes with' covers 'irregular tumour MHC expression and downregulation of host MHC') |
| That appears to leave every devil susceptible. | have led to what appears to be universal susceptibility |
| The disease is fatal in nearly every case | is virtually 100% fatal |
| within 20 years of its detection the species had declined by more than 80 percent overall, with local declines of more than 90 percent | resulting in localized declines exceeding 90% and an overall species decline of more than 80% in less than 20 years (note: past perfect, dated by the 2016 study named earlier in the paragraph) |
| The 2016 study also found matching signs of natural selection in three separate populations on genes linked in humans to immune function or cancer risk | We identify two genomic regions that contain genes related to immune function or cancer risk in humans that exhibit concordant signatures of selection across three populations. |
| which suggests devils are evolving resistance that could help the species survive | our results suggest that hosts are evolving immune-modulated resistance that could aid in species persistence |
| DFTD is a contagious cancer, first detected in 1996 | a recently emerged transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) is virtually 100% fatal. ... First detected in northeastern Tasmania in 1996 (note: FAQ 2; the FAQ's ref states its 1996) |
| Devils have very little genetic variation, and the tumor interferes with MHC molecules | the lack of genome-wide variation in Tasmanian devils, combined with irregular tumour MHC expression and downregulation of host MHC by DFTD, have led to what appears to be universal susceptibility (note: FAQ 2) |
| Together these appear to leave every devil susceptible. | combined with irregular tumour MHC expression and downregulation of host MHC by DFTD, have led to what appears to be universal susceptibility (note: FAQ 2) |
| The disease is fatal in nearly every case | is virtually 100% fatal (note: FAQ 2) |
| within 20 years of its detection the species had declined by more than 80 percent overall, with local declines of more than 90 percent | resulting in localized declines exceeding 90% and an overall species decline of more than 80% in less than 20 years (note: FAQ 2) |

## Hawkins et al. (2008). Sarcophilus harrisii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T40540A10331066.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2008.rlts.t40540a10331066.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Endangered | IUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN). Sarcophilus harrisii (Boitard, 1841), IUCN taxon 40540. (note: stats.conservationStatus) |