The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, native to the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Stocky and powerfully built, it has one of the strongest bites relative to body size of any living mammal, capable of crushing bone. Devils are primarily scavengers, and their thorough consumption of carcasses plays a measurable role in reducing the spread of disease and fly strike among livestock and wildlife in their habitat.
The species was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2008, following a catastrophic population decline caused by devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a rare transmissible cancer that spreads through biting during feeding and mating. Wild populations fell by more than 80 percent between the mid-1990s and the late 2010s according to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. Habitat loss, vehicle strikes on roads, and historic persecution that drove the species to extinction on mainland Australia centuries ago compound the ongoing pressure from DFTD. A disease-free insurance population has been maintained on mainland Australia, and a small rewilded population was established at Barrington Tops, New South Wales, in 2020.
No projects have listed this species yet. If you run a project that protects the Tasmanian Devil, you can add it to Wildlife Connect.
