Upon seeing these creatures for the first time, I felt a sense of fascination and awe. For as long as I could remember, the Tasmanian Devil felt like a fantasy creature, and now I was seeing them right in front of my eyes. They were bigger than I had initially thought, as the photos I had seen didn’t accurately portray the scale of these animals. Seeing these animals changed my perspective on how I view things in nature, especially when comparing them to pop culture references. I was shocked to see the similarities to the cartoon character, but also acknowledged the creative differences.
Tasmanian Devils used to live throughout mainland Australia, but became extinct about 3,500 years ago. Now they live exclusively on the island of Tasmania and are an endangered species. Tasmanian Devils can be found all over the island, but usually like to hide in densely vegetated areas as they are solitary creatures and generally only come in contact with each other when competing for food. Seeing Tasmanian Devils in the wild is rare.
The Tasmanian Devil is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. They usually feed on carrion or carcasses, but will also hunt small birds, fish, insects or snakes. Tasmanian Devils live in dens created from logs, caves, or even old wombat burrows, making these creatures very resourceful. Additionally, the Tasmanian Devil is able to store excess fat in its tail, enabling it to live for long periods of time without food.
