Ecosystem engineers A devilish of devil ##Tasmania devils ##

I am not the devil steemians it’s ## The Tasmanian Devil

YOU all want to know about this….obscure Creature so here we go…

Hundred years ago they lived in the wild in Tasmania and mainland

Devils are mostly black with white markings on the chest they somewhat look like rats or dogs . male devils are bigger than females. They are 12 inches long .

The heads look too big for their bodies due to powerful jaws to crunch through bones.

The devil stores fat in its tail unlike camels which have humps and during scarcity they can draw food from this storage site of the body .

The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial. Female marsupial animals have pouches like kangaroos.. in which they carry their newly born devils.

They do not attack people, although they will defend themselves if they're attacked or trapped.

Devils may look scary like devils with dangerous fierce jaws but they will much rather escape than fight but they can cause serious injury if the bite through their powerful jaws.

Their Latin scientific name is Sarcophilus harrisiiThat means Harris's meat lover ( this is the scientist name who studied devils).

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I got only one picture as its nocturnal creature and was refusing to move out from its den

Devil history and their usefulness for the ecosystem

Are devils useful?

They certainly are,by eating sick and dead animals.

They probably also help to control cats in farms and fields and, by doing so, they help to protect some of our native
species, particularly birds.

They can even help us control animals that do not belong in Tasmania - such as the red fox, an animal that is a big problem on the Australian mainland.

Devils are so popular that products and sports teams are named after them.

Devils are carnivores and scavengers as they eat half-rotten meat and scavenge in the bush and on farms, like natural vacuum cleaners, keeping the bush healthy and reducing maggots, which can lead to fly strike in sheep.

Of course they also like fresh meat, and they sometimes go hunting for food. They'll eat lizards, frogs and insects, in fact almost any animal protein they can find.

When devils find a dead animal and they will eat it all like - bones, fur and all and make a lot of noise. This is because some devils want to show the others who is boss.

When European first came to Australia didn't like them, and believed the devils would eat other farm animals too. So, they hunted the devils. They also brought cats ,foxes and rabbits with them causing havoc to the local ecosystems

.Fueled by a vast European rabbit population which had been destroying the vegetation undergrowth that was essential to provide shelter to some animals as these are essential to maintain health of ecosystems by digging the ground for food mixing organic matter into the soil and spreading fungi and seed ..

In 1941 the laws protected the devils otherwise they would have extinct like the Tasmanian tiger though believed that Tasmanian tigers must have hunted devils other predators for them are large birds like eagles.

They help maintain the health of entire forest ecosystems ,cats,foxes and kangaroos tend to avoid areas with healthy population of Tasmanian devils .

By returning them we may be able to heal our forests and increasing ecosystem resilience to future threats providing further safe heavens for wildlife,with cooler bushfires pockets of habitat might remain unburnt helping the forest to
regenerate .

The bandicoots,bettongs and potoroos will return to the forest floor ,opportunities for small mammals to find a place to live and hide from predators will increase and cats find it more difficult to function,as ground vegetation is restored but by reintroducing devils and as let them perform their role as ‘ecosystem engineers ‘which allows small native mammals to survive in the landscape ..As absence of native predators there is loss of vegetation cover.

The devil population increased again over the years, but there is now a new worry. Many Tasmanian devils are dying from a disease called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). Scientists are studying hard to find a cure for the cancer to save them from extinction.

Some more facts about them

Devil mothers are pregnant for about 21 days. The mother can give birth to 20-40 young, which are each about the size of a grain of rice.

Life is a race for them when they are born as they have to run for the pouch ..its tough being a young devil. Survival of the fittest , with the first four winning a chance at survival ..

Young ones are called as imps or joeys,and are in mums pouch for about four months. Tasmanian devils are mature when they are two years old and lives in den .They live for about five or six years, although if conditions are good they can live up to seven.

The eyesight is better suited for the dark .they are good at visualizing things that are moving but if something stands stills ,they probably wont see clearly

The devils ears are almost hairless .They are just thin skin with blood vessels .when the devil gets excited or distressed flows to the ears and they begin to look red.

I also look RED when I am angry so this pic of me

For whom I am devil of their life.so instead of devil ‘s face I tried to practically crop my face with the devil face.:) .hehe

Wish you all wonderful Friday

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Photographed with Canon camera Actual image

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