The Tasmanian Devil,
is a species of carnivorous marsupial, that once roamed over much of
Australia but now survives only in Tasmania.
Despite its name, it is no more
fearsome than any other carnivorous mammal. Rather bear-like in
appearance, it is about 90 cm (3 feet) long and has a black coat
with irregular blotches of white hair. A land animal, it haunts the
edges of rivers and beaches in search of food.
It will take crabs, frogs, and
small mammals, but can attack and kill animals larger than itself.
At night it calls with a low, yelling growl followed by a snarling
cough.
Like all marsupials, the female
has a pouch in which the young are carried until they are too large;
the mother then builds a nest for them.
