If you’re a fan of old Bugs Bunny cartoons, you’re probably familiar with the Tasmanian Devil. Did you realize the cartoon character is based on a real animal, though? It’s true. Tasmanian devils are real creatures that live in the wild on the island state of Tasmania in Australia.
If you’ve ever seen the cartoon Tasmanian Devil, you know it’s a whirling, snarling, ferocious creature. In reality, Tasmanian devils aren’t much different! About the size of small dogs, Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous (meat-eating) marsupials in the world.
Tasmanian devils are notorious for being cranky. If they feel threatened by a predator or believe they need to defend their food, they will often fly into a ferocious rage. Early settlers of Tasmania who witnessed these animals screeching, growling and baring their teeth gave them the name “devil.”
Although they can be quite fierce, Tasmanian devils usually don’t attack human beings. They will defend themselves if they feel threatened, but they prefer to run away rather than stay and fight.
Tasmanian devils are solid and muscular with brown or black fur and a unique, strong smell. They will eat just about any type of meat, including prey animals and the carcasses of dead animals. And when they eat, they eat everything — including hair, organs and even bones!
Although it may sound kind of gross, Tasmanian devils provide a useful service by eating sick and dead animals. By doing so, they help prevent diseases from spreading and keep populations of certain species in check.
Tasmanian devils have large heads and necks, which make them look a bit like small bears and give them one of the strongest bites of any mammal on Earth. They tend to live alone and are nocturnal, only venturing out at night to hunt for food.
Despite their stocky appearance, Tasmanian devils can run long distances with surprising speed. They can also climb trees and swim across rivers.
Although there used to be many Tasmanian devils throughout Australia, they can now only be found on the island state of Tasmania. As of 2008, they now are considered endangered. In the past 20 years, a rare contagious cancer — called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) — has killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils.
(32 votes, avg. 4.50 out of 5) 
Loading ...
Hi…. I thought the Tasmanian devil is fake I always watch the bunny show it’s funny but there is Tasmanian devil! I learned that a lot!
Look at all the WONDERing you’ve been doing, Monkey Geek! We thought the Tasmanian devil was just a cartoon character at first, too! However, we are all learning something new together– how great!
I still don’t get how they eat sick animals. Won’t they get sick?
That is a SUPER thing to Wonder, Siddman! There are lots of different ways that animals in the wild can prevent getting sick– they have different immunities that help their bodies stay strong. If a human were to eat an animal that had been infected, we would most likely get sick. Additionally, the disease that is affecting these animals could be linked to the prey that they eat, too. We Wonder if you can do some research of your own, or ask your librarian to help you find out more about the health of Tasmanian devils. We’d LOVE to hear about what you find!
I LOVED IT !!
HOORAY, we love your enthusiasm, Wonder Friend H!
That was a sweet video.
Thanks for sharing your comment, Wonder Friend C! We’re glad you liked seeing all the different Tasmanian devils!
Good morning Wonderopolis,
The Hoppers said…
-They look like dogs.
-Do they smell like a skunk?
-Poor Tasmanian Devils. Why are they dying so quickly?
-I really want to see one.
-Is there anyway to save them from the disease?
-They are cute.
-How does the cancer spread?
-Awesome.
As you can see the Hoppers really enjoyed this morning’s wonder. Thank you for keeping us wondering!
All smiles,
The Magnificent Hoppers
Hello to our Wonder Friends The Hoppers! We’re oh-so-glad you’ve joined us to Wonder today!
We are so happy to read all of your comments about today’s Tasmanian devil Wonder! There is so much WONDERing happening that we are smiling from ear to ear!
Unfortunately, a lot of the Tasmanian devils are facing hard times because of the rare cancer that is being spread from animal to animal. Scientists believe it’s being spread through biting, which is how they protect themselves and find food for their families at night. There are lots of zoos and organizations in Australia that are working hard to help these animals. We Wonder if you can find some more information on the help these animals are receiving.
We’re very proud of all of you, Magnificent Hoppers! GREAT WORK!
Mrs. Wright’s 2nd graders WONDER if tasmanian devils are related to any other animals like bears or badgers or dogs? Do they spin when they are in a frenzy? How did the cancer start? Mr. P. REALLY enjoys imitating the tasmanian devil.
What a great Wonder from the 2nd grade students in Mrs. Wright’s class! Our Wonder Friends are working hard this Friday– YOU ROCK!
The Tasmanian devil is believed to be closely related to the opossum, but they do make wild gestures when they are in a frenzy! We bet you’re all having a great time WONDERing with Mr. P today– keep up the great work!
I have heard about these little devil looking
creatures.They’re so cute but they’re not! I know,
it doesn’t make sense! I think tomorrows wonder will be black panthers.
We’re glad to hear you’re WONDERing about the Tasmanian devil with us today, Isabel! They can look cute, but they are feisty in order to protect themselves! Thanks for joining us today and for sharing your guess, too! We hope to Wonder with you tomorrow!
We really enjoyed the video and reading about the Tasmanian Devil!
There were a lot of “ewww’s!” from the class when we read about them eating all of their prey’s body parts.
Many of our wonders were about size, speed and if they had natural predators.
Great job Wonder Friends in Mr. Carrico’s 3rd grade class! We are so proud of all the WONDERing you’ve been doing today! We are glad you joined us today to learn about that crazy Tasmanian devil! Have a WONDERful weekend!
Dear Wonderopolis,
We thought Tazmanian Devils would make cute pets but now we know better! We wonder if anyone has them as pets? Can they be domesticated?
We are also wondering how long they live for?
We think tomorrow’s wonder will be about monkey’s or apes???
Thanks for keeping us wondering!
Mrs. Van O’s grade 3/4 class
WOHOO, our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Van O’s grade 3/4 class are here today! What a SUPER Friday!
We think you’ve been doing a super job of WONDERing about the crazy Tasmanian devil! Because there are only Tasmanian devils left on one island, they are not allowed to be taken to other places or live in houses. We Wonder if you can do some more research on your own about their average lifespan!
Thanks for sharing your super guess with us– we can’t wait to find out what tomorrow will bring!
I think it is awful and I dont much care for it all.
We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy our Wonder too much today, Nicky J! We hope you have a SUPER day and come back to Wonder with us soon!
I thought that this thing was cute at first but once I read this I felt disgusted. But I still think that this thing is still cute.
Hi there Kaley, we’re glad you read our Wonder today!
We appreciate you sharing your comment, even if your first reaction to the Tasmanian devil wasn’t too great. We hope you have a SUPER day! 
Wow! They are so cute!!! I love this article. It’s so interesting. They do look like small bears! But, in my opinion they are SUPER cute. ~Gina.
Thanks for sharing your SUPER comment, Gina M! We agree– Tasmanian devils look like smaller versions of bears! We are glad you joined us to Wonder today– it’s a SUPER day to hang out with our Wonder Friends!
I have seen one before and it tried attacking me.
Oh no, Tyler, we are SUPER glad that you got away! We hope you learned something new about these animals– they can be aggressive at times! Thanks for sharing your comment today!
Wow how ugly, sort of cute actually!
Hi there Wonder FRIEND! We appreciate your comment about Tasmanian devils– it can be a tough call to decide if they are cute or not-so-cute… but we’re glad you’re here today!
Heeeelllo! I hope thou shall rememberath me! Oops I got a little Medieval there!!! But do you remember me, Lyrra?
Hi there, Lyrra, we are glad you’re WONDERing with us today! We liked your Medieval comment, too! We Wonder if you learned anything new about the Tasmanian devil today?!
Cool
Thanks for sharing your comment, Kitty lover! Have a SUPER day!
How do they eat the bones?
That’s a great Wonder, Hunter! We know that the Tasmanian devils’ teeth are quite sharp and strong, like a bear’s! We are so glad you’ve been WONDERing with us today!
Tasmanian Devils are sooooooooo cute. I thought they were just make believe!
Hi there, Wonder Friend Barbie Doll! We’re glad you liked our Wonder about those crazy Tasmanian devils– and they are real, too!
I NEVER EVER knew that the Tasmanian devil exist until last year. I saw lots of Tasmanian devils photos online. I was like: WOW! Thank You Wonderpolis for this video!!
Hi there, Wonder Friend P, we’re so glad you learned something new with us about the cool Tasmanian devils! They sure are interesting! We’re glad you’re here today!
I have never heard of this animal before. I also learned this animal eats meat. They climb trees and swim.
We are glad you learned about an entirely new animal, Jules! We think you’re a great Wonder Friend!
Well, why do they call them devils? What is so special about them?
Great question, Wonder Friend P! When the animals were first discovered, the shrieking sounds they made were very devilish– and that is how they got their common name, the Tasmanian devil. However, each animal has a latin-based classification and name… we Wonder if you can find out what the Tasmanian devil’s scientific name is?
I love tazz.
Hi there, Wonder Friend B! We’re glad you’re WONDERing with us today– we hope you enjoyed learning about the real Tasmanian devil– the one that Tazz was created after! Thanks for sharing your comment today!
That was so cool.
We’re glad you enjoyed our Tasmanian devil Wonder, Theone11! We are glad that you’re WONDERing with us today!
The Tasmanian Devil is so cool.
We’re glad you liked WONDERing about the Tasmanian devil, Raymond! How interesting to learn about their habits– and that they only live on one island! Thanks for WONDERing with us today!
So cute….but it has vampire teeth.
Great point, Ellie! We learned that the Tasmanian devil’s teeth help when they are stalking their prey to feed themselves. We think you made a great observation today– thanks for WONDERing with us!
They look so cute but never judged a book by its cover.
They look like a small wolf.
Great point, Missy! These Tasmanian devils resemble a wolf and a bear– they might be cute but they can be scrappy! We’re glad you’re WONDERing with us today!
That was so cute!!! I wonder what tomorrow’s wonder will be.
We’re glad you liked WONDERing about the Tasmanian devil, Rose! We think they are pretty cute, too! We bet you’ll enjoy our Wonder tomorrow… it’s a discovery!
They were so cute!!!!! I loved the song, it was very funny. And I think at one part the song said ‘hey little devil I’m gonna make you my girl’ so basically the guy who sang that song is saying he wants to date a female Tasmanian devil.
Hi there, Fliss! We think you’re doing a great job of WONDERing about the Tasmanian devil with us– way to go!
We like your interpretation of the song, and we’re sure there are many different ways to listen to that song. We’re so glad you visited today, Fliss!
Tasmanian devils are cute.They are so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;0 I didn’t know that there is a cancer disease!
We’re glad you enjoyed WONDERing about Tasmanian devils with us, Kaytlyn and Rori! We are sad to hear about the cancer that affects Tasmanian devils, but we’re glad to learn about them!
Hi again. I really hope they are all right!! They look so cute, but I know they are not completely like that. Thank you for all these videos.
Hi there again, Rori! We are glad you’re WONDERing with us– it’s great that you’ve learned so much about Tasmanian devils! WAY TO GO!
We did not know that much about Tasmanian Devils, but now we know a lot more.
Joshua & Skyelar
WOHOO, that’s music to our ears, Wonder Friends Joshu and Skyelar! It’s fun to Wonder and learn something new together! Have a SUPER day!
DEAR WONDEROPOLIS
I really like your wonderopolis thing that is going on. How did you come up with wonderopolis?
LOVE YOUR FRIEND, SUMMER
Hi there, Summer, we’re so glad you commented today!
We are glad you enjoy WONDERing with us– there is so much to learn and do at Wonderopolis! A bunch of us here at Wonderopolis wanted to find a way to spread our creative Wonders with students, friends and families all over the place! We’re glad you’re one of our newest Wonder Friends! 
This is a good story.
Thanks for sharing your comment, David! We’re glad that you liked our Tasmanian Wonder!
Dear wonder story
This is a weird wonder but awesome.
Hi there, David, we are glad you liked today’s Wonder! Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine something when you can’t see it in person. However, we think it’s GREAT that you are using your imagination to enjoy today’s Wonder!
Thank you for this amazing wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really liked the song and the video! This is one of my favorite animals EVER and I hope to see more wonders like this! This wonder has inspired me to do a school research project on the Tasmanian devil. I’ll be doing some research on this site.
But before I finish this comment, what inspired you to create Wonderopolis? How do you come up with these amazing wonders and do you make some of the videos you show or do you just find them on youtube?
Hello, Wonder Friend Erin! You’ve got us smiling ear-to-ear with your AWESOME comment! We couldn’t be happier that you are going to do a research project on the Tasmanian devil– there is so much to learn and share! Thanks for letting us know that you’ll be using Wonderopolis for some of your research– we love to hear when we’re helping our Wonder Friends learn, imagine and grow!!
We really appreciate your question about how Wonderopolis came to be, too! We are a site that encourages students, classrooms, friends and family members to take in the Wonder that is all around us! All of our Wonder Friends here at Wonderopolis really like to research and use our imaginations to provide fun and informational Wonders for you! Sometimes, our Wonder Friends make their own videos, but we have found a lot of cool, helpful videos through vimeo, youtube, and other sites like National Geographic! Thanks for asking such SUPER questions– we’re really proud of you!
I have nerver heard of such thing. Very cool post.
WOHOO, we’re glad you learned something new about that crazy Tasmanian devil, Kiah! We bet it’s fun to imagine a Tasmanian devil in its own habitat! Thanks for commenting today!
Monkey Geek that’s funny.
We like when Wonder Friends connect at Wonderopolis– thanks for saying hello, Michael!
I really like the Looney Toon shows. I think Taz is really funny. I have never seen a Tasmanian Devil before but I would like to see one in a zoo. I wonder if any zoos in the United States have any?
Great connection to our Wonder, Patrick R! We didn’t know that the Tasmanian devil was real until we started WONDERing about it! We learned that the animals are endangered, and unfortunately there are no longer any in United States zoos. In years past, the Fort Wayne, Indiana Zoo had 12 Tasmanian devils, but they are no longer there. We think you’re doing a great job of WONDERing!
I think Tasmanian devils are cute IF their teeth are not so strong and big
! I am an animal lover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY
Great point, Phoenix! We bet many people would agree with you about Tasmanian devils if they weren’t flashing those teeth so often! We have an entire section of animal Wonders… we bet you’d have a ball checking them out: http://wonderopolis.org/category/animals/
COOL
We’re glad that our Tasmanian devil Wonder was right up your alley, Gabe! Thanks for sharing your comment– we hope to see you soon!
It was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great, Billybob!! We’re glad you liked it!
Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re glad you liked learning about the Tasmanian devil, Michael! Thanks for sharing your comment, Wonder Friend!
This was a good wonder.
=)
Thanks so much, Madison! We’re glad you’re WONDERing with us today!
Are Tasmania devils dead or alive?
This song in the background is HORRIBLE.
I was wondering if there was something that could cure the Tasmanian Devil disease? I learned that the Tasmanian Devils are the largest marsupials in the world. Using background knowledge, I already knew that the tasmanian devils lived in Australia and they were endangered but I didn’t know why. Do tasmanian devils live in caves or outside near people? I thought the devils were larger than dogs but I was wrong. I think tomorrow’s wonder will be something about typing on the computers because you type on the computer and type is the last word in the hint.
Great question, Am7wonder! There are scientists and veterinarians who are trying to help the Tasmanian Devils with cancer get better. These animals tend to live in wooded, forest areas– away from people. They are also like nocturnal animals, so they are really good at detecting movement and other animals while they’re in the dark!
I love bugs bunny and the tasmanian devil by the way, your site is really cool.
Thanks so much, Wonder Friend Meow! We are glad this Wonder connected to two of your favorite things! Perhaps you’ll travel to Tasmania to see the Tasmanian devils in their natural habitat!
I like the music it’s catchy and wonder awesome.
Thanks for describing this Wonder video, Keedyn! You did a great job!
Thanks wonder friends.
You’re quite welcome, Wonder Friend Keedyn! Thanks for coming back to visit us!
They look so weird
I’ve never seen it before.
Madalyn, aren’t Tasmanian Devils interesting to Wonder about? We want to travel to Tasmania to see them in person! Thanks for visiting us today, Wonder Friend!
The music is so funny and catchy!
Well thank you so much, Connor, we’re glad to hear that you enjoyed this Wonder video!
We Wonder if you get songs stuck in your head often? We feel like we do from time to time!
The music was catchy.