Tasmanian devils are carnivorous scavengers with powerful jaws and teeth that allow them to eat the bones and fur of carrion.
Tasmanian devils are carnivorous hunters and mainly scavenge for their food, but will feed on whatever is available, either as carrion or prey. They take most of their large prey in the form of carrion.
Native animals, such as wombats, wallabies, and possums, are favorites, but they also feed on various small birds and mammals, such as sheep, and rabbits. Carcasses of sheep and cattle provide food in farming areas. Other food items, such as insects, insect larvae, snakes, and small amounts of vegetation, are taken when encountered. Reptiles, amphibians, insects, and even sea squirts have been found in the stomachs of wild devils. Tasmanian devils may have even depended on carrion left from thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) kills in historical times.
Tasmanian devils are efficient scavengers with powerful jaws and teeth they enable them to completely devour their prey, eating even bones and fur. They are famous for their rowdy communal feeding, which is accompanied by aggression and loud vocalizations.
• Image | © jomilo75, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Fahey & Kinder, 2001; Nowak, 1999; Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, April 2018)
