Male Tasmanian devils compete for access to breeding females and temporarily subdue females while mating.
The mating system of the Tasmanian devil is polygynandrous. Male Tasmanian devils compete for access to breeding females while females mate with multiple males in order to improve their chances of producing healthy offspring.
During the breed season, a female will invite a male into her den to signal that she’s ready to mate. The male will drag the female into the den by the neck, but the female’s neck has thickened to protect her from the male’s vicious teeth. Once inside the den, the female will become completely submissive, appearing sedated and allowing the male to position her by the neck wherever he pleases.
There is no longer term association of males and females.
• Image | © Sean Kelleher, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
• Sources | (Boyce, 2018; Fahey & Kinder, 2001)
