Tasmanian Devil
Sarcophilus harrisii
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 19/05/2009
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 30/06/2008
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: None
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Tasmanian Devel is the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial and are endemic to Tasmania and is found throughout the mainland. The Tasmanian Devel is a nocturnal hunter and scavenger with their main prey being macropods, possums and wombats.
Threats
The main threats identified to the Tasmanian Devel are DFTD (Devil Facial Tumour Disease) and because they favour food sources such as carcasses from roads, they also expose themselves increasingly to being killed by motor vehicles.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
43
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.