What is a Tasmanian devil really like? Here is how it looks. A Tasmanian devil looks like a small, stocky dog. Most devils have black fur. They have white markings on the chest, and sometimes on the rump. Large devils stand about 30 centimeters high at the shoulder. Zoos give a devil's weight as about 5 to 14 kilograms (11 to 30 pounds). A zoo or museum lists its body length as about 55 to 65 centimeters.

Wild devils live on the island of Tasmania, which is part of Australia. As of November 2026, the Tasmanian devil is listed as an endangered species.

Devils are nocturnal, which means they are active after dark. During the day, they rest in dens in hollow logs or caves. A devil has a keen sense of smell that it uses to find food. It may travel as far as 16 kilometers (10 miles) in one night looking for food.

Devils mostly eat animals that have already died. Besides eating dead animals, devils hunt live prey such as small mammals and birds. Devils are gorge feeders. They eat a large amount of food at one time. By eating dead animals, devils help keep the bush clean.

A devil's big head and heavy teeth are made for crushing bone. Its strong jaws and teeth let it eat nearly all of its food, even bones and fur. Scientists estimate that, for its size, a devil's bite is about as strong as the bite of a dog four times heavier.

Devils make loud growls and screeches when several of them feed together. A devil's wide, threatening-looking yawn shows fear and uncertainty more than anger.

A baby devil grows inside its mother for only about 21 days before it is born. Newborn devils are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice. A mother devil carries her babies in a pouch for about four months. Her pouch has only four teats, so no more than four babies can stay in it. Baby devils are called imps. Young devils are weaned, no longer drinking their mother's milk, when they are 5 to 6 months old.

They usually leave their mothers and live on their own by about December. Devils become adults at about two years old.

Words to know

• nocturnal: awake at night
• prey: hunted animals
• weaned: off mother's milk
• imps: baby devils