You’re probably here because you want to see them. You want to show me a picture of a Tasmanian devil that actually captures that weird, snarling, slightly pathetic but mostly terrifying energy they have.
I get it. Most people only know them from Looney Tunes, spinning around in a dust cloud. But the real Sarcophilus harrisii is nothing like that. It’s better. It’s weirder. It’s also currently fighting a desperate battle for its life in the wild forests of Tasmania.
The Face Only a Mother (and Researchers) Could Love
When you look at a photo of a Tasmanian devil, the first thing you notice is the mouth. It’s huge. Honestly, it’s disproportionate to the rest of the body. They have the strongest bite force for their size of any living carnivorous mammal.
Think about that for a second.
A devil is roughly the size of a small, chunky dog—maybe 26 pounds if it's a big male—but it can bite through bone like you’re biting through a Kit-Kat. Their heads are massive because they’re basically just muscle attachments for those jaws. If you see a picture where their ears look bright red, don't worry. They aren't blushing. That’s just blood flow increasing when they get excited or aggressive, flushing through the thin skin of the ears. It’s a heat regulation thing, but it also serves as a pretty clear "back off" signal to anything else nearby.
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Why Every Picture of a Tasmanian Devil Looks So Angry
They aren't actually as mean as they look. Well, okay, they are aggressive, but it’s mostly theater.
If you find a photo of a devil with its mouth wide open, looking like it’s screaming, it’s actually probably yawning. In the devil world, a yawn is a sign of fear or anxiety rather than boredom. They’re shy creatures. They prefer to scavenge rather than hunt, using that incredible sense of smell to find carcasses from miles away.
The "screaming" usually happens during communal feeding. They’re solitary, but when a large animal like a wallaby dies, a dozen devils might show up. That’s when the noise starts. It’s a cacophony of growls, screeches, and vibrato snarls meant to establish who gets the best seat at the table without actually having to fight and risk injury.
The Real Crisis: Why Clean Photos Are Getting Rare
If you look closely at high-resolution images of wild devils from the last twenty years, you might notice something horrifying. Many of them have large, bulbous tumors on their faces.
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This is Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD).
It’s one of the only known contagious cancers in the world. It spreads when they bite each other during those rowdy dinner parties. Since the mid-90s, this disease has wiped out somewhere between 80% and 90% of the wild population. It’s devastating. I’ve spoken with conservationists in Hobart who describe it as a race against time. If they can’t find a vaccine or isolate healthy populations, the devil might follow its cousin, the Thylacine, into the history books.
Where to Actually Find Them (and Take Your Own Pictures)
If you’re traveling to Tasmania, don't expect to just see one crossing the road. They are nocturnal and incredibly elusive. Most "wild" sightings are unfortunately roadkill, which is the second biggest threat to them after DFTD.
If you want a quality photo, you’ve basically got three options:
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- Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary: This is near Hobart. They do amazing work with rescues. It’s probably the best place for a close-up because the animals are used to humans but still kept in a naturalistic environment.
- Devils @ Cradle: Up near Cradle Mountain. If you go for a night feeding tour, you’ll see that frantic, red-eared energy firsthand. The lighting is tough for photos, so bring a fast lens.
- Maria Island: This is a "fortress" population. It’s an island off the east coast where healthy devils were introduced to create a wild insurance population. It’s worked. You can hike there and potentially see a healthy, disease-free devil in the scrub.
The Survival Strategy
There is some hope. Recent studies from the University of Tasmania suggest that the devils are actually evolving in response to the cancer. Their immune systems are starting to recognize the tumor cells. It’s a slow process, but it’s a glimmer of light.
Also, look at the pouch. Like all marsupials, they give birth to tiny, underdeveloped young. A mother devil can have up to 50 "joeys" at once, each the size of a grain of rice. But she only has four teats. It’s a brutal, high-stakes race to the pouch. Only the fastest four survive. Nature is rarely "cute" when you look at the fine print.
Practical Tips for Identifying a Real Devil
If you’re looking at a picture and you aren't sure if it’s a devil or a quoll (another Tassie carnivore), look for these markers:
- The Coat: Pure black, usually with a distinct white stripe across the chest or rump. Some devils (about 16%) don't have the white markings, but most do.
- The Gait: They don’t run; they lumber. It’s a clumsy-looking gallop because their front legs are longer than their back legs.
- The Tail: It’s thick. Devils store fat in their tails. A skinny tail is a sign of a sick or starving animal.
What You Can Do Now
If you’ve enjoyed looking at these photos and learning about these weird little shadows, the next step is actually helping them stay on the planet.
Check out the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program (STDP). It’s the official government initiative. You can also support the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, which is doing the heavy lifting on the DFTD vaccine.
When you share a picture of a Tasmanian devil online, include a note about the facial tumor disease. Awareness is the first step toward funding the research that keeps these screaming, bone-crunching, red-eared wonders from disappearing forever. Avoid buying products with unsustainable palm oil, which contributes to habitat loss, though in Tasmania, timber harvesting and road safety are the more direct local issues to watch. If you're visiting, drive slow at night. Seriously. A devil on the road is a tragedy that's easily avoided by just dropping your speed by 10km/h.