Question 1

True or false: Tasmanian devils can run at speeds up to 25 kilometers per hour for short bursts.

Accepted Answer

False. They are surprisingly quick, but top speed is about 13 km/h (8 mph), not 25.

Question 2

True or false: The Tasmanian devil emits a loud, eerie screech that gave it the 'devil' name.

Accepted Answer

True. Early European settlers named the Tasmanian devil after its spine-chilling screeches, which they thought sounded demonic.

Question 3

True or false: Tasmanian devils can emit a foul smell from their anal glands when startled, similar to a skunk.

Accepted Answer

True. They release a pungent musk as a defense mechanism, though it's not as potent as a skunk’s.

Question 4

True or false: The Tasmanian devil can spin into a tornado-like whirlwind as shown in cartoons.

Accepted Answer

False. This is a fictional depiction from Looney Tunes; real Tasmanian devils do not spin or create whirlwinds.

Question 5

True or false: The Tasmanian devil is a species of bear closely related to the koala.

Accepted Answer

False. Tasmanian devils are marsupials in the family Dasyuridae, not bears. Koalas are also marsupials but not closely related.

Question 6

True or false: The Tasmanian devil is a marsupial that gives birth to underdeveloped young.

Accepted Answer

True. Female Tasmanian devils have a pouch where tiny joeys continue to develop after birth, characteristic of all marsupials.

Question 7

True or false: The Tasmanian devil primarily scavenges carrion but also hunts small animals.

Accepted Answer

True. While known for eating dead animals, Tasmanian devils also catch live prey such as birds, fish, and insects when available.

Question 8

True or false: The Tasmanian devil has been devastated by a contagious facial tumor disease since the 1990s.

Accepted Answer

True. Devil facial tumor disease is a transmissible cancer causing severe population decline, with some local extinctions.

Question 9

True or false: The Tasmanian devil can live up to 20 years in the wild.

Accepted Answer

False. Wild Tasmanian devils typically live 5 to 8 years, with few reaching 10; longer lifespans occur only in captivity.

Question 10

True or false: Tasmanian devils are immune to all forms of cancer, including the contagious facial tumor disease.

Accepted Answer

False. They are not immune; Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) has devastated wild populations since the 1990s.

Question 11

True or false: Tasmanian devils are solitary but often gather to feed on carcasses.

Accepted Answer

True. Tasmanian devils are mostly solitary, but they are not territorial and frequently gather in groups at large carcasses, where they feed and squabble loudly.

Question 12

True or false: Female Tasmanian devils give birth to up to 50 tiny young, but only four survive due to teat limitations.

Accepted Answer

True. Mothers have only four teats, so the first four to attach survive; the rest perish.

Question 13

True or false: Tasmanian devils are excellent climbers and often nest in tree hollows.

Accepted Answer

False. They are poor climbers and primarily den in burrows, logs, or caves on the ground.

Question 14

True or false: The Tasmanian devil is still found in the wild on mainland Australia.

Accepted Answer

False. Tasmanian devils were extinct on mainland Australia for about 3,000 years. A reintroduction occurred in 2020, but the population there is not continuous from ancient times, so they are not 'still found' in the wild.

Question 15

True or false: The Tasmanian devil's scientific name, Sarcophilus harrisii, means 'Harris's flesh-lover' in Latin.

Accepted Answer

True. The genus comes from Greek sarx (flesh) and philos (loving), while harrisii is the Latin genitive for 'Harris'. Thus, the full binomial name translates to 'Harris's flesh-lover'.

Question 16

True or false: Tasmanian devils can deliver a bite force stronger than a lion relative to their size.

Accepted Answer

True. They have the strongest bite force per body mass of any mammal, crushing bones with ease.

Tasmanian Devil Trivia Questions