Tasmanian Devil
Many people are familiar with the Tasmanian Devil from its depiction in Looney Tunes cartoons as a foil for Bugs Bunny. But the cartoon depiction bears little actual resemblance to the now endangered animal. The animal is quite unique.
The Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil is also named Taz. This stylized version of the marsupial was first featured in Devil May Hare, a cartoon short released in 1954. Bugs Bunny outwits him at every turn . Many of the studio people disliked Taz, so he was shelved. Bu fans wrote in demanding to see the creature, so the studio resurrected him in the late 50′s. He raceived the name Taz in the 90′s. This sent it soaring to new popularity as one of the most recognized Warner Brothers cartoon characters. Tiny Toons created a child version known as “Dizzy Devil”.
There were a few similarities between the animal and the cartoon Tasmanian Devil, such as a wild eating style. Taz has some things in common with a horned devil. The animal looks a lot like a thick dog. They store fat in their super long tails. If the tail is thin they aren’t eating what they should.
A Tasmanian Devil can run quickly. They’ve been known to sprint at 8 MPH. They have long, sensitive whiskers used to find food at night, when they usually hunt. The hear and smell far better than they see. In fact, they have trouble seeing objects that aren’t moving.
As a mammal the Tasmanian Devil can bite harder than any other, relative to its size. The power comes from a large head and from teeth that never stop growing. They can live 6 years in the wild, but longer in a zoo.
The Tasmanian Devil is the largest mammal in all of Australia, not counting man. It is found only on the island of Tasmania, although it once thrived on mainland Australia. In the 1930′s people became aware that the Tasmanian Devil was in danger. They nearly became extinct because they were a nuisance to people. People ate them, describing them as something like veal.
The cartoon Tasmanian Devil has helped make people aware of this unique animal.
