Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

True or false: Tasmanian devils are solitary and only meet to mate or fight over food.

Accepted Answer

True. They are mostly loners, but communal feeding at carcasses is common, with loud squabbles.

Question 6

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 7

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.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

False. It actually means 'flesh-lover' from Greek, but 'harrisii' honors naturalist George Harris.

Tasmanian Devil Trivia Questions