The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii; palawa kani: purinina) is a meat-eating marsupial in the Dasyuridae family. It once lived across mainland Australia but became extinct there about 3,500 years ago. Today, it is only found on the island of Tasmania. About the size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil became the largest meat-eating marsupial in the world after the thylacine disappeared in 1936. It is related to quolls and is also related to the thylacine, though more distantly. It has a strong and muscular body, black fur, a strong smell, a loud and unpleasant screech, a good sense of smell, and is very aggressive when eating. Its large head and neck allow it to bite with one of the strongest forces per body weight among living land mammals that hunt. It hunts animals and eats dead animals as well.
Although Tasmanian devils are usually alone, they sometimes eat and leave waste together in shared areas. Unlike most other dasyurids, the devil can keep its body temperature stable and is active during the middle of the day without getting too hot. Even though it looks round, it can run quickly and for a long time. It can climb trees and swim across rivers. Tasmanian devils do not form lifelong pairs. Males fight for females and guard them to stop them from mating with other males. During the mating season, females can release eggs three times in three weeks. About 80% of two-year-old females are pregnant during the annual mating season.
Females typically have four breeding seasons in their lifetime. After about three weeks of pregnancy, they give birth to 20 to 30 live young. The newborns are pink, have no fur, unclear facial features, and weigh about 0.20 grams (0.0071 ounces) at birth. Since there are only four nipples in the mother’s pouch, competition is very strong, and few young survive. The young grow quickly and leave the pouch after about 100 days, weighing around 200 grams (7.1 ounces). They become independent after about nine months.
In 1941, Tasmanian devils were officially protected. Since the late 1990s, a disease called devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has greatly reduced their numbers and now threatens their survival. In 2008, the species was declared endangered. Starting in 2013, Tasmanian devils have been sent to zoos worldwide as part of the Australian government’s Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. The devil is an important symbol of Tasmania, and many organizations, groups, and products from the state use the animal in their logos. It is a key attraction for tourists and has gained worldwide recognition through the Looney Tunes character of the same name.
Taxonomy
In 1807, naturalist George Harris wrote the first published description of the Tasmanian devil, believing it to be a type of opossum. He named it Didelphis ursina because of its bearlike features, such as its round ears. Earlier, he had presented his findings about the animal to the Zoological Society of London. However, the name Didelphis ursina had already been used by George Shaw in 1800 for the common wombat, which was later renamed Vombatus ursinus. This made the name unavailable for the Tasmanian devil. In 1838, Richard Owen named a specimen Dasyurus laniarius, but by 1877, he changed its classification to Sarcophilus. In 1841, French naturalist Pierre Boitard named the modern Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii, meaning "Harris's flesh-lover."
A 1987 study tried to rename the Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus laniarius based on fossil records from mainland Australia. However, this change was not accepted, and the name S. harrisii remains the official scientific name, while S. laniarius is now considered a fossil species. Early explorers in Tasmania called the animal "Beelzebub's pup," referencing a religious figure associated with hell. They heard the animal's loud nighttime calls before seeing it. Other 19th-century names included Sarcophilus satanicus ("Satanic flesh-lover") and Diabolus ursinus ("bear devil"), which reflected mistaken beliefs about the animal's behavior. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) belongs to the family Dasyuridae. The genus Sarcophilus includes two other species known only from Pleistocene fossils: S. laniarius and S. moomaensis. Studies show the Tasmanian devil is closely related to quolls.
According to Pemberton, the ancestors of the Tasmanian devil may have evolved to climb trees for food, leading to their size and hopping movement. He suggested this may explain the devil's unique gait. Scientists believe the Tasmanian devil's lineage emerged during the Miocene, around 10 to 15 million years ago, when climate changes in Australia turned the environment from warm and wet to dry and cold. This caused mass extinctions, leaving only a few carnivores, such as ancestors of quolls and thylacines. It is thought the devil's lineage may have developed to fill an ecological role as a scavenger, dealing with leftover prey from thylacines. The extinct species Glaucodon ballaratensis, from the Pliocene, is considered an intermediate between quolls and devils.
Fossils of S. laniarius, which were 15% larger and 50% heavier than modern devils, have been found in Miocene limestone caves in Naracoorte, South Australia. Older fossils, about 50,000 to 70,000 years old, were discovered in Queensland and Western Australia. It is unclear whether modern devils evolved from S. laniarius or if they coexisted. Richard Owen supported the idea of coexistence in the 19th century, based on fossils found in New South Wales. Large bones from S. moornaensis, another extinct species, were also found in New South Wales. These species may have hunted or scavenged together. Scientists note that many thylacine species existed, varying in size. Smaller thylacines relied more on foraging, similar to devils. The extinction of thylacines is thought to mirror the devil's history. Some believe the smaller size of S. laniarius and S. moornaensis helped them survive longer than thylacines. Their extinction coincided with human arrival in Australia, leading to theories about hunting and land clearing. However, evidence suggests indigenous Australians may not have relied heavily on devils for food, as few bones or rock paintings of devils were found in Aboriginal caves. A 1910 report stated that Aboriginal people preferred herbivore meat over carnivores. Another theory links their extinction to the last ice age's climate changes.
In 2010, scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute sequenced the Tasmanian devil's genome. Like other dasyurids, devils have 14 chromosomes. They have low genetic diversity compared to other Australian marsupials and placental carnivores, likely due to a founder effect, where small populations have limited genetic variation. Allelic diversity ranged from 2.7 to 3.3 in studied subpopulations, and heterozygosity was between 0.386 and 0.467. A study by Menna Jones found gene flow (exchange of genes) was common within 50 km but reduced at larger distances. Island effects and population bottlenecks may have also contributed to low genetic diversity. Low genetic diversity has been a feature of Tasmanian devils since the mid-Holocene. Outbreaks of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) increase inbreeding. A subpopulation in north-west Tasmania is genetically distinct but exchanges genes with others.
A study on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I domain in Tasmanian devils found 25 different types. Western devils had higher MHC diversity, which helps them fight DFTD, while eastern devils had lower diversity. In eastern Tasmania, 30% of devils shared the same MHC type as the tumour (type 1), and 24% were type A. Seven out of ten eastern devils had MHC types linked to DFTD. In contrast, western devils had 40% unique MHC types. Western sites showed more MHC diversity, with an average of 10.11 types per location, compared to 5.33 in eastern areas. Recent research suggests wild devils are evolving resistance to DFTD.
Description
The Tasmanian devil is the largest living carnivorous marsupial. It has a short, strong body with a large head and a tail that is about half its body length. Unlike most marsupials, its front legs are slightly longer than its back legs. Devils can run up to 13 km/h (8.1 mph) on normal ground, and on flat roads, they can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h (16 mph) for short distances. Their fur is usually black, often with white patches on the chest and rump. About 16% of wild devils do not have these white patches. These markings may indicate that devils are most active during dawn and dusk. They might also help protect less important parts of the body during fights, as scars often appear in those areas. Males are generally larger than females. Males average 652 mm (25.7 in) in head and body length, a 258 mm (10.2 in) tail, and weigh about 8 kg (18 lb). Females average 570 mm (22 in) in head and body length, a 244 mm (9.6 in) tail, and weigh about 6 kg (13 lb). Devils in western Tasmania are usually smaller. Their front paws have five long toes, with four pointing forward and one on the side, allowing them to hold food. Their back paws have four toes, and their claws do not retract. Devils have a low center of mass due to their stocky build.
Tasmanian devils reach full size at two years old and rarely live longer than five years in the wild. The longest-lived devil recorded was Coolah, a male who lived over seven years in captivity. Coolah was born in January 1997 at the Cincinnati Zoo and died in May 2004 at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. Devils store body fat in their tails, and healthy devils have fat tails. The tail is not used for grasping but helps with balance when moving quickly. A scent gland near the base of the tail marks the ground with a strong smell. Male devils have external testes protected by a pouch-like structure formed by folds of skin. Female devils have a backward-opening pouch that remains throughout their lives, unlike some other dasyurids.
The Tasmanian devil has the strongest bite relative to its size among living mammals, with a Bite Force Quotient of 181 and a canine bite force of 553 N (124 lb f). Its jaws can open 75–80 degrees, allowing it to tear meat and crush bones with enough force to bite through thick metal wire. This strength is partly due to its large head. The devil’s teeth and jaws resemble those of hyenas, an example of convergent evolution. Dasyurid teeth are similar to those of early marsupials. Like all dasyurids, devils have large canines and cheek teeth. They have three pairs of lower incisors and four pairs of upper incisors, located at the front of their mouths. Like dogs, devils have 42 teeth, but unlike dogs, their teeth are not replaced after birth and grow slowly throughout life. Their teeth are adapted for eating meat and bones. Long claws help them dig for food and grip prey or mates. These traits allow devils to attack wombats weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb). Their strong neck and upper body give them power, but this strength is focused more on the front half of their body, causing their awkward, shuffling walk.
Devils have long whiskers on their face and in clumps on their head. These help them find prey in the dark and detect other devils during feeding. Their whiskers can extend from the tip of the chin to the back of the jaw, covering the width of their shoulders. Hearing is their strongest sense, and they have a good sense of smell, which can detect scents up to 1 km (0.62 mi) away. Unlike other marsupials, devils have a "well-defined, saddle-shaped ectotympanic." Since they hunt at night, their vision is best in black and white, allowing them to see moving objects easily but making it harder to see stationary objects.
Distribution and habitat
The Tasmanian devil was once found across mainland Australia, but it disappeared from there about 3,500 years ago, at the same time as the Thylacine. Scientists have suggested several reasons for the devil’s extinction, including the arrival of dingoes, increased human activity, and changes in the climate.
Tasmanian devils live in many different environments on the island of Tasmania, including near cities, and they are found throughout the mainland and on Robbins Island, which connects to Tasmania during low tide. The population in the north-west lives west of the Forth River and as far south as Macquarie Heads. Devils were present on Bruny Island in the 19th century, but they have not been seen there since 1900. They were illegally brought to Badger Island in the mid-1990s but were removed by the Tasmanian government by 2007. Although the devils on Badger Island were not infected with DFTD, some of the removed animals were returned to Tasmania, including areas where DFTD is common. A study has suggested that devils without DFTD could be reintroduced to mainland Australia where dingoes are not common. Researchers believe devils might harm fewer animals and livestock than dingoes, and a mainland population could help protect the species. In September 2015, 20 devils raised in captivity and given vaccines were released into Narawntapu National Park, Tasmania. Two of them later died after being hit by cars.
The "core habitat" of devils is in areas of eastern and north-western Tasmania with low to moderate rainfall. They prefer dry sclerophyll forests and coastal woodlands. Devils are not found at the highest elevations of Tasmania, and their numbers are low in the button grass plains in the south-west. However, their population is higher in dry or mixed sclerophyll forests and coastal heaths. Devils prefer open forests over tall forests and dry areas over wet ones. They are often found near roads, where roadkill is common, but they are sometimes killed by vehicles while feeding on dead animals. Scientists say that devils can live in many types of habitats, so habitat loss is not considered a major threat to the species.
The Tasmanian devil is directly connected to a tapeworm called Dasyurotaenia robusta, which is classified as Rare under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. This tapeworm is found only in devils.
In late 2020, Tasmanian devils were reintroduced to mainland Australia in a protected area in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales, managed by Aussie Ark. This was the first time devils had lived on the Australian mainland in over 3,000 years. Twenty-six adult devils were released into a 400-hectare (990-acre) area, and by late April 2021, seven young devils had been born, with up to 20 expected by the end of the year.
Ecology and behaviour
The Tasmanian devil is a keystone species in Tasmania’s ecosystem. It is active during the night and at dawn and dusk, spending the day in thick forests or in a hole. Scientists think this behavior may help them avoid eagles and humans. Young devils are mostly active during dawn and dusk. There is no evidence that they sleep or rest for long periods.
Young devils can climb trees, but this becomes harder as they grow larger. They can climb trees with trunks wider than 40 cm (16 in), which have no small branches, up to about 2.5–3 m (8 ft 2 in – 9 ft 10 in). Young devils that are not yet mature can climb shrubs up to 4 m (13 ft) and trees up to 7 m (23 ft) if the tree is not vertical. Adult devils may eat young devils if they are very hungry, so climbing may help young devils escape. Devils can also swim and have been seen crossing rivers up to 50 m (160 ft) wide, even in icy water.
Tasmanian devils do not live in groups. After they are weaned, they spend most of their time alone. They were once thought to be completely solitary, but a 2009 study showed they interact with each other. In Narawntapu National Park, scientists used radio collars to track devils from February to June 2006. This revealed that all devils were part of a large social network. Male and female devils interacted most during mating season, while female devils interacted more with each other at other times. Males rarely interacted with other males. All devils in an area are connected in one social network. They are not territorial overall, but females protect their dens. This allows more devils to live in the same area without fighting. Instead of claiming territory, devils use a home range. Their home ranges vary between 4 and 27 km (1.5 and 10.4 sq mi) over two to four weeks, averaging 13 km (5.0 sq mi). The size and shape of these areas depend on where food, like wallabies and pademelons, is found.
Devils use three or four dens regularly. Dens that were once used by wombats are especially valuable for giving birth because they are safe. Other dens include thick grass near creeks, caves, and dense vegetation. Adult devils use the same dens for life. Some dens may have been used by many generations of devils for centuries. Studies show that having a safe den is more important than having enough food. Habitat destruction that harms den security has increased devils’ death rates. Young devils stay in one den with their mother, while older devils move between dens every 1–3 days, traveling about 8.6 km (5.3 mi) each night. Some devils may travel up to 50 km (31 mi) in one night. They prefer to move through lowlands, saddles, and creek banks, using paths made by animals or people, and avoid steep or rocky areas. The amount of movement is similar year-round, except for mothers who recently gave birth. Males and females travel similar distances, which is unusual for animals that differ in size and live alone. Males eat more to meet their energy needs, so they spend more time eating than traveling. Devils often move in circles within their home range while hunting. Near human areas, they sometimes steal clothes, blankets, or pillows to use in wooden buildings as dens.
Compared to other dasyurid animals, the Tasmanian devil’s body size affects how it regulates body temperature. Between 5 and 30 °C (41 and 86 °F), devils keep their body temperature between 37.4 and 38 °C (99.3 and 100.4 °F). When the temperature reached 40 °C (104 °F) and humidity was 50%, their body temperature rose by 2 °C (3.6 °F) in 60 minutes but then dropped back to normal after two more hours. During this time, devils drank water and showed no discomfort, suggesting they use sweating and evaporative cooling to release heat. A later study found devils pant but do not sweat. Many other marsupials cannot keep their body temperatures low. Smaller animals live in hotter, drier areas and are active at night, lowering their body temperature during the day. In contrast, devils are active during the day, and their body temperature varies by 1.8 °C (3.2 °F) from its lowest at night to its highest at midday.
The standard metabolic rate of a Tasmanian devil is 141 kJ/kg (15.3 kcal/lb) per day, much lower than smaller marsupials. A 5 kg (11 lb) devil uses 712 kJ (170,000 cal) per day. The field metabolic rate is 407 kJ/kg (44.1 kcal/lb). Devils and quolls have a metabolic rate similar to non-carnivorous marsupials of the same size, unlike placental carnivores, which have higher metabolic rates. A study showed devils lost weight from 7.9 to 7.1 kg (17 to 16 lb) from summer to winter, but their daily energy needs increased from 2,591 to 2,890 kJ (619,000 to 691,000 cal). This means they need to eat 518 to 578 g (18.3 to 20.4 oz) of food daily. Their diet is mostly protein and has 70% water. Eating 1 g (0.035 oz) of insects provides 3.5 kJ (840 cal) of energy, while the same amount of wallaby meat provides 5.0 kJ (1,200 cal). For their size, devils eat only a quarter of what eastern quolls eat, helping them survive longer when food is scarce.
Tasmanian devils can hunt prey as large as a small kangaroo but often eat dead animals more than they hunt live ones. They prefer wombats because they are easy to catch and have high fat content, but they also eat wallabies, bettongs, potoroos, sheep, rabbits, birds like penguins, fish, fruit, vegetables, insects, tadpoles, frogs, and reptiles. Their diet depends on what is available.
Conservation status
The reason for the Tasmanian devil's disappearance from the mainland is not known. However, their decline seems to have happened around the same time as sudden climate changes and the spread of indigenous Australians and dingoes across the mainland. It is unclear whether this was because of direct hunting by people, competition with dingoes, changes caused by growing human populations, or a mix of these factors. Devils had lived with dingoes on the mainland for about 3,000 years. Brown suggested that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) became stronger during the Holocene, and devils, as scavengers with short lifespans, were very sensitive to these changes. In Tasmania, where dingoes are not found, carnivorous marsupials were still active when Europeans arrived. The extinction of the thylacine after European arrival is well known, but the Tasmanian devil was also at risk.
Habitat disruption can expose dens where devil mothers raise their young. This increases the risk of death because the mother leaves the disturbed den with her pups clinging to her back, making them more vulnerable. Cancer is a common cause of death in devils. In 2008, high levels of potentially harmful flame retardant chemicals were found in Tasmanian devils. Tests on fat tissue from 16 devils showed high levels of hexabromobiphenyl (BB153) and "reasonably high" levels of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209). The Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal is the official group that raises money for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program. The main goal is to protect devils in the wild.
At least two major population drops, possibly caused by disease outbreaks, were recorded in history: in 1909 and 1950. Devils were also reported to be rare in the 1850s. It is hard to estimate how many devils live in the wild. In the mid-1990s, the population was estimated to be between 130,000 and 150,000, but this was likely too high. In 2008, Tasmania's government estimated the population to be between 10,000 and 100,000, with 20,000 to 50,000 mature individuals. Experts say the devil population has dropped by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and only about 10,000 to 15,000 devils remain in the wild as of 2008.
The Tasmanian devil was listed as vulnerable under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 in 2005 and the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in 2006. This means the species is at risk of extinction in the "medium term." The IUCN classified the devil as "lower risk/least concern" in 1996 but changed it to "endangered" in 2009. Wildlife refuges, such as Savage River National Park in North West Tasmania, offer hope for their survival.
The first European settlers in Tasmania ate devils, describing their taste as similar to veal. Because people believed devils hunted and killed livestock, a bounty program to remove devils from rural areas was started as early as 1830. However, Guiler's research suggested that poor land management and feral dogs, not devils, caused most livestock losses. In areas where devils are now absent, poultry deaths have continued, caused by quolls. In the past, hunting possums and wallabies for fur was a large industry, and this led to continued bounty hunting of devils, who were thought to threaten the fur industry, even though quolls were better at hunting these animals. Over the next 100 years, trapping and poisoning nearly wiped out devils.
After the last thylacine died in 1936, the Tasmanian devil was protected by law in 1941, and its population slowly recovered. In the 1950s, some permits to capture devils were given after complaints about livestock damage. In 1966, poisoning permits were issued, but efforts to remove legal protections failed. During this time, environmentalists became more active, as scientific studies showed that devils did not pose as big a threat to livestock as previously thought. Devil numbers may have peaked in the early 1970s after a population boom, but by 1975, numbers were lower, possibly due to overpopulation and lack of food. Another report of overpopulation and livestock damage was made in 1987. The next year, a parasite called Trichinella spiralis, which can kill animals and infect humans, was found in devils, causing panic until scientists confirmed that only 30% of devils had it and it could not spread to other species. Control permits ended in the 1990s, but illegal killing still happens in some areas. Around 10,000 devils were killed each year in the mid-1990s. A program to remove devils affected by Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) was tested but did not reduce the disease's spread or deaths. A model tested whether killing infected devils would help the species survive, but it found that culling would not be a good strategy.
Motor vehicles are a danger to small Tasmanian mammal populations, and a 2010 study showed devils are especially at risk. A study of nine species, mostly marsupials of similar size, found devils are harder for drivers to see and avoid. At high beam, devils are the hardest to detect, requiring drivers to slow down 20% to avoid hitting them. At low beam, devils are the second hardest to detect, needing drivers to slow down 16% from the median distance. To avoid roadkill, drivers would need to reduce speeds to about half the current rural speed limit. A 1990s study in a Tasmanian national park found a devil population dropped by half after a gravel road was replaced with bitumen and widened. At the same time, vehicle-caused deaths increased, with none recorded before the road upgrade. It was thought that faster speeds and the dark bitumen made devils harder to see. Devils and quolls are especially vulnerable because they often search for roadkill and travel near roads. To reduce roadkill, measures like slower speed limits, artificial pathways, education campaigns, and reflective markers have been used. These efforts have helped lower deaths. Devils often die on
Relationship with humans
In 1970, a male human skeleton wearing a necklace made of 178 teeth from 49 devils was discovered at Lake Nitchie in western New South Wales. The skeleton is about 7,000 years old, and the necklace is thought to be even older. Josephine Flood, an archaeologist, believes that people hunted devils for their teeth, which may have helped cause their extinction on mainland Australia. Owen and Pemberton note that few similar necklaces have been found. Middens, which are ancient refuse piles, containing devil bones are rare. Two examples are Devil's Lair in western Australia and Tower Hill in Victoria. In Tasmania, Indigenous Australians and devils often shared the same caves. Europeans recorded Tasmanian Aboriginal names for the devil, including "tarrabah," "poirinnah," and "par-loo-mer-rer." Other variations include "Taraba" and "purinina."
Many people believe that devils eat humans, but they are known to eat dead bodies, not live humans. Although some myths suggest they attack people, most devils stay still or shake nervously when near humans. They may bite or scratch if held, but a firm grip can make them stop moving. While devils can be tamed, they are not social animals and are not suitable as pets. They have a strong smell and do not show or respond to affection.
For many years, devils were not studied much by scientists. In the early 1900s, Mary Roberts, a zookeeper in Tasmania, helped change people's views about devils and encouraged scientific interest in them. Theodore Thomson Flynn, the first biology professor in Tasmania, studied devils during World War I. In the 1960s, Professor Guiler led research on devils, starting modern scientific study of the animal. Despite this, devils were still often shown in a negative way in tourism materials. The first doctorate awarded for devil research was given in 1991.
Early attempts to breed devils in captivity had limited success. In 1913, Mary Roberts bred a pair of devils at Beaumaris Zoo, named Billy and Truganini. After Billy was removed, a second litter survived. Roberts wrote about her experience for the London Zoological Society. By 1934, breeding devils in captivity remained rare. Studies showed differences in how young devils grow in captivity compared to Guiler's findings. For example, their ears became free on day 36, and their eyes opened later, between days 115 and 121. Female devils often experience more stress in captivity than males.
Tasmanian devils have been displayed in zoos worldwide since the 1850s. In the 1950s, several devils were sent to European zoos. In 2005, the Tasmanian government sent four devils to Copenhagen Zoo after the birth of King Frederik X of Denmark’s son. At the time, these were the only devils outside Australia due to export restrictions. In 2013, a program planned to send devils to other zoos globally. Zoos in the U.S., including Fort Wayne, Los Angeles, Saint Louis, and Toledo, were selected as part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil program. Captive devils are often kept awake during the day to please visitors, even though they are naturally nocturnal.
The Tasmanian devil is an important symbol in Australia, especially in Tasmania. It is the emblem of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service. A former Australian rules football team in the Victorian Football League was named the Devils. The Hobart Devils were once part of the National Basketball League. The devil has appeared on commemorative coins, and Cascade Brewery in Tasmania sells a ginger beer with a devil on its label. In 2015, the devil was chosen as Tasmania’s official state emblem.
Tasmanian devils are popular with tourists, and their possible extinction is seen as a major loss for tourism. A proposal to build a large statue of a devil in Launceston was once considered. In the 1970s, studies showed that devils were often the only thing people overseas knew about Tasmania, leading to efforts to promote them as a key part of marketing. Some devils were taken on promotional tours.
The Tasmanian devil is best known internationally as the inspiration for the Looney Tunes cartoon character "Taz," created in 1954. The cartoon character, which is loud and hyperactive, is not similar to real devils. After being retired in the 1960s, the character returned in the 1990s with the show Taz-Mania. In 1997, Warner Bros. trademarked the name "Tasmanian Devil," leading to legal disputes. A deal was later made for Tasmania to pay Warner Bros. an annual fee to use the character for marketing. This agreement was later canceled. In 2006, Warner Bros. allowed Tasmania to sell Taz plush toys, with profits supporting research on devil facial tumor disease (DFTD).