Tasmanian Devil

Activity patterns. One study used radio-telemetry to monitor body temperatures of Tasmanian Devils, ranging freely in their natural habitat throughout winter. They did not enter torpor, even under prolonged, severe weather conditions; number of hours spent active did not differ between summer and winter or between moderate and severe winter weather conditions. Body temperatures averaged 35 - 7 ° C (range 31 - 3 — 37 - 5 ° C) for the four (male and female) individuals under study. A diel cycle in body temperature was observed; temperatures rose each evening when they became active, remained high throughout the night despite ambient temperaturesfalling to diel minima, and were lower during the day when they were inactive in dens. The Tasmanian Devil spent a mean of 7 - 9 active hours / night, of which 5 - 2 hours were spent active away from the den (out of receiver range). Interestingly, number of hours of activity at night and number of hours away from the den did not differ for one female when she had large young (seven-month-old) in a den compared with all other records when she was not burdened with young in the den.