ASHLEY'S
PET ZONE PRESENTS:
Tasmanian Devil: Not a Cartoon
Their
Latin name, Sarcophilus Harrisili means they are meat eaters who
live mainly in forests. Tasmanian Devils are usually almost all
black in color with a band of white on the chest or chin area.
Most Devils are about the size of a small dog. The Tamanian Devil
is very short. In length, they measure at only 3 0r 4 feet. They
were originally found in Australia. Today they can only be found
in Tasmania, This is mostly due to the Dingo (dog like animal)
that competed against the Tasmanian Devil for food.
Devils
are marsupials. Marsupials are mammals that have pouches for carrying
their young. The Tasmanian Devils' closest relative is the Quoll.
These animals are also carnivorous and are the size of a cat.
 Devils
mate in March. The male and female do not stay together very long.
Devils only stay long enough to mate. Their babies are born in
April. Due to the fact that the Mothers' pouch is not large enough
for all of the babies, only 2-3 babies survive. The pregnancy
only lasts for 21 days.After
the babies are born they attach themselves to the Mother's teats
(nipples). They are carried in Mom's pouch for 4 months. Then
the Mother leaves them in a hollow log. By December, they are
left completely on their own to fend for themselves.
The
Tasmanian Devil makes a variety of sounds. Some of these sounds
are like screams and screeches. They can be very scary sounds.
Most of their high-pitched sounds are used to scare off others.
The screeches mean they are unsure or scared of their surroundings.
One
sound, which sounds like a loud and sharp sneeze, means a fight
is about to occur. Most times this is against another Devil. Some
of their screeches sound like a barking dog. Many times when they
are eating they make loud sounds.  This
is to warn others not to back off!
A
Devil that is mad or stressed is easily spotted. Their eyes become
very large and red! This may be why they are called Devils. Also
their ears point straight up like a Devil.As
carnivores, they eat meat. Devils are also scavengers though.
This means they eat already killed animals. Generally, the Tasmanian
Devil will eat anything! They are not picky eaters. Some of their
feasts include; Wallabies, Wombats, Sheep, and various rodents
and birds. Their strong jaws and teeth are used to tear apart
their prey. Devils can consume their prey whole, including the
tail and bones.
Mainly,
the Devil lives approximately for 7-8 years depending on diet.
They can be seen on back roads in large farm areas. This is mostly
because of the high percentage of birds. Mainly, they are visible
after sunset because of their nocturnal nature.As
you can see, the Tasmanian Devil is not at all a cartoon character
or legend. Many people still to this day believe the Devil to
be legendary.
Ashley
Age 9
New Jersey
Stop Pet Overpopulation
Today
Emily,
17, Canada
On
Spaying and Neutering Pets:
In September 1996, my next-door neighbours gave me the best gift
I've ever received: an eight-week-old female kitten named Jessica
Gabrielle. This adorable little bundle of fur turned out to be
a tortoiseshell, mainly white and gray with orange rust stains
on her side and on the tip of her tail. Pedigree-wise, she's no
particular breed but a mixture of several. My neighbours say she's
part Persian (for those of you who don't know what Persians look
like, think of the evil Duchess in the movie Babe).
Six
weeks later I hauled my little one off to the vet for her first
set of shots. As we were about to leave, the doctor asked me when
I planned to have Jessica spayed. "Maybe in April or May,"
I said, trying to disguise with my tone of voice the fact that
the word "spay" had sent me on a mental tangent.
Before
that time, I had never thought I would have any trouble or hesitation
about neutering or spaying a pet. I considered people who let
their animals breed at will highly irresponsible, even immoral.
There were already too many homeless cats and dogs in the world,
I reasoned, to bring more of them into it. When my father suggested
that male dogs be put on the pill instead of fixed, I sighed and
rather indignantly pointed out that there wasn't a pill for male
humans yet.
With
Jessica, though, emotion started to vie with my previous rationality.
Did Jessica perhaps want to have babies? Was I denying her what
would be a right for human females? My parents suggested that
we let her taste the joys of motherhood just once and keep one
kitten so she might have company while we were at work and at
school. Meanwhile I was indulging in my own little fantasies about
Jessica's potential offspring. I imagined her nursing three or
four tiny kittens in a box we would provide her so she could give
birth. I then visualized Jessica's small brood trailing behind
her up and down the stairs. One kitten, a female, would be a tortoiseshell
like her; the other would be tabbies of various colours.
However,
by the end of January I made an appointment with the vet to have
Jessica spayed. Reason won out. We really didn't have any guarantee
that Jessica's kittens, who would have been of no breeding value,
would find good homes. As well, pregnancy and birth can be painful
and even dangerous for cats. Finally, feline heat periods not
only cause owners sleepless nights because of the cat's constant
meowing but continual frustration for the cat herself, especially
if she's not impregnated. Fixing Jessica would be the best thing
first and foremost for her.
I
took her for the operation on a warm April morning. When she came
home, the lower part of her belly had been shaved and the scar
from the operation was visible. At first I didn't think much about
my cat's lost potential for motherhood. But about two weeks afterwards,
when Jessica was lying on her back in anticipation of a belly
rub, I remarked that the hair was starting to grow back over her
nipples.
The
finality of Jessica's condition sunk in. She would never experience
motherhood, never pass on the genes that I'm sure contributed
in part to the characteristics I love so much in her. On the other
hand, my conscience is clear in that I haven't allowed kittens
who might never find homes to be brought into the world and thereby
contribute to animal overpopulation. I have since adopted two
other cats (both of whom had kittens previously and probably were
yearning for a break from the burdens of motherhood) and a dog
(a female I plan to have fixed soon). Jessica's also not subjected
to the trial of constant heat. And in the recesses of my mind,
I still have Jessica's fantasy kittens trailing behind her.
Animals are dying every
day by being put to sleep because people are not spaying or neutering
their pets, and causing an over population of dogs and cats. If
you receive, adopt or buy a pet, there is one rule that our environment
needs you to follow: spay or neuter.
There are a lot of
people born every day, and for every time a person is born, forthy
five cats and fifteen dogs are born too. If there were to be no
more homeless pets, everyone in the world, including babies, would
have to care for eight pets.
If you had twelve cats
and none of them were neutered or spayed, at the end of four years
you would find yourself with 20,736 cats living at your house.
That's a lot of animals to take care of! Some people think they
want to show kids the miracle of birth. There are a lot
of nature films at the library that can do this. This is not a
humane reason to keep from spaying or neutering your pets.
It costs over $250.00
for the Humane Society to recover and euthanize a single dog.
But to spay or neuter that same animal is only $45.00. You save
everyone a lot of money just by spaying or neutering a single
animal. Why kill something when you can have a life
long friend instead?
So remember this: "Love
your pet and really be cool! Spay and neuter is the rule!"
Holly.S. 12
California
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