Approximately what percentage of its body weight can an average 8-kilogram Tasmanian devil consume in a single meal?
Answer
Up to 30% of its own body weight
The feeding adaptation of the Tasmanian devil is remarkable, allowing for massive intake during feeding events, which supports their opportunistic lifestyle where food sources might be infrequent. For a typical devil weighing around 8 kilograms, the capacity exists to consume a quantity of food, including hard materials like bone, equivalent to nearly one-third of its total body mass in a single sitting. This ability to handle such large, infrequent meals is a key factor in their successful adaptation to environments where securing calories is not a constant daily guarantee.

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