I live in Wichita Falls and we had a wreck one night to swerve from a "tasmanian devil". Have you seen one?
Question:
There were six of us in the car and the animal was running the same direction as we were. When my son (driving) saw it he saw that the animal was about to cut in front us and he swerved. We went into spins and nobody was hurt. But we all had a different account of what type of animal this was. It was grayishh blue and had a fat bottom. It was about as tall as a small burrow and the tail of a wild pig? It was wierd. I know it was a tasmanian devil because I saw an article about them on tv. Anybody out there know what I'm talking about or have a picture?
Answer:
I'm sure it wasn't a Tasmanian Devil, but I'll get to that in a moment.
I mainly wanted to answer this question to give you some driving tips. I get the impression that you think it's okay to swerve to miss an animal on the road, but actually it is extremely dangerous, and should not be done under any circumstances. It is FAR better to hit the brakes and continue in the exact direction you are going.
I grew up in the country, and I guarantee that hitting an animal, even one the size of a cow, is way safer than swerving to miss it. I am very thankful that I learnt this at a young age. Truly, NO animal is worth losing your life over. I have been in cars that have hit cattle, kangaroos and other animals, particularly travelling at night over many years in the country, and no matter what animal you hit, you are almost certain to come out of it alive.
On the other hand, if you swerve, it is very likely that you will die or be badly injured. I know people personally who have died by swerving to miss animals on the road. The chances of rolling the car or hitting a tree are very high when you swerve, especially at high speed. So, please consider that advice for your own safety. Even though it's not pleasant to hit an animal, it is far better to do that and to survive yourself.
Now, onto the animal itself. Well, I'm sure it wasn't a Tasmanian Devil. They only live in Tasmania, which is a state of Australia, albeit an island state. They are nowhere near the size that you mentioned. They are only a foot or so tall, and their tails are dog-like. I can only guess that you did actually see a very large wild pig.
Here are some pic's and information about Tasmanian Devils:
http://www.jerangle.ps.education.nsw.gov.au/Ashleigh_200 7_webpage/04AUS-30154-Tasmanian-Devil.jpg
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information /Sarcophilus_harrisii.html
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com /animals/mammals/tasmanian-devil.html
Hope that helps.
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