The largest ever analysis of Tasmanian devil genetics has found protected populations are as robust as wild ones, raising hopes for the endangered species’ survival. Last year a number of threatened species recovery plans were removed by the former government; now new research shows “insurance populations”—isolated from threats to prevent extinctions—could help preserve many animals. […]
Tag: Tasmanian devil
Tasmanian devils wipe out thousands of penguins on tiny Australian island
An attempt to save the Tasmanian devil by shipping an “insurance population” to a tiny Australian island has come at a “catastrophic” cost to the birdlife there, including the complete elimination of little penguins, according to BirdLife Tasmania. Maria Island, a 116-square-kilometre island east of Tasmania, was home to 3,000 breeding pairs of little penguins […]
Australia’s pivot to plantations may be too late for nearly extinct parrots
HOBART, Australia — A dividing line of marking tape separates a clearcut area from intact native forest in the Denison Range of Tasmania, Australia’s southernmost state. An hour’s drive from the state capital, Hobart, the forest sits just outside the boundary of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Na UNESCO site. The logged area is […]
‘We can’t blame animals’: how human pathogens are making their way into vulnerable wildlife
For 13 years now, scientist Michelle Power has been grabbing samples of human waste and animal poop from Antarctica to Australia to try and answer a vital question. Has the bacteria in humans that has grown resistant to antibiotics – an issue considered to be one of the world’s greatest health challenges – made its […]
What is a Tasmanian devil? Candid Animal Cam meets the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world
Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world: the Tasmanian devil. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) used to live in Australia but now they can only be found in the island state of Tasmania, […]
Tasmanian devil milk fights superbugs
Milk from Tasmanian devils could offer up a useful weapon against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to Australian researchers. The marsupial’s milk contains important peptides that appear to be able to kill hard-to-treat infections, including MRSA, say the Sydney University team. Experts believe devils evolved this cocktail to help their young grow stronger. The scientists are looking […]
Tasmanian devils rapidly evolving to resist contagious cancer, study finds
Within just a handful of generations, Tasmanian devils appear to have evolved resistance to an unusual contagious cancer that was widely expected to make the ill-tempered carnivorous marsupials extinct in the wild. The remarkable finding gives hope that the unique animals could survive the disease, which has already wiped out 80% of the animals in […]
Video: Cancer-free Tasmanian Devils returned to homeland
The Tasmanian devil population has plummeted to around 10,000 from an estimated 250,000 before 1996, when Devil Facial Tumor Disease was first discovered. The disease causes large lumps to form around the animal’s mouth and head, making it hard for it to eat. “Tasmanian Devils in the wild have been absolutely decimated by this disease,” […]