Physical Description:
Fully grown Tasmanian devils are typically the size of a medium sized dog, males weighing between 7.7–13.0 kilograms and females weighing between 4.5–9 kilograms They are stocky, muscular marsupials measuring around 60cm in length with strong fore legs and proportionately weak hind legs. Tasmanian devils are covered in a black coat accented with variable white markings on the chest, shoulders and rump. Devils are not fast animals, however, their high stamina and endurance allows them to maintain speeds of 10-15 kilometres per hour for several kilometres.Tasmanian Devils feature wide, gaping jaws and strong sharp teeth.
Endangered Status:
Tasmanian Devils have been extinct in mainland Australia for thousands of years, …show more content…
The cancer is highly contagious and nearly all fully-grown wild Tasmanian Devils are infected. The cancer is able to spread when Devils come into contact, devils are aggressive animals and frequently bite each other when squabbling over food, establishing dominance or meeting to mate. The cancer is not viral, the living cancer cells simply transfer from one devil to another when contact is made. Every Tasmanian Devil is susceptible to DFTD as there is very little genetic diversity in the population. When cancer cells are transferred, the tumour cells are not recognised as “foreign” by the newly infected host and no immune response is mounted. Studies published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of The USA suggest that the reason devils are unable to recognise the cancerous cells is due to the fact that the cells do not express major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens. These antigens are essentially immune recognition molecules. Without them, the tumour cells are unable to be detected by the Devil’s immune system. The tumours grow around the mouth, stopping devils from being able to feed. DFTD can cause death within six months and most infected devils die due to starvation. The cancer also erodes soft tissue and bone, and can spread to organs such as the liver and the kidney. DFTD is one of six identified contagious forms of …show more content…
The dispersion of the Devils is intended to combat decreasing genetic diversity amongst the existing population. Zoos will be an integral part of this as they have the resources and the housing capacity to facilitate the animals themselves. A combination of free-living areas and intensive, captive breeding facilities will be utilised to best maintain the insurance population. In intensive facilities, the Tasmanian Devils will be fed, housed, monitored on a regular basis and have their breeding strictly controlled. In free-living areas, Tasmanian Devils will be housed in larger, free-range enclosures in larger numbers, however, it does mean they are more at risk from diseases and parasites. The goal of this is to help the Devils maintain behavioural and social attributes as well as their ecological functions in a natural environment that might be important in re-introducing the animals to their natural environment and re-establishing the wild
Fully grown Tasmanian devils are typically the size of a medium sized dog, males weighing between 7.7–13.0 kilograms and females weighing between 4.5–9 kilograms They are stocky, muscular marsupials measuring around 60cm in length with strong fore legs and proportionately weak hind legs. Tasmanian devils are covered in a black coat accented with variable white markings on the chest, shoulders and rump. Devils are not fast animals, however, their high stamina and endurance allows them to maintain speeds of 10-15 kilometres per hour for several kilometres.Tasmanian Devils feature wide, gaping jaws and strong sharp teeth.
Endangered Status:
Tasmanian Devils have been extinct in mainland Australia for thousands of years, …show more content…
The cancer is highly contagious and nearly all fully-grown wild Tasmanian Devils are infected. The cancer is able to spread when Devils come into contact, devils are aggressive animals and frequently bite each other when squabbling over food, establishing dominance or meeting to mate. The cancer is not viral, the living cancer cells simply transfer from one devil to another when contact is made. Every Tasmanian Devil is susceptible to DFTD as there is very little genetic diversity in the population. When cancer cells are transferred, the tumour cells are not recognised as “foreign” by the newly infected host and no immune response is mounted. Studies published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of The USA suggest that the reason devils are unable to recognise the cancerous cells is due to the fact that the cells do not express major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens. These antigens are essentially immune recognition molecules. Without them, the tumour cells are unable to be detected by the Devil’s immune system. The tumours grow around the mouth, stopping devils from being able to feed. DFTD can cause death within six months and most infected devils die due to starvation. The cancer also erodes soft tissue and bone, and can spread to organs such as the liver and the kidney. DFTD is one of six identified contagious forms of …show more content…
The dispersion of the Devils is intended to combat decreasing genetic diversity amongst the existing population. Zoos will be an integral part of this as they have the resources and the housing capacity to facilitate the animals themselves. A combination of free-living areas and intensive, captive breeding facilities will be utilised to best maintain the insurance population. In intensive facilities, the Tasmanian Devils will be fed, housed, monitored on a regular basis and have their breeding strictly controlled. In free-living areas, Tasmanian Devils will be housed in larger, free-range enclosures in larger numbers, however, it does mean they are more at risk from diseases and parasites. The goal of this is to help the Devils maintain behavioural and social attributes as well as their ecological functions in a natural environment that might be important in re-introducing the animals to their natural environment and re-establishing the wild