Tasmanian Devils at Cradle Mountain
November 2019
Tasmanian Devils are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials, and are among the most well-known Australian endemic marsupials. Over the past 15 years, Tasmanian devil populations have been decimated by Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a transmissible cancer that has left infected populations at 10-15% of pre-DFTD numbers.
I worked alongside Dr. David Hamilton from the University of Tasmania, on their DFTD monitoring program at one of their long-term monitoring sites in Cradle Mountain. Over two weeks, we trapped and processed almost 20 individual devils, along with Eastern Quolls and Spotted-tail Quolls that were also caught in the traps. Processing involved taking a number of samples from caught individuals, including hair, tissue, and blood.