Even Looney Toons Can Be Endangered

McCallum, H., Tompkins, D. M., Jones, M., Lachish, S., Marvanek, S., Lazenby, B., Hocking, G., Wiersma, J., and Hawkins, C. E. 2007. Distribution and Impacts of Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease. EcoHealth. 4, 318-325. DOI: 10.1007/s10393-007-0118-0
Available at: Tasmanian Devil Paper

http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/palaeofiles/marsupials/diet%20-%20carnivores.htm

These little critters may look cute, but they are vicious carnivores. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are the largest living marsupial carnivores (McCallum et al., 2007) in the world. Their populations are increasingly declining due to a terrible disease. This disease has been around since 1996, according to previous studies and reports, and has wiped out nearly 90% of populations. The study done by McCallum et al., predicts that in 5 to 10 years the disease will reach all of the Tasmanian devil populations, and in 10 to 15 years they will be completely gone. The transmission of this disease may be frequency-dependant, which makes it even more likely for these critters to become extinct. Transmission occurs through fighting and biting around the face, and could potentially be sexually transmitted as well.

Tasmanian devils have very low genetic diversity. This could be due to the last Ice Age, which left them isolated. In this study they used two methods to determine the distribution of the disease; roadkill reports and trapping data, and 10km spotlighting transects. The latter proved to be more effective. As of March 2007, the disease spread was estimated to be 59% of the Tasmanian mainland. The disease seems to first occur in the older animals, and then gets transmitted to other individuals that come in contact with the infected one.

Discovering more about this disease, its latent period and exactly how it is transmitted, will help us to find ways to eliminate it and protect the Tasmanian devils. Reproductive rate (R0) needs to be determined in order to determine whether or not we can remove infected individuals from a population without having it crash.

This graph from the study shows that as soon as the disease was introduced (where the arrow is), the population started to decline.

WARNING: The Pictures You Are About To See Are Very Disturbing!

http://chonps.org/2012/03/09/research-on-the-cancer-that-is-killing-taz-makes-further-progress/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13909703

Now you know what Taz was so crazy! He didn't want to get a transmissible tumor. 

Word Count: 315

P.S. Sorry this was so late!