Devil Facial Tumour Disease (referred to as DFTD) is the name given to a fatal condition that is afflicting a significant portion of the native population of Tasmanian devils. The condition first becomes noticed as small lesions or lumps around the mouth that develops into large tumours predominantly around the face and neck, but sometimes in other parts of the body as well.
DFTD was first reported in the mid 1990s and has now been confirmed in most areas throughout Tasmania except for north-west and west coast devil populations. It is having a major impact in areas with high-density populations, and is predominantly affecting the adult populations. The disease does not usually become apparent in devils until they are at least two years old. The cancers affect the capability of the devil to ingest food thereby weakening the animal and making it more difficult for it to compete with other animals for food. Evidence suggests that animals appear to die within three to five months of the lesions first appearing, from starvation and the breakdown of body functions.
There are three well-known types of malignant skin tumours. In all of them the ultraviolet rays from the...
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