Unlocking the Protective Potential of Tasmanian Devil Whiskers.

Tasmanian devils may be mostly eating foods inadvertently provided by humans, which can change their behavior and put them in harm's way. A study found that devil populations in highly disturbed landscapes fed on just one type of food, while those in old-growth rainforest habitats had a diverse diet. The presence of roadkill poses risks to devils, and a more diverse diet could reduce their risk of transmitting or catching the aggressive facial tumor disease that has caused their population to fall by 68%. Conserving wild landscapes is vital to protecting Tasmanian devils.