clipped from: www.tassiedevil.com.au Tasmanian devils with large facial tumours were photographed in north-east Tasmania during 1996. A decade later, we know these characteristics are consistent with Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) - a fatal condition in Tasmanian devils, characterised by cancers around the mouth and head.
The Tasmanian devil disease is a new disease, an infectious cancer, that is restricted to Tasmanian devils.
No affected animals were reported among the 2000-plus Tasmanian devils trapped by wildlife biologists between 1964 and 1995.
Once the cancer becomes visible, it always appears to be fatal - usually within three months. Small lesions, or lumps, in and around the mouth quickly develop into large tumours on the face and neck (and sometimes other parts of the body).
Tasmanian devils with facial tumours find it difficult to eat. Death results from starvation and the breakdown of body functions.