Tasmanian devil whiskers hold the key to protecting these super-scavengers

New research suggests that while Tasmanian devils can benefit from the roadkill left by humans, this can also come at a cost. The study, which compared the diets of Tasmanian devil populations living in different habitats by examining their whiskers, found that devils in highly disturbed landscapes had very restricted diets and were feeding on just one type of food – medium-sized mammals such as the Tasmanian pademelon. The study also found that if devils are interacting around a smaller number of carcasses – or, in the case of roadkill, the largest and most desirable carcasses – this could encourage the spread of devil facial tumour disease. The research suggests that conserving environments untouched by humans is essential to protect Tasmanian devils.

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