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Tasmanian devils listed as endangered in Australia
news.yahoo. ^
Posted on 05/23/2009 7:10:47 AM PDT by JoeProBono
CANBERRA, Australia – The Tasmanian devil, a snarling fox-sized marsupial made notorious by its Looney Tunes cartoon namesake Taz, was listed in Australia as an endangered species Friday because of a contagious cancer that has wiped out most of the wild population. The upgrade from "vulnerable" under Australian environmental law entitles the world's largest marsupial carnivore to greater protection in the island state of Tasmania, Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement.
Devils do not exist in the wild outside Tasmania, although mainland zoos are breeding captive populations as a strategy against total extinction. Their numbers have declined by 70 percent since the facial cancer was first reported in 1996. The disease is caused by bites inflicted on each other's faces as part of a bizarre mating ritual or while squabbling over food. It causes grotesque facial tumors that eventually prevent them from feeding, leading to starvation within months. "Strong action is being taken to find out more about this disease and to stop its spread," Garrett said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: tasmaniandevil
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To: JoeProBono
2
posted on
05/23/2009 7:12:13 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
3
posted on
05/23/2009 7:13:02 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
4
posted on
05/23/2009 7:14:24 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
5
posted on
05/23/2009 7:15:48 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
6
posted on
05/23/2009 7:16:31 AM PDT
by
70th Division
(I love my country but fear my government!)
To: 70th Division
7
posted on
05/23/2009 7:17:20 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: All
8
posted on
05/23/2009 7:19:04 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
Tasmanian Devil Poo Paperweight. Nuff said.
9
posted on
05/23/2009 7:19:15 AM PDT
by
Daffynition
("If any of you die, can I please have your ammo?" ~ Gator113)
To: Daffynition
Sniff
10
posted on
05/23/2009 7:20:46 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: All
11
posted on
05/23/2009 7:22:52 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: All
12
posted on
05/23/2009 7:24:31 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
13
posted on
05/23/2009 7:27:01 AM PDT
by
Daffynition
("If any of you die, can I please have your ammo?" ~ Gator113)
To: JoeProBono
14
posted on
05/23/2009 7:27:07 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
Not too sure if it is a good idea to handle Taz... haven't we learned anything from Steve Irwin?
15
posted on
05/23/2009 7:28:40 AM PDT
by
John123
(The US may be going down the drain, but everyone else will drown first...)
To: Daffynition
16
posted on
05/23/2009 7:28:53 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
Dude is tempting fate... either is gonna get his face ripped off or get that facial cancer thing...
17
posted on
05/23/2009 7:31:40 AM PDT
by
John123
(The US may be going down the drain, but everyone else will drown first...)
To: Daffynition
18
posted on
05/23/2009 7:32:47 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: John123
Nah
19
posted on
05/23/2009 7:34:25 AM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet)
To: JoeProBono
McCallum said he is frustrated that disagreement among scientists has prevented the sanctuaries from being established on islands off Tasmania. Some scientists fear the introduced devils would threaten endangered birds.Of course they would! DO NOT transfer these animals to remote islands that never nurtured a population before. They would wipe out the pelagic birds that nest there.
I hope Australia has learned something from their other disastrous attempts at fauna recolonization: hares, cane toads, etc.
Sheesh...
20
posted on
05/23/2009 7:34:36 AM PDT
by
Flycatcher
(God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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