The animals living below us are essential to us and our planet. Yet, many are threatened — here’s why.
Hidden from sight, it may be easy to overlook those who spend most of their time just below our feet. But in this vast world are some of the world’s most fascinating creatures, including the Tasmanian devil — a feisty yet vulnerable mammal that builds its nests underground. Don’t know much about Tasmanian devils? Here’s what you ought to know:
- Tasmanian devils are the world’s largest carnivorous marsupials, with teeth that never stop growing, and whose bite is the strongest of any land animal relative to its size.
- Female devils are pregnant for only three weeks. When born, devils are the size of a rice grain and spend their first four months in their mother’s pouch.
- They are mostly scavengers (adults can eat up to 40% of their body weight) and have a helpful role in reducing invasive predators.
- In 2020, Tasmanian devils were reintroduced to Australia. And in 2021, for the first time in 3,000 years, devils were successfully born on the mainland.
Yet, this species remains at risk of extinction. And it’s in large part due to facial tumor disease — a contagious cancer that has spread to nearly 90% of Tasmanian devils. While this disease predominately impacts older devils, their rapid declines have ripple effects on younger populations, susceptible to external threats. Today, less than 25,000 Tasmanian devils remain.
This NATIONAL THREATENED SPECIES DAY, consider donating to help save this ENDANGERED species today.
