This yawning Tasmanian devil was photographed at a quarantine facility
in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The site monitors devils for signs of
devil facial tumor disease (DFTC), a fatal, contagious cancer that over
the past decade has decimated wild populations of the iconic Australian
marsupial.
As comical as it is, the familiar Looney Tunes portrayal of a
Tasmanian devil as a seething, snarling, insatiable lunatic is, at
times, not all that far from the truth.
Tasmanian devils have a
notoriously cantankerous disposition and will fly into a maniacal rage
when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal.
Early European settlers dubbed it a "devil" after witnessing such
displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of
spine-chilling guttural growls.
These famously feisty mammals have
a coat of coarse brown or black fur and a stocky profile that gives
them the appearance of a baby bear. Most have a white stripe or patch on
their chest and light spots on their sides or rear end. They have long
front legs and shorter rear legs, giving them a lumbering, piglike gait.
