Tasmanian devils typically acquire the Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) during the bite-filled breeding season as this transferrable cancer is passed through contact.
Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is passed from Tasmanian devil to Tasmanian devil through physical contact, including biting associated with copulation and fighting. Because this transferrable cancer is passed through biting, it is mostly passed on during the breeding season.
The live tumour cells aren’t rejected by the devil’s immune system because of the cancer’s ability to ‘hide’ from the immune system.
• Image | © Shane Lin, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-NC 2.0)
• Sources | (Boyce, 2018; Bradshaw & Brook, 2005; Fahey & Kinder, 2001; Nowak, 1999; Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, April 2018,November 2018)
