Australia’s iconic Tasmanian devil has extended its breeding season to last all year since the advent of a deadly disease that threatens to wipe out the species, a researcher said last week.
Wildlife biologist David Pemberton said the finding appeared to be linked to recent research showing that the animals were also having sex younger since the disease appeared.
The illness, which causes facial tumors, is spread by contact between the animals and usually kills them within three to six months. As a result they are generally living for only two years compared to six in the past, he said.
PHOTO: AFP
But researchers had also found that their young were being born throughout the year, which appeared to be a way the species was compensating for its low population density.
Pemberton said that in the past, mating was restricted to a three-week period around March and April, the southern autumn.
“Where the population has decreased dramatically there is extended breeding,” he said, saying it appears to have extended the period during which the female can reproduce.
“With a low population at least if a ‘girl’ cycles now it appears that a ‘boy’ will find her.”
The facial tumors are spread through biting. Since the disease was first observed in 1996, there has been a sharp decline in sightings of the devil across Tasmania.
The species is restricted to the island state after competition from the dingo led to its extinction on mainland Australia.
It is Australia’s largest marsupial carnivore after the extinction last century of its distant cousin, the Tasmanian tiger.
Early European settlers named the feisty marsupial the devil for its spine-chilling screeches, dark appearance and reputed bad temper which, along with its steeltrap jaw, made it appear incredibly fierce.
(AFP)
一名研究人員上週表示，澳洲的代表性動物「塔斯馬尼亞魔鬼」（袋獾）自從一種讓牠們面臨滅種威脅的致命疾病出現後，繁殖期已延展為全年。
野生生物學家大衛．潘伯頓說，這個發現似乎和最近一項研究結果有關。該研究顯示，自從該疾病出現後，袋獾的交配年齡也隨之降低。
他說，這種疾病是透過袋獾相互接觸傳染，染病的袋獾臉部會出現腫瘤，並在三到六個月內死亡，這使得牠們的平均壽命從六年縮減到只剩兩年。
但研究人員也發現，一整年來不斷有小生命誕生，這似乎是袋獾彌補物種數量偏低的一種方法。
潘伯頓表示，過去袋獾只在三、四月間有三週的交配期，這段期間是南半球的秋天。
他說：「袋獾數量大幅減少的地區，繁殖期就延長。」而這似乎是要讓母袋獾生育。
「儘管有數量偏低的情況，現在至少『女孩』發情時，『男孩』會找到她。」
臉上的腫瘤是經由啃咬傳染，這種疾病最早在一九九六年被發現，自此塔斯馬尼亞島上能見到的袋獾就大幅減少。
和澳洲野犬的物種競爭導致袋獾在本島絕種後，就只有在塔斯馬尼亞島上才能見到牠們的蹤跡。
自從遠親袋狼在上個世紀絕種後，袋獾就成了澳洲體型最大的肉食性有袋動物。
早期來自歐洲的墾荒者，把這種有著令人毛骨悚然的刺耳尖叫聲、黑色皮毛及出名壞脾氣的好鬥有袋動物取名為「魔鬼」，再加上其大鋼牙，讓牠們看來格外兇猛。（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
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