A devil of a problem.Taz, the cartoon Tasmanian devil Tasmanian devil, extremely voracious marsupial, or pouched mammal, of the dasyure family, now found only on the island of Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisi, formerly found also in Australia, is about 2 ft (60 cm) long, excluding the 12-in. , is a creature with a fierce bite. In real life, Tasmanian devils are suffering from a mysterious disease that may be spread by their bite. So far, the ailment ail·ment n. A physical or mental disorder, especially a mild illness. has killed nearly 75,000 of the animals--almost half the total Tasmanian devil population. The disease starts as a small tumor (an abnormal mass of tissue) in a devil's mouth. The tumor grows and spreads. Eventually, tumors get so large that the animal is unable to eat, and it dies. If the disease is spread by biting, it will be tough to stop. Devils often fight among themselves, especially during mating season mating season n → época de celo mating season n → saison f des amours mating season mating n → . Tasmanian devils are found only on the Australian island of Tasmania. Wildlife experts say that if a cure is not found soon, this rare breed of marsupial marsupial (märs  `pēəl), member of the order Marsupialia, or pouched mammals. (an animal that carries its young in a pouch on its body) may become extinct.
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