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Deadly network

Tasmanian devils, like the one shown here in a trap in Narawntapu National Park in northern Tasmania, are normally solitary creatures. A new study fitted some devils in the park with radio collars to track interactions between the animals. All of the devils within the study region are socially connected to each other, researchers found. The discovery suggests that a deadly transmissible cancer called devil facial tumor disease could spread to the entire network if even one animal becomes infected. The disease has decimated devil populations in the eastern half of the island, and many scientists worry that the cancer could drive the species to extinction. Credit: Rodrigo Hamede

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