The Tasmanian devil microbiome-implications for conservation and management.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Tasmanian devil, the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, is at risk of extinction due to devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), a fatal contagious cancer. The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program has established an insurance population, which currently holds over 600 devils in captive facilities across Australia. Microbes are known to play a crucial role in the health and well-being of humans and other animals, and increasing evidence suggests that changes in the microbiota can influence various aspects of host physiology and development. To improve our understanding of devils and facilitate management and conservation of the species, we characterised the microbiome of wild devils and investigated differences in the composition of microbial community between captive and

SUBMITTER: Cheng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4687321 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature