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Rodrigo Hamede, of the University of Tasmania, studies Tasmanian devils in the wild. He shot videos of some of the endangered carnivorous marsupials after he and his colleagues conducted a study of how much contact devils had with one another in Narawntapu National Park, on Tasmania's northern coast.
The research project had required outfitting the animals with radio collars. After the investigators obtained the necessary data, they had to recover the collars. So, the group set nonharmful traps and positioned video equipment to help capture approaching animals. To lure devils to the desired location—and position—the team hung a carcass on a tree—a placement that induced the animals to look upward, exposing their necks to the camera and revealing the presence or absence of a collar.
The four videos were shot in winter, when the animals reproduce; hence, some of the females who visited the site still were carrying their young in their pouches.
Read more about threats to Tasmanian devil populations in "The Devil's Disease," in the June 2011 issue of Scientific American.
Videos courtesy of Rodrigo Hamede
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4 Comments
Add CommentWouldn't a writer for a magazine that has won the 2011 National Magazine Award for General Excellence know the difference between "peak" and "peek"? The tiresome "it's just a typo - get over it" excuse is wearing thin.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe spelling error is now fixed. Thank you for pointing it out. Let's keep the tone civilized. -Robin Lloyd, News editor, online
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnother example of how "spell check" loses in competition with the living brain! Yaaay!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm sorry, Mr Lloyd, but I thought hakelly's comment was perfectly civilized; and I agree with it entirely.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat is uncivilized - and depressingly universal - is the lack of effective sub-editing (copy editing, I think you call it in the U.S.) in journalism nowadays. It is you that should be picking up an error like that - in a headline, no less - not us.