Feisty baby Tasmanian devils undergo first health check

Four baby Tasmanian devils have undergone their first full physical examination at South Australia’s Monarto Zoo.

The joeys were born in March, but were today finally old enough to be checked over by zoo keepers.

“We (were) looking for good teeth, all their toes intact, good joint movement and good eyes and pouch condition” keeper Steve Dower told 9NEWS.

Experts at Monarto Zoo also microchipped the little devils and took blood samples.

The litter is crucial to the future of the species, after the contagious Devil Facial Tumour Disease decimated the wild population of Tasmanian devils.

“On the last 20 years we've lost about 90 percent of all wild devils, so one of our main aims is to have an insurance population,” keeper Ms Stockburger said.

“We want our grandkids to be able to see a Tasmanian devil in the wild,” she added.

The Tasmanian devil breeding program at Monarto Zoo has proved a success, with more than 40 joeys born since it launched in 2006.

A separate litter of Tasmanian devils was born recently, and they'll be ready for their first health check in October.