The new insight into the behaviour of Tasmanian devils in the wild has been gained using lightweight collars fitted with video cameras to track their movements.

The video collars worn by the devils were created by adapting a commercial camera and produced around 144 hours of usable footage.

University of Tasmania's School of Natural Sciences researcher Georgina Andersen said the cameras allowed a look at all aspects of the devils' lives, including their travels and in their dens, something past observations had not been able to achieve.

The cameras also enabled a better understanding of the frequency and location of biting episodes, which was essential to the fight against DFTD.

"This information is crucial for interpreting social contact networks relevant to transmission of devil facial tumour disease, to predict long-term epidemic outcome and to inform disease management options," she said.

"Combining even small amounts of video collar footage with conventional field methods, such as direct observation, remote cameras, GPS collars and determining diet from scat collection can provide a deeper understanding of ecological aspects, such as foraging, habitat selection and social interactions.

"Most ecological endeavours will benefit from the increased availability of animal-borne video collars, and the deeper insights they can provide on behaviour."