The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial belonging to the genus Dasyurus, native exclusively to Australia and New Guinea. Often called “native cats” by early European settlers, these animals are predators despite their small size. The six species of quoll are characterized by their distinctive spotted coats and sharp teeth, occupying a significant ecological role in their native environments.
Defining Characteristics and Species
Quolls possess a distinct physical appearance, featuring a pointed snout, a pink nose, and a long, hairy tail. Their fur ranges from light brown to black, always adorned with white spots that cover the body and, in the Spotted-tailed Quoll, extend down the tail. They are classified within the family Dasyuridae, a group that encompasses many of Australia’s carnivorous marsupials.
There are six recognized species of quoll: four found across Australia and two restricted to New Guinea.
The Australian species include:
Eastern Quoll
Northern Quoll
Western Quoll
Spotted-tailed Quoll (also known as the Tiger Quoll)
The New Guinean species are the New Guinean Quoll and the Bronze Quoll.
These species exhibit a broad range of body sizes. The Spotted-tailed Quoll is the largest, with males reaching weights up to 7 kilograms and possessing a powerful bite force. Conversely, the Northern Quoll is the smallest, with adult males weighing between 400 and 900 grams. Females of most species develop a temporary fold of skin that acts as a pouch during breeding season, though only the female Spotted-tailed Quoll develops a true, permanent pouch.
Geographic Distribution and Environment
Quolls are distributed across a wide range of habitats throughout Australia, including Tasmania, and New Guinea. They demonstrate adaptability to diverse environments. Their preferred environments include dense rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and temperate woodlands, particularly in the wetter zones of Australia.
Some species have adapted to specialized niches, such as the Western Quoll, which survives in the arid regions of inland Australia. Quolls also inhabit coastal heathlands, mountainous areas, and open grasslands, utilizing rock crevices and underground burrows for shelter.
Hunting Behavior and Diet
Quolls are solitary and nocturnal predators, emerging from their dens in hollow logs, rock shelters, or tree hollows after dark to hunt. They are opportunistic feeders, consuming a varied diet that places them as carnivores within their ecosystems. Their diet includes a wide array of prey, from insects, birds, and small reptiles to larger mammals like bandicoots, possums, and rabbits.
The larger species, such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll, are hypercarnivores, with their diet consisting of over 70% meat, and they are known to take prey as large as small wallabies. Quolls also scavenge on carrion, sometimes foraging around roadsides or campsites, which increases their risk of being hit by vehicles. Their hunting strategy is characterized by stealth and agility, where they stalk prey and use their sharp teeth and strong jaws to deliver a killing bite.
Quolls are skilled climbers, a trait they utilize to hunt arboreal prey, such as sleeping birds and gliders, by ascending trees at night. Male quolls are highly mobile, often traveling several kilometers in a single night as they patrol large territories in search of food and mates. They establish communal latrine sites at the edges of their territories for communication and social signaling to other quolls.
Conservation Status and Threats
Many quoll species face challenges, leading to population declines and poor conservation statuses. The Eastern Quoll, for example, is now extinct on the Australian mainland, surviving only in Tasmania, while the Northern Quoll is listed as Endangered. Habitat loss and fragmentation are major factors, as human activities like land clearing and logging reduce hunting grounds and remove denning sites, such as hollow logs.
Introduced predators pose a severe threat, with feral cats and red foxes preying on quolls and competing directly with them for food resources like rabbits. The invasion of the toxic Cane Toad has been devastating for the Northern Quoll population. Quolls that attempt to consume the poisonous toads are often fatally poisoned, causing rapid population crashes as the toads spread across northern Australia.