Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus)
Description
- A cat-sized quoll and one of the largest carnivorous marsupials in Australia.
- Their fur is rich red to dark brown and covered with white spots on the back which continue down the tail.
- They eat a variety of prey, including gliders, possums, small wallabies, rats, birds, bandicoots, rabbits, insects and reptiles.
- The average weight of an adult male is about 3.5 kg and an adult female about 2 kg.
- They make their dens between rocks, hollow logs, trees, under buildings, or in burrows.
Find out more about the Spotted-tailed Quoll on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
- The Spotted-tailed Quoll is found along both sides of the Great Dividing Range from the Victorian to southern Queensland.
- Spotted-tailed Quoll sightings are rare in the ACT. Some may be living unnoticed in protected areas such as Namadgi National Park.
Conservation threats
The Spotted-tailed Quoll population across Australia has declined up to 90% since European colonisation. In 1861, pesticide baiting with strychnine reduced the quoll population in the Canberra region.
Today, the biggest threats to the species are habitat destruction and modification, poison baiting, fire, predation by introduced species, road mortality and climate change.
Spotted-tailed Quolls thrive in patches of forest with areas where they can build their dens. Namadgi National Park is a suitable habitat for Spotted-tailed Quolls, but competition for food may be an issue. Animals such as foxes compete with the species for food and territory.
Conservation status
- National – Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory – Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
Conservation actions aim to:
- protect and maintain their habitat including providing habitat complexity and connectivity
- conduct best practice pest baiting and planned burns in a manner to reduce the risk to the species
- survey and research into the species to learn more about their conservation
- increase public awareness to encourage the community to report sightings
- work with other states and territories to improve research and management.