Fascinating Facts About Tiger Quoll

Fascinating Facts About Tiger Quoll

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1. Quolls’ limited natural distribution and, consequently, very low numbers suggest that it may be taking its “living fast and dying young” reputation to a detrimental extreme.

2. Quolls are sometimes called native cats. Unfortunately, they have suffered from the introduction of the domestic cat. There are four species of quoll in Australia -the Western Quoll (or Chuditch), the Northern Quoll, the Spotted-tailed (or Tiger) Quoll and the Eastern Quoll.

3. Australia is home to four species of quolls. Most parts of Australia were once inhabited by at least one quoll species, and quolls were among the first native animals to be described by European scientists.

4. All quoll species have declined in numbers since European settlement due to habitat loss and modification across the land, and introduced predators such as foxes.

5. The Tiger Quoll, Spot-tailed Quoll or Spotted-tailed Quoll is the largest marsupial carnivore surviving on mainland Australia.

6. Before European settlement they were found across Australia but now they are found in restricted areas and most are threatened with extinction.

7. The Spotted-tailed Quoll is the largest marsupial carnivore on mainland Australia. This species generally weighs up to 4kg, although an 8kg individual has been recorded. They have bright eyes and a pointed snout with moist pink nose. The fur on their head and back is red-brown to dark brown with white spots and their belly is creamy. They are distinguished from other quolls by a long spotted tail.The Spotted-tailed Quoll is celebrated as north Queensland’s “mythical beast”, this elusive creature is somewhat of a mystery to science.

8. The spotted-tailed quoll has a large home range and can cover more than six kilometres overnight. It is largely nocturnal and solitary.

9. Their diet appears to consist primarily of medium-sized mammals including gliders, possums, rabbits, and even small wallabies. They like carrion (dead animals), birds and eggs as well. Small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates are also a significant part of the diet, particularly for juvenile quolls.

10. The tiger quoll is mainland Australia’s largest carnivorous marsupial(the largest Australian carnivorous marsupial is the Tasmanian Devil). Male quolls grow to almost a metre long from head to tail.