Australia has four species of Quoll (Aboriginal for tiger cat)
- Spotted Tailed.
The spotted-tailed quoll is the worlds second largest carnivorous (meat eating) marsupial (The Tasmanian Devil is the largest)
The Spotted Tailed Quoll is sometimes referred to as a Tiger Quoll, or a Tiger cat
Quolls are generally the size of cats with the Spotted Tailed Quoll being the largest quoll
The Spotted tailed Quolls fur ranges orange brown to reddish brown to
dark chocolate brown to almost black, with white spots. Its underbelly is often is often cream to white
This species of Quoll is the only one in which the pattern of white spots on the body is continued into the tail. (The pattern is different on each animal)
Its face is made up of a moist pink nose, pointy ears, a thick snout and a mouth that can open wide to show a lot of sharp teeth
Males measuring up to 130 cm long and 4 kg in weight. Females are significantly smaller than males.
The long tail is not prehensile which means it is not used like a fifth leg or arm in climbing
LOCATION & HABITAT
Mainly found in Tasmania the spotted tailed quoll is also found in spots along the Eastern seaboard of the mainland (Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales)
Tiger quolls live in most types of forest so long as there is plenty of ground cover
The spotted quoll is a solitary, nocturnal animal, sheltering by day in burrows, tree holes, hollow logs or rock crevices,
Occasionally in cold weather it may sunbask or forage in daylight
They are very agile moving through the forest both up in the trees and on the forest floor
Primarily a predator, the Spotted Tailed Quoll is a hunter of other animals such as rats, birds, frogs, possums,
reptiles, insects, rabbits, mice etc
Spotted tailed quolls kill their prey by biting its victim behind the head
They also are scavengers (often seen at picnic spots and camping grounds) and they also eat dead animals (carrion)
21 days after mating (between April and July) the young are born. The first 6 to crawl into their mothers pouch (Quolls are Marsupials) and attach themselves to one of the 6 teats survive. At this stage they are hairless measure 1 gram and are around 7 mm in length
They will stay in the pouch for 7 weeks and then when furred will live in the grass lined den still suckling their mothers milk for a further 6 weeks. This allows the female to forage for food.
The next 6 weeks includes times outside the den learning to hunt, eat meat, fight etc until at around 18 weeks they will start their independent life
Life expectancy is around 6 years
Quolls are now an endangered species with the Spotted tailed quoll seriously threatened in its mainland habitats
The introduction of European foxes, feral cats & dogs, diseases and the destruction of their forest habitats has greatly reduced their numbers
These introduced animals competed for the quolls food, as well as attack them.