Quolls - Dasyurus - Details - Encyclopedia of Life Taxonomy[ edit ] The name Dasyurus (from Greek δασύουρος, dasyouros) means "hairy-tail", [2] and was coined by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1796. In 1770, Captain Cook collected quolls on his exploration of the east coast of Australia, adopting the Aboriginal name for the animals. [3] Although the origin of Cook's specimens are unclear, the word and its variants je-quoll, jaquol or taquol are derived from the language of the Guugu Yimithirr people of far north Queensland. No evidence indicates the local indigenous people used the word in the Sydney area. [4] They were likened in appearance to a polecat or marten in the earliest reports, the tiger quoll being called "spotted marten " and eastern quoll "spotted opossum ", but by 1804, the names "native cat" and "tiger cat" had been adopted by early settlers.

In the 1960s, noted naturalist David Fleay pushed for the revival of the term "quoll", as he felt the then current vernacular names were misleading. [5] They are very well known animals in Australia. Skeleton of a tiger quoll Four species have been recovered from Pleistocene cave deposits from Mount Etna Caves National Park near Rockhampton in central Queensland. Remains of the tiger quoll and the northern quoll , and a species either identical or very similar to the eastern quoll, as well as a prehistoric species as yet undescribed, all lived in what was a rainforest climate. The northern quoll is still found in the region. [6] The fossil species D. dunmalli, described by Bartholomai in 1971, is the oldest species recovered to date. Its remains were found in Pliocene deposits near Chinchilla in southeastern Queensland. Known only from a lower jaw and some teeth, it was a relative of the tiger quoll. [7] The first species described, the eastern quoll, was originally placed in the American opossum genus Didelphis by an anonymous author, and named Didelphis maculata.

This name is no longer considered valid, and the second part of the name is now given to a different species, the tiger quoll, Dasyurus maculatus, while the eastern quoll was re-named Dasyurus viverrinus by George Shaw in 1800. [8] The tribe Dasyurini , to which quolls belong, also includes the Tasmanian devil , the antechinus , the kowari , and the mulgara . [9] Genetic analysis of cytochrome b DNA and 12S rRNA of the mitochondria indicates the quolls evolved and diversified in the late Miocene between 15 and 5 million years ago, a time of great diversification in marsupials. The ancestors of all current species had diverged by the early Pliocene, around 4 million years ago. [1] The genus Dasyurus consists of six species of quoll: [9] The bronze quoll (D. spartacus) is the only mammal found in the Trans Fly ecoregion , but not in northern Australia. It is found in the southern part of New Guinea south of the Fly River .

[10] Rising sea levels due to an increase in global temperature caused a land bridge that once connected Australia and New guinea to be covered up with water. A 2007 study conducted by the University of New South Wales suggests the bronze quoll is closely related to the western quoll, their ancestors diverging with the separation of land masses. [11] The western quoll or chuditch (D. geoffroii) is restricted to the Jarrah Forest and the central and southern Australian Wheatbelt . The western quoll is believed to have once occupied 70% of Australia, but because of cane toads, predators, habitat destruction, and poison baiting, it is now less abundant. [12] The New Guinean quoll (D. albopunctatus) is found throughout most of New Guinea . It tends to live at an elevation of about 1,000 m (3,300 ft), and is not found in the south-western lowlands, although it can found on Yapen Island . [13] The eastern quoll (D.

viverrinus) is now considered extinct on mainland Australia; the last sighting there was in the 1960s. But it does inhabit much of nearby Tasmania, where it can be found in rainforests, heathland, alpine areas, and scrubs. It can be found near farms, as it eats pasture food. The eastern quoll can also be seen in the Mount Field National Park . [14] The tiger quoll or spotted tail quoll (D. maculatus), lives in south-eastern Australia. It tends to prefer rock dens more than dens made out of wood. In a study submitted by Belcher and Darrant in 2006, the habitats of tiger quoll were directly related to the amount of prey found in the area. Gullies and drainage ditches were used quite often by the quolls, and ridges with rocky outcrops were used to make the rock dens the animals enjoy. [15] The species in Queensland has declined rapidly and is now absent from the Brisbane region. Important strongholds for the population occur in the Blackall/Conondale ranges, Main Range, Lamington Plateau and the McPherson and Border ranges.

[16] The northern quoll (D. hallucatus) could be found in the northern third of Australia a century ago. Presently, it resides in high rocky areas and areas with heavy rainfall. It is abundant on the minor islands surrounding northern Australia. In 2003, northern quolls were translocated to Astell and Pobassoo Islands for conservation reasons. [17] Genetic analysis indicates it is the earliest offshoot from the ancestors of other quolls. [1] Description[ edit ] Eastern quoll Adults are between 25 and 75 cm (9.8 and 29.5 in) long, with hairy tails about 20 to 35 cm (7.9 to 13.8 in) long. Females have six nipples and develop a pouch during the breeding season, which opens toward the tail (with the exception of the tiger quoll, which has a true pouch) when they are rearing young. Their coats are brown or black, with some colour variants in between. They have bright pink noses and long snouts. Their natural lifespans are between two and five years; the larger species tend to live longer than the smaller.

[18] Quolls are solitary, nocturnal animals. [19] The average weight differs greatly depending on the species; male western and eastern quolls weigh about 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) and females 0.9 kg (2.0 lb). The tiger quoll is the largest, with the male weighing about 7 kg (15 lb) and the female 4 kg (8.8 lb). The northern quoll is the smallest, and the male weighs on average 400 to 900 g (14 to 32 oz), and the female 300 to 500 g (11 to 18 oz). [20] Distribution and habitat[ edit ] Range of the six species of quoll The quoll is indigenous to mainland Australia, New Guinea , and Tasmania . The six species were once widely distributed across the three land masses, but are now restricted to only a few areas. Although primarily ground-dwelling, the genus has developed secondary arboreal characteristics. Each species of quoll lives in distinct geographical areas.

[10] [12] [13] The tiger quoll and eastern quoll are exclusively mesic zone species, that is they inhabit moister habitats. The western quoll also inhabits mesic habitat, but has adapted to arid regions across inland Australia, while the northern quoll inhabits tropical habitat of high rainfall. [21] Behaviour[ edit ] Tiger quoll sleeping at Sydney Wildlife World The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial . It is primarily nocturnal , sleeping in hollowed-out logs or rocky dens and coming out to hunt during the night, though on rare occasions it can be seen looking for prey during the day. It is mostly ground-dwelling, but it is not uncommon to see a quoll climbing a tree. The quoll marks its territory several kilometres away from its den. A male's territory often overlaps many females' territories, and male and female quolls only meet for mating. [19] Quolls have communal toilet areas, usually on an outcropping used for marking territory and social functions. These communal latrines may have up to 100 droppings in them.

[22] The quoll is a mostly solitary creature, limiting contact with others to mating or other social activities such as using the latrines. [23] Diet[ edit ] Eastern quoll feeding on meat The quoll is mostly carnivorous; the smaller quolls primarily eat insects, birds, frogs, lizards and fruit; the larger species eat birds, reptiles, and mammals, including echidnas and possums . The tiger quoll's diet is dominated by mammals such as brushtail possums , rabbits and hares . The exact mix is variable depending on the availability of prey after bushfires, and can include carrion or bandicoots when food is scarce. [24] The other species of quoll have also been known to eat carrion . The quoll's paws and vibrissae allow it to reach into small burrows to find prey. [22] The quoll hunts by stalking. Depending on the size of its prey, the quoll may leap or pounce on it. It pins small prey down with its front paws while devouring it, and jumps onto larger prey, sinking in its claws and closing its jaws around the neck.

The quoll can obtain all the water it needs from its food, making it quite adaptable during droughts or other periods of water shortage. [22] Reproduction[ edit ] Mating occurs during the winter months. Once a female quoll has been impregnated, the folds on her abdomen convert into a pouch that opens at the back. The gestation period is 21 days. A baby quoll, or pup, is the size of a grain of rice. Up to 18 quolls are born in each litter, but only six survive the first two weeks. The survivors stay in their mother's pouch for eight weeks, suckling on one of the mother's six teats for milk. During the ninth week, the pups venture out of the pouch and onto the mother's back, where they remain for six weeks. [25] The quoll reaches maturity when it is one year old, and has a natural lifespan of between two and five years. [26] A 2008 study of the pouches of tiger quolls reported the pouches' appearance' were reliable indicators of the quolls' reproductive status: during the follicular phase , pouches were found to be red and have many secretions.

After ovulation, pouches became deep and wet. Researchers can use this information to determine where a female quoll is in her ovarian cycle , which is anticipated to be helpful in breeding management. [27] Threats[ edit ] The cane toad is a significant threat to the quoll's survival. Cane toads were introduced into Queensland in 1935; their numbers have since grown exponentially. These poisonous toads pose a significant threat to the northern quoll, which may die after consuming one. Cane toads can also shoot their venom[ citation needed ], which can easily blind an animal. The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has stated that cane toads are highly invasive and are major threats to the quoll's survival. [17] Predators such as foxes and cats prey on quolls and compete with them for food. For example, both quolls and foxes catch and consume rabbits. Since the introduction of foxes, the rabbit population has dropped dramatically. Foxes have been eradicated from many of the islands off the coast of Australia in an effort to protect the quoll.

[17] The quoll is suffering badly from urbanisation, housing development, mining development, and expansion of agricultural lands. Habitats are also being destroyed by large herbivores trampling the grass and overgrowth, making camouflage difficult. Forest fires and weeds also contribute to habitat destruction. [17] The poison sodium monofluoroacetate is commonly used in Australia to control pests such as European rabbits, foxes, feral predators, and wild dogs such as dingoes . It is cooked into meat[ citation needed ] which is put into the wild for the animals to ingest. The poison is extremely toxic to wild dogs and other pests, but considerably less so to quolls. Size is a main factor in how the poison will affect a quoll; larger quolls will suffer no ill effects from eating one piece of prepared meat containing sodium monofluroacetate, but will suffer if they eat more than one within a short period of time.[ citation needed ] One piece of meat may be lethal to female and juvenile quolls. Since the quoll is a carnivore and will readily consume any meat left out, it is at high risk from the poison.

The meat should be buried at least 8 cm (3.1 in) underground, but has been found under minimal soil that a quoll can dig around to get to it. Poisoning is currently being investigated, as the number of quolls protected from predators by the bait may be much more than those which ingest the poison and die.[ clarification needed ] [17] [28] Conservation efforts[ edit ] Since 1770, all Australian quoll species have declined in number owing to habitat loss caused by urbanization. The northern quoll is threatened by toxic cane toads, but a University of Sydney project revealed in 2010 is teaching them to avoid eating the invasive amphibians. [29] In 2008, the Northern Territory Wildlife Park in Australia recorded their first litter of quoll pups in the park. The quolls bred well in captivity, with over 15 litters in the 2008 breeding season alone. [30] In late October 2011, a litter of five tiger quoll pups was born at Wild Life Sydney in Darling Harbour , Australia. The pups were born to inexperienced parents, both just one year old.

The reason for the young parents was because older male quolls can become violent and kill the female if they do not want to mate. By breeding one-year-old quolls, there was no threat of violence. Four of the quoll pups will be sent to other zoos or wildlife parks across Australia, but one, which the researchers named Nelson, will stay at the centre to become an "ambassador for all quolls". [31] Fox control programs have benefited the western quoll. The Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia) monitors western quoll populations in the Jarrah Forest as part of its faunal management programs, as well as ongoing research into fox control, timber harvesting, and prescribed burning. The Perth Zoo has been monitoring a successful captive-breeding program since 1989. It has successfully bred more than 60 western quolls, most of which it transferred to Julimar Conservation Park, with proposals to translocate to Wheatbelt reserves and Shark Bay . [12] The bronze quoll is kept in Wasur National Park and Tonda Wildlife Management Area . More research on distribution and threats is needed for further conservation. [10] Creating a native pet industry in Australia related to quolls could aid in their conservation.

[32] [33] However, concerns exist about this methodology in regards to animal husbandry, conservation benefits, and other issues. [34] Some scientists believe that keeping quolls as pets could aid in their long-term conservation, [35] [36] [37] but further research is needed on this topic to conclude whether this is true or false. Brush-tailed Phascogale - Phascogale tapoatafa - Details - Encyclopedia of Life Description[ edit ] This phascogale is black. Its tail is covered with long black hairs on the lower half that can erect, causing it to appear similar to a bottle brush. [5] Body length is between 16 to 27 cm with a 16 to 24 cm tail . Males , which can reach up to 310 g, are larger than females , normally weighting less than 210 g. [6] Distribution and habitat[ edit ] The brush-tailed phascogale has a widespread but fragmented distribution throughout all states of Australia, excluding Tasmania .

As a result of habitat destruction and predation by the red fox and feral cat , they are believed to have disappeared from roughly half of their former range. The species is considered very vulnerable to localised extinction . [4] Diet[ edit ] This species is a nocturnal and arboreal hunter. It eats smaller mammals, birds, lizards, and insects, particularly spiders. [5] It also drinks nectar from flowering trees. [5] Reproduction[ edit ] Breeding occurs between June and August when the females come into estrus. All male brush-tailed phascogales die before reaching one year of age, generally from stress-related diseases brought about by the energy expended in a bout of frenzied mating. [5] However, some captive males have lived to the age of three, though they were reproductively unviable after the first year. [5] Females nest in hollow trees, bearing litters of 7 to 8 young which stay in the nest to the age of 5 months. Easter Bilby, Easter Bilbys, Bilbies, Australia, Quolls, Kangaroos, Koalas HOME Endangered and Extinct The list of Australian mammals from vulnerable to extinct.

Australia is a truly wonderful country and it's isolation from the rest of the world has produced some unique and incredible species. The price of ignorance 200 years ago has, however, cost the lives of many animals. We do have a very real opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past and revive the ones that remain, for more please visit our Feral Eradication page. This is a list of mammals only, we have not included reptiles, insects, birds, plants etc, quite frankly it makes for a sobering reading experience. This is only for one country and Australia is fairly typical of what has and is happening all over the world. Take a moment to read these lists, especially the extinct list, and remember that extinction means forever, we will never see these animals again. Going - Vulnerable Going Faster - Endangered and Critical Gone - Extinct Sub-Antarctic Fur-seal & Southern Elephant Seal Sei Whale, Humpback & Fin Whale Boodie, Burrowing Bettong (Shark Bay, Barrow & Boodie Islands) Large-eared Pied Bat, Large Pied Bat Kowari tiger quoll : definition of tiger quoll and synonyms of tiger quoll (English) D. m.

gracilis Range of the tiger quoll: The tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), also known as the spotted-tail quoll, the spotted quoll, the spotted-tailed dasyure or (erroneously) the tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus Dasyurus native to Australia. With males and females weighing around 3.5 kg and 1.8 kg respectively, it is mainland Australia's largest, and the world's longest (the biggest is the Tasmanian Devil ), living carnivorous marsupial and it is considered an apex predator . Two subspecies are recognised, the nominate is found in wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a northern subspecies gracilis is found in a small area of northern Queensland and is endangered. Contents 7 External links Taxonomy The tiger quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae , which includes most carnivorous marsupial mammals. This quoll was first described in 1792 by Robert Kerr , the Scottish writer and naturalist, who placed it in the genus Didelphis , which includes several species of American opossum .

The species name, maculatus, indicates that this species is spotted. [3] Two subspecies are recognised: [3] D. m. maculatus , found from southern Queensland south to Tasmania D. m. gracilis , found in an isolated population in northeastern Queensland , where it is classified as endangered by the Department of Environment and Heritage Description Skeleton of tiger quoll The tiger quoll is the largest of the quolls. Males and females of D. m. maculatus weigh on average 3.5 kg and 1.8 kg respectively and males and females of D. m. gracilis weigh on average 1.6 and 1.15 respectively. [4] The next largest species, the western quoll , weighs on average 1.31 kg for males and 0.89 kg for females. [5] The tiger quoll has relatively short legs but has a tail as long as its body and head combined. [4] It has a thick head and neck and a slightly rounded and enlongated snout. [4] It has 5 toes on each feet, both front and hind, and the hind feet have well developed halluxes.

Its long pink foot pads are ridged, an adaptation for its arboreal lifestyle. [6] This makes up for the fact that its tail is not prehensile . The tiger quoll has a reddish-brown pelage with white spots and colourations do not change seasonally. It is the only quoll species with spots on its tail in addition to its body. Its fur and skin are covered in orange-brown coloured oil. The underside is typically grayish or creamy white. The average length of D. m. maculatus is 930 mm for males and 811 for females respectively. For D. m. gracilis, the average length of males and females respectively is 801 mm and 742 mm. [4] Range and ecology Tiger quoll at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia. The tiger quoll is found in eastern Australia where there is more than 600 mm of rainfall per year. [7] [8] Historically the quoll was present throughout southeastern Queensland, though eastern New South Wales, Victoria, southeastern South Australia and Tasmania. European settlement has severely decimated and fragmented the quoll's mainland distribution.

[9] Tiger quolls are rare in southeastern Queensland. [10] In Victoria quoll populations have declined by nearly 50%. [8] The range decline was not as severe in New South Wales but they are still rare. [8] The quoll was probably never very numerous in South Australia. In Tasmania, the tiger quoll mostly frequent the northern and western areas where is seasonal rains. [11] Tiger quolls were once native to Flinders and King Islands but were extirpated since the 20th century and are thus not present all Tasmanian offshore islands. [12] Tiger quoll at a wildlife sanctuary area at Queens Park, Ipswich, Queenland, Australia Tiger quolls live in a variety of habitats but seem to prefer wet forests such as rainforests and closed eucalypt forest. [6] [11] Tiger quolls are arboreal but only moderately, [13] as 11% of their travelling is done above ground.

[6] Prey items eaten by quolls include insects, crayfish, lizards, snakes, birds, domestic poultry, small mammals, platypus, rabbits, arboreal possums, pademelons, small wallabies and wombats. [4] They may scavenge larger prey like kangaroos, feral pigs, cattle and dingoes. [4] [13] However the tiger quoll does not scavenge as much as the Tasmanian devil. [6] Much of the prey eaten by the quoll are arboreal. [13] They can climb high into trees and make nocturnal hunts for possums and birds. [6] The flexibility of their diet suggests that their prey base is not detrimentally affected by bushfires. [14] When hunting, a quoll stalks its prey, stopping only when its head is up. [4] It then launches its attack, executing a killing bite to the base of the skull or top of the neck, depending on the size of the prey. [6] The quoll will pin small prey down with forepaws and them deliver the bite.

With large prey, the quoll jumps and latches on its back and bites the neck. [4] Quolls themselves may be preyed on by Tasmanian devils and masked owls in Tasmania and dingos and dogs in mainland Australia. [4] It may also be preyed on by wedge-tailed eagles and large pythons. Tiger quolls yield to adult devils but will chase subadults away from carcasses. It is also possible that quolls compete with introduced carnivores such as foxes, cats and wild dogs. Tiger quolls are also hosts to numerous species of endoparasites. [4] Life history Tiger quoll sleeping at the window of the nocturnal animals exhibit at Sydney Wildlife World Tiger quolls are generally nocturnal and rest during the day in dens. However, juveniles and females with young in the den come be seen during the day and may leave their dens when it is light out. [7] [10] [13] Quoll dens take the form of underground burrows, caves, rock crevices, tree hollows, hollow logs, under house or sheds.

[6] [7] [10] Locomotion of quolls takes the form of walking and bounding gaits. [4] Trails are not particularly important for quoll, although they forage and scent mark along runways and roads. Tiger quolls may live in home ranges that range 580-875 ha for males and 90-188 for females. [4] Most resident quoll are female, although in one population study found that both males and females were split between transients and residents. [13] Males have overlapping home ranges, but each have their own core area of at least 128 ha. [10] The home ranges of females may overlap less. [13] Quoll sometimes share dens during the breeding season. [10] After copulation, females act aggressively towards males, especially when close to parturition. For the tiger quoll, olfactory and auditory signals are used more often than visual signals when communicating. Quolls greet each other with nose to nose sniffs and males will sniff the backsides of females to check for estrous. [4] Quolls also marking themselves with mouth and ear secretions.

[15] Some populations have communal latrines while others don’t. Rocky creek beds, cliff bases and on roads serve as locations for latrines. [13] Tiger quoll standing on hind legs Tiger quolls are generally not vocal, however vocalizations can be heard in any social interaction. [16] Agnostic or disturbed vocalizations are guttural huffs, coughs, hisses and piercing screams. [4] "Cp-cp-cp" sounds are produced by females in estrous. [16] Females communicate with their young with "chh-chh" and "echh-echh" calls. The former are made by females and the latter are made by young. “Juveniles vocalize frequently when fighting and their mother will hiss when they clamber over her”. [4] During agonistic encounters, quolls also threaten each other with open mouths and teeth displays. At this time the ears are laid back and the eyes are narrowed. Males grasp and bite each other in combat. [6] Tiger quolls reproduces seasonally. They mate in midwinter (June/July), but females can breed as early as April.

[17] The mating behavior of the tiger quoll is unique among the quoll species in that the female vocalizes when in estrous and easily accepts the males mounts. [4] In addition, the female’s neck swells up. Mating involves the male holding on the female’s sides with his paws and holding on the neck with his mouth. [16] Copulation can last as long as 24 hours. Females give birth with their hindquarters raised and their tails curled. [4] For the time the young is in the pouch, a female rest on her sides. After the young have left the pouch, females stay in nests that they have built. [4] For their first 50–60 days of life, the young can’t see so they rely on vocals and touch to find their mother or siblings. It stops when their eyes open after 70 days. Young are not carried on the back but they do rest on their mother. [16] and cling to her when frighten. Young become more independent of their mothers and she’ll become more aggressive towards them by 100 days.

[18] Conservation status The tiger quoll is listed by the IUCN on the Red List of Threatened Species with the status "near threatened". [2] The Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage considers the northern subspecies D. m. gracilis as endangered . This species is vulnerable to decline for a number of reasons. It requires certain climates and habitats, it tends to live in low densities, it likely to compete with introduced predators, requires lots of space and doesn't live very long. [4] The biggest threat to the quoll is habitat destruction. [4] Humans may directly contribute to quoll deaths though persecution, motor collisions and 1080 poisoning. [19] Conservationists are using population monitorings and public education to preserve the species and intent to preserving their habitat and minimize the impacts of 1080 baiting. References ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Jones M. E., Rose R. K., Burnett S., (2001) "Dasyurus maculates", Mammalian Species 676:1-9.

^ Serena M., Soderquist T., (1995) "Western quoll". Pp. 62-64. In: The mammals of Australia. Second edition (R. Strahan, ed). Australian Museum/Reed Books, Sydney, New South Wales. ^ a b c d e f g h Jones M. E., (1995) Guild structure of the large carnivores in Tasmania. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ^ a b c Edgar R., Belcher C., (1995) "Spotted-tailed quoll". Pp. 67-69. In: The mammals of Australia. Second edition (R. Strahan, ed). Australian Museum/Reed Books, Sydney, New South Wales. ^ a b c Mansergh I. (1984) "The status, distribution and abundance of Dasyurus maculates (tiger quoll) in Australia, with particular reference to Victoria". Australian Zoologist 21:109-22. ^ Maxwell S., A. A. Burbidge, K. Morris.

(1996) The action plan for Australian marsupials and monotremes. Report for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Species Survival Commission Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group. ^ a b c d e Watt A. (1993) Conservation status and draft management plan for Dasyurus maculates and D. hallucatus in southern Queensland. Report for Queenland Department of Environment and Heritage and The Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, October: 1-132. ^ a b Jones M. E., R. K Rose (1996) Preliminary assessment of distribution and habitat association of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculates maculatus) and eastern quoll (D. viverrinus) in Tasmania to determine conservation and reservation status. Nature Conservation Branch, Parks and Wildlife Service. Report to the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement Environment and Heritage Technical Committee, November:1-68. ^ Hope J. H. (1972) "Mammals of the Bass Strait islands". Proceeding of the Royal Society of Victoria 85:163-96.

^ a b c d e f g Burnett S. (2000) The ecology and endangerment of spotted-tailed quoll, Dasyurus maculates. Ph.D. dissertation, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townville, Australia. ^ Dawson, J. P.; Claridge, A. W.; Triggs, B.; Paull, D. J. (2007). "Diet of a native carnivore, the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), before and after an intense wildfire". Wildlife Research 34 (5): 342. DOI : 10.1071/WR05101 . edit ^ Eisnberg J. F., I. Golani. (1977) "Communication in metatheria". Pp. 575-99. In: How animals communicate. (T. A. Sebeok, ed). Indiana University Press, Bloomington. ^ a b c d Settle G. A. (1978) The quiddity of tiger quoll. Australian Journal of Zoology 9:164-69.

^ Edgar R., Belcher C., (1983) "Spotted-tailed quoll". Pp. 18-19. In: The mammals of Australia. First edition (R. Strahan, ed). Australian Museum/Reed Books, Sydney, New South Wales. ^ Collins L., Conway K. (1986) "A quoll by any other name". Zoogoer. January–February:14-16. ^ Maxwell, S., Burbidge, A. A. and Morris, K. (1996) The 1996 Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes. Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland. External links Tiger Quoll : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on Tiger Quoll Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Range of the Tiger Quoll: D.m. gracilis and D.m.

maculatus. The tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), also known as the spotted-tail quoll, the spotted quoll, the spotted-tailed dasyure or (erroneously) the tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia . It is mainland Australia's largest carnivorous marsupial and considered an apex predator . Contents 7 External links Taxonomy The tiger quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae , which includes most carnivorous marsupial mammals. This quoll was first described in 1792 by Robert Kerr , the Scottish writer and naturalist, who placed it in the genus Didelphis , which includes several species of American opossum . The species name, maculatus, indicates that this species is spotted. [3] Two subspecies are recognised: [3] D. m. maculatus , found from southern Queensland south to Tasmania D. m.

gracilis, found in an isolated population in northeastern Queensland , where it is classified as endangered by the Department of Environment and Heritage Life history The tiger quoll ranges from 35 to 75 cm in length and has a tail of about 34 to 50 cm. When fully grown, males can reach 7 kilograms while females reach about 4 kilograms. It is also 50% larger than other species of quolls. Females are smaller than the males: while females grow to four kilograms , males can reach up to 7 kg. Like other quolls, this species has thick, soft fawn, brown or black fur, with lighter fur on the underside. Small white spots cover the body including its bushy tail, which may also have a white tip. It has a pointed snout with a moist pink nose, bright eyes, and sharp teeth. Ridges on the pads of its feet allow them to climb trees. This quoll feeds on a large range of prey including: insects, birds , rats , and small animals. It is a good climber but spends most of its time on the forest floor. Although nocturnal , it spends the daylight hours basking in the sun.

It nests in rocky banks, hollow logs, or small caves. It produces one litter a year with four to six young. The gestation period is about three weeks. The female's pouch develops during breeding season , and is open towards the tail. The young remain in their mother's pouch for about seven weeks, and it takes some 18 weeks for them to become independent of the mother. Sexual maturity is reached after one year. The tiger quoll can reach an age of up to 4 or 5 years. Range and habitat Lighter color variant. Note tail spots that distinguish it from the otherwise similar Eastern Quoll Before European settlement the southern subspecies had a range extending from southern Queensland through coastal New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania . It is now confined to a few areas, mostly in national parks, and listed as threatened in all mainland states. Land clearing, habitat destruction , and possible predation by the red fox and cats have led to the decline [4] . It has a large home range, and can cover over 6 km overnight. The northern subspecies of the tiger quoll lives in restricted areas around Cairns and Cooktown in northern Queensland, and also in Papua New Guinea. It is slightly smaller than the southern subspecies.

It is predicted that only 50% of quolls remain compared to last century. Conservation status The tiger quoll is listed by the IUCN on the Red List of Threatened Species with the status "vulnerable". [2] The Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage considers the northern subspecies D. m. gracilis as endangered . References ^ Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 25. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. . ^ a b Burnett, S. & Dickman, C. (2008). Dasyurus maculatus . In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 28 December 2008. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as vulnerable ^ a b Edgar, R.; Belcher, C.

(1995), "Spotted-tailed Quoll", in Strahan, Ronald, The Mammals of Australia, Reed Books, pp. 67–69 ^ [ #threats Australian Threatened Species: Tiger Quoll, Spotted-tailed Quoll or Spot-tailed Quoll Threatened Species Day Fact Sheet Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004 ] Further reading Belcher, C. A.; J. P. Darrant. (June 2006) Habitat use by tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Zoology. Vol. 269, Issue 2. pp. 183–190. Belcher et al. (May 2005) Diet of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology. Vol. 55, Issue 2. pp. 117-122. Belcher, C. A.; J. P. Darrant.

(March 2004) Home range and spatial organization of the marsupial carnivore, Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Zoology. Vol. 262, Issue 3. pp. 271-280. Belcher, C. A. (1998) Susceptibility of the tiger quoll, Dasyurus maculatus, and the eastern quoll, D. viverrinus, to 1080-poisoned baits in control programmes for vertebrate pests in eastern Australia. Wildlife Research. Vol. 25, Number 1. pp. 33-40. Claridge et al. (12 April 2006) The propensity of spotted-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus) to encounter and consume non-toxic meat baits in a simulated canid-control program. Wildlife Research. Vol. 33, Issue 2. pp. 85-91. Firestone et al.

(2000) Variability and differentiation of microsatellites in the genus Dasyurus and conservation implications for the large Australian carnivorous marsupials. Conservation Genetics. Vol. 1, Number 2. pp. 115-133. Firestone, Karen B. (March 2000) Phylogenetic Relationships Among Quolls Revisited: The mtDNA Control Region as a Useful Tool. Journal of Mammalian Evolution. Vol. 7, Number 1. pp. 1-22. Firestone et al. (October 1999) Phylogeographical population structure of tiger quolls Dasyurus maculatus (Dasyuridae: Marsupialia), an endangered carnivorous marsupial. Molecular Ecology. Vol. 8, Issue 10. pp. 1613-1625. Glen, A. S.; Dickman, C. R. (April 2006) Home range, denning behaviour and microhabitat use of the carnivorous marsupial Dasyurus maculatus in eastern Australia. Journal of Zoology. Vol. 268, Issue 4. pp.

347-354. Glen, A . S .; Dickman, C . R . (2006) Diet of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in eastern Australia: effects of season, sex and size Journal of Zoology. Vol. 269, Number 2. pp. 241-248. Hesterman et al. (2007) Reproductive endocrinology of the largest Dasyurids: Characterization of ovarian cycles by plasma and fecal steroid monitoring. Part II. The spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus). General and Comparative Endocrinology. In press. Jones et al. (December 2001) Dasyurus maculatus. Mammalian Species. No. 676, pp. 1-9. Jones, M. E. et al. (May 2000) Niche differentiation among sympatric Australian Dasyurid carnivores. Journal of Mammalogy. Vol. 81, Number 2. pp. 434-47. Jones, Menna E.; Leon A. Barmuta.

(May 1998) Diet Overlap and Relative Abundance of Sympatric Dasyurid Carnivores: A Hypothesis of Competition. The Journal of Animal Ecology. Vol. 67, No. 3. pp. 410-421. Jones, Menna. (December 1997) Character Displacement in Australian Dasyurid Carnivores: Size Relationships and Prey Size Patterns. Ecology. Vol. 1, No. 8. pp. 2569-2587. Lunney, Daniel; Matthews, Alison. (2001) The contribution of the community to defining the distribution of a vulnerable species, the spotted-tailed quoll, Dasyurus maculatus Wildlife Research Volume 28, Number 5. pp. 537. Murray, Andrew J.; Poore, Robert N. (2004) Potential impact of aerial baiting for wild dogs on a population of spotted-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus) Wildlife Research. Vol. 31, Number 6. pp. 639. Sakai, Tatsuo; E. W. van Lennep.

(February 1984) The Harderian Gland in Australian Marsupials. Journal of Mammalogy. Vol. 65, No. 1. pp. 159-162. External links 1000+ images about Mammalia- Marsupials on Pinterest | Wombat, Opossum and Koalas Forward The numbat is a small carnivorous marsupial from Australia, and the only member of the family Myrmecobiidae. It is a specialised termite-eater and is easily recognised by its slender, graceful body and short, stiff hair which is reddish-brown with black and white stripes across its back and rump. See More

Question: The Tiger Quoll, Dibbler and Phascogale are native to which country?
Answer: Australia