A master hunter facing an uncertain future
NSW Status: Vulnerable
Commonwealth Status: Endangered
The Spotted-tailed Quoll, also known as the Tiger Quoll, is the Australian mainland’s largest carnivorous marsupial. They have an incredibly powerful bite for their body size, second in the world only to their close relative the Tasmanian Devil. They are talented hunters, sniffing the bases of trees to determine what prey animals are sleeping there, only climbing up when they detect an unsuspecting meal. Despite their superior hunting skills, the Spotted-tail Quoll is listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Want to see one of these beautiful creatures for yourself?
We are lucky in the Port Macquarie Hastings region to have two Spotted-tailed Quolls, Tony and Fleay, on display at the Billabong Zoo!
Billabong Zoo has proudly supported the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program (TQCP) since its inception in 2008. This program brings together zoos and wildlife parks across Australia to breed Eastern and Spotted-tailed Quolls, helping protect wild quoll populations in Tasmania and supporting conservation efforts.
The TQCP focuses on providing quolls for reintroduction projects, such as releasing them into the wild at places like Booderee National Park in NSW. To do this, the program carefully manages captive populations using studbooks to guide breeding.
What do they look like?
The Spotted-tailed Quoll is roughly the size of a domestic cat, but with shorter legs and a more pointed face. Their fur is rich rust to dark brown colour on top, with a pale belly. They have irregular white spots across their back and continuing down their tail. The largest of Australia’s six quoll species, males grow to around 3.5 kgs, while females are around 2 kg.
Habitat and diet
The Spotted-tailed Quoll is found through eastern Australia and into Tasmania. They live in habitat ranging from rainforests and woodlands to coastal heaths, from sub-alpine regions to the coast. They have den sites in hollow bearing trees, fallen logs and rock outcrops, It is thought their ability to survive in a range of terrains contributed to their survival when species such as the Eastern Quoll were made extinct on the Australian mainland. The Spotted-tailed Quoll is considered a hypercarnivore – over 70% of their diet is meat! They eat a variety of prey, but have a preference for medium-sized mammals like gliders, possums, small wallabies, rats and bandicoots. They will also feed on roosting birds, reptiles, insects, carrion and domestic chickens. They are mostly nocturnal but do hunt during the day.
Under threat
Like many of our threatened species, the Spotted-tailed Quoll has been affected by loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat that comes with urban development. They are also in direct competition for food with introduced predators like cats and foxes. Road strike and poisoning from eating cane toads has also impacted their numbers.
A large impact for quolls has been the interaction between rural farming and their predatory nature – their attacks on domestic chicken has led to them being poisoned, shot and trapped.
Quoll spotted in local fauna underpass monitoring
A monitoring camera captured a quoll using a fauna underpass in the Camden Haven area in late 2023. The underpass is one example of a range of infrastructure that has been included in the planning of new or upgraded roads to support safe options for wildlife. It’s great to see it in action!
What can you do?
There is a targeted strategy to save the Spotted-tailed Quoll under the NSW Government Save our Species Program. There a number of initiatives underway to retain and increase quoll habitat, as well as captive breeding programs to supplement the wild populations. Successful independent breeding has been recorded in similar programs in other states.
On a personal level, there a number of ways you can also help the Spotted-tailed Quoll, particularly in a farming setting:
- Quoll-proof your hen house: Consult the Office of Environment and Heritage or NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for advice on safeguarding poultry without harming quolls. Protect your chooks and save our quolls | Native animals | Environment and Heritage
- Protect habitat: Retain and preserve large, forested areas with hollow logs and rocky outcrops.
- Participate in predator control programs: Work with government agencies to reduce the impact of introduced predators.
