Spotted-Tailed Quoll
Dasyurus maculatus
Fun Facts
The spotted-tailed quoll, despite its name, is also known as the tiger quoll. It is one of the closest surviving relatives to the Tasmanian Tiger, which are extinct.
They are the largest meat-eating marsupials still found on the Australian mainland.
They also have a super-strong bite. The Spotted Quoll has the second strongest jaw (as a proportion of their size) of any predatory mammal in the world, second only to the Tasmanian devil. For their size, their jaw strength is stronger than a Spotted Hyena or African Lion!
Spotted-Tailed Quoll babies start off incredibly tiny—about the size of a grain of rice! These minuscule joeys will grow rapidly, reaching a weight of 2 to 4 kg by the time they’re adults.
These quolls aren’t too fussy about where they live and can
make themselves at home in all sorts of places, from underground burrows and termite mounds to small caves, hollow logs, and tree hollows.
Where can you find them?
The spotted-tailed quoll lives along the East Coast of Australia from Victoria to Queensland, and throughout Tasmania.
These quolls are super adaptable and can be found in forests, woodlands, coastal heathlands, and rainforests. They even hang out in open areas, rocky spots, and places where animals graze.
NEAR THREATENED (NATIONALLY)
Conservation Status
The Spotted-tailed Quoll is classified as endangered in Victoria and Queensland, vulnerable in New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania. The IUCN Red List classifies the Spotted-Tailed Quoll as Near Threatened nationally.
The Spotted-tailed Quoll is listed as endangered, vulnerable or threatened by the Australian, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Queensland governments. Internationally, it is listed as near threatened.
The biggest threat is from habitat destruction and forest fragmentation...
Spotted-Tailed Quolls are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List. Source: Burnett, S. & Dickman, C.2018.Dasyurus maculatus.The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species2018: e.T6300A21946847.https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T6300A21946847.en. Accessed on21 July 2024. Accessed on 21 July 2024.
The Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List, June 2024, lists the Spotted-tailed Quoll as Endangered.
The Tasmanian Threatened Species List, and New South Wales Threatened Species List, lists the Spotted-tailed Quoll as Vulnerable.
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