View source for Quoll

{{Short description|Genus of marsupial mammals}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Late Miocene | Recent|ref=<ref name="Krajewski"/>}}
| image = Eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) fawn morph Esk Valley.jpg
| image_caption = [[Eastern quoll]] (''Dasyurus viverrinus'')
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Dasyurus
| authority = [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|É. Geoffroy]], 1796
| type_species = ''[[Eastern quoll|Didelphis maculata]]''
| type_species_authority = Anon., 1791<br/>(=''Dasyurus viverrinus'' [[George Shaw (biologist)|Shaw]], 1800)
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
* ''[[Dasyurus albopunctatus]]''
* ''[[Dasyurus geoffroii]]''
* ''[[Dasyurus hallucatus]]''
* ''[[Dasyurus maculatus]]''
* ''[[Dasyurus spartacus]]''
* ''[[Dasyurus viverrinus]]''
}}

'''Quolls''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|w|ɒ|l|z}}; genus '''''Dasyurus''''') are [[carnivorous]] [[marsupial]]s native to [[Australia]] and [[New Guinea]]. They are primarily [[nocturnal]], and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Another two species are known from fossil remains in [[Pliocene]] and [[Pleistocene]] deposits in Queensland. 

Genetic evidence indicates that quolls evolved around 15''&nbsp;''million years ago in the [[Miocene]], and that the ancestors of the six species had all diverged by around four million years ago. The six species vary in weight and size, from {{convert|300|g|oz|abbr=on}} to {{convert|7|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. They have brown or black fur and pink noses. They are largely solitary, but come together for a few social interactions, such as mating, which occurs during [[Winter|the winter season]]. A female gives birth to up to 30 pups, but the number that can be raised to adulthood is limited by the number of teats (6–7). They have a life span of 1–5 years (species dependent).

Quolls eat smaller mammals, small birds, lizards, and insects. All species have drastically declined in numbers since Australasia was colonised by Europeans, with one species, the [[eastern quoll]], becoming extinct on the Australian mainland in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Burbidge, A.A. |author2=Woinarski, J. |year=2016 |title=''Dasyurus viverrinus'' |article-number=e.T6296A21947190 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T6296A21947190.en}}</ref> Major threats to their survival include the toxic [[cane toad]], predators such as feral cats and foxes, urban development, and poison baiting. Conservation efforts include captive breeding programs and reintroductions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Old |first1=JM |last2=Stannard |first2=HJ |year=2021 |title=Conservation of quolls (''Dasyurus'' spp.) in captivity – A review |journal=Australian Mammalogy |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=277–289|doi=10.1071/AM20033}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
The name ''Dasyurus'' (from {{Langx|grc|δασύουρος}}, {{Lang|grc|dasúouros}}) means "hairy-tail",<ref>{{Harvnb|Strahan|2008|pp=62–64}}</ref> and was coined by [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]] in 1796 from {{Lang|grc|δασύς}} ({{Lang|grc-Latn|dasús}}), meaning "hairy", and {{Lang|grc|οὐρά}} (''{{Lang|grc-Latn|ourá}}''), meaning "tail".

In 1770, [[James Cook|Captain Cook]] collected quolls on his exploration of the east coast of Australia, adopting an Aboriginal name for the animals.<ref name="Origin of Quoll">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/tiger-spotted-quoll.pdf |title=Australian Threatened Species, Tiger Quoll, Spotted-tailed Quoll or Spot-tailed Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus}}</ref> Although the origin of Cook's specimens are unclear, the word and its variants ''je-quoll'', ''jaquol'' or ''taquol'' are derived from the word ''[[wikt:dhigul|dhigul]]'' in the [[Guugu Yimithirr language|language]] of the [[Guugu Yimithirr people]] of far north Queensland. No evidence indicates the local indigenous people used the word in the Sydney area.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Mahoney, J.A. |author2=Ride, W.D.L. |year=1984|title=The Identity of Captain Cook's Quoll ''Mustela quoll'' Zimmermann 1783 (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae)|journal=Australian Mammalogy|volume=7|issue=1–2|pages=57–62|doi=10.1071/AM84006 |s2cid=254718088 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7hCPg7WCir0C&q=Quoll+name+native+cat&pg=PA57|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They were likened in appearance to a [[polecat]] or [[marten]] in the earliest reports, the [[tiger quoll]] (spotted-tailed) being called "spotted [[marten]]" and [[eastern quoll]] "spotted [[opossum]]", but by 1804, the names "native fox", "native cat" and "tiger cat" had been adopted by early settlers; quolls are still called "marsupial foxes" or "marsupial cats".{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In the 1960s, noted naturalist [[David Fleay]] pushed for the revival of the term "quoll" to replace the then-current vernacular names that he felt were misleading.<ref>{{cite book |last=Olsen |first=Penny |title=Upside Down World: Early European impressions of Australia's curious animals |publisher=National Library Australia |year=2010 |pages=42–47 |isbn=978-0-642-27706-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ThCrKAAxniUC&q=Quoll+name+native+cat&pg=PA47}}</ref>

[[File:Dasyurus maculatus skeleton.jpg|thumb|250px|alt=Photograph|Skeleton of a spotted-tailed quoll]]
Four species have been recovered from Pleistocene cave deposits from [[Mount Etna Caves National Park]] near Rockhampton in central Queensland. Remains of the spotted-tailed 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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cramb |first1=Jonathan |last2=Hocknull |first2=Scott |last3=Webb |first3=Gregory E. |year=2009 |title=High diversity Pleistocene rainforest Dasyurid assemblages with implications for the radiation of the dasyuridae |journal=Austral Ecology |volume=34 |issue=6 |pages=663–669 |doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01972.x|doi-access=free |bibcode=2009AusEc..34..663C }}</ref> The fossil species ''D.&nbsp;dunmalli'', described by Bartholomai in 1971, is the oldest species recovered to date. Its remains were found in [[Pliocene]] deposits near [[Chinchilla, Queensland|Chinchilla]] in southeastern Queensland. Known only from a lower jaw and some teeth, it was a relative of the spotted-tailed quoll.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Long, John A. |author2=Archer, Michael |title=Prehistoric mammals of Australia and New Guinea: one hundred million years of evolution |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2002 |page=53 |isbn=978-0-86840-435-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LwMkO0M1mPQC&q=Dasyurus+dunmalli&pg=PA53}}</ref>

The first species described, the eastern quoll, was originally placed in the [[opossum|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 spotted-tailed quoll, ''Dasyurus maculatus'', while the eastern quoll was renamed ''Dasyurus viverrinus'' by [[George Shaw (biologist)|George Shaw]] in 1800.<ref name=Jones2001>{{cite journal |author1=Jones, M.E. |author2=Rose, R.K. |year=2001 |title=''Dasyurus viverrinus'' |journal=Mammalian Species |volume=677 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1644/1545-1410(2001)677<0001:DV>2.0.CO;2|s2cid=198968816 }}</ref>

The [[tribe (biology)|tribe]] [[Dasyurini]], to which quolls belong, also includes the [[Tasmanian devil]], the [[antechinus]], the [[kowari]], and the [[mulgara]].<ref name="Grovespp2425"/> Genetic analysis of [[cytochrome b|cytochrome&nbsp;b]] DNA and [[MT-RNR1|12S rRNA]] of the [[mitochondria]] indicates the quolls evolved and diversified in the late [[Miocene]] between 15 and 5&nbsp;million years ago, a time of great diversification in marsupials. The ancestors of all current species had diverged by the early Pliocene, around 4&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name=Krajewski>{{cite journal |last1=Krajewski |first1=Carey |last2=Wroe |first2=Stephen |last3=Westerman |first3=Michael |year=2000 |title=Molecular evidence for phylogenetic relationships and the timing of cladogenesis in dasyurid marsupials |url=https://unsw.academia.edu/StephenWroe/Papers/183471/Molecular_evidence_for_phylogenetic_relationships_and_the_timing_of_cladogenesis_in_dasyurid_marsupials |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=130 |issue=3 |pages=375–404 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2000.tb01635.x|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Species===
The genus ''Dasyurus'' consists of six species of quoll:<ref name="Grovespp2425">{{Harvnb|Groves|2005|pp=24–25}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !!  Species 
!Common name(s)!! Description !! Distribution
|-
|[[File:Dasyurus maculatus - Bonorong.jpg|120px]]  || ''[[Tiger quoll|Dasyurus maculatus]]''
{{small|(Kerr, 1792)}}
|Tiger quoll, spotted-tail quoll|| 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 spotted-tailed 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.<ref name="Belcher">{{cite journal |last1=Belcher |first1=C. A. |last2=Darrant |first2=J. P. |year=2006 |title=Habitat Use by Tiger Quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus'') (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae)in south-eastern Australia |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=269 |issue=2 |pages=183–190 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00056.x}}</ref> The species in Queensland has declined rapidly and is now absent from the Brisbane region.   || South-eastern Australia. Important strongholds for the population occur in the Blackall/Conondale ranges, Main Range, Lamington Plateau and the McPherson and Border ranges.<ref>McFarland, D., n.d. Systematic vertebrate fauna survey project stage iiB-assessment of habitat quality for priority species in southeast queensland bioregion.</ref>
|-
| [[File:Chuditch at Caversham Wildlife Park.png|120px]] || ''[[Western quoll|Dasyurus geoffroii]]''
{{small|Gould, 1841}}
|Western quoll, ''chuditch''|| 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.<ref name="IUCN3" /> ||Restricted to the [[Jarrah Forest]] and the central and southern Australian [[Wheatbelt (Western Australia)|Wheatbelt]].
|-
|[[File:Chat marsupial tacheté 20140125-5791.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Eastern quoll|Dasyurus viverrinus]]''
{{small|(Shaw, 1800)}}
|Eastern quoll|| Widely distributed across southeastern Australia until it became extinct on the mainland in the 1960s. ||The pastures, scrublands, forests, and alpine areas of [[Tasmania]].<ref name="PWS">{{cite web |title=Eastern Quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus |publisher=Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=4774 |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-date=17 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190317032036/https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=4774 }}</ref> The species has been successfully reintroduced to [[Mt Rothwell]] and [[Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary]] on mainland Australia.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Belinda A. |last2=Evans |first2=Maldwyn J. |last3=Batson |first3=William G. |last4=Banks |first4=Sam C. |last5=Gordon |first5=Iain J. |last6=Fletcher |first6=Donald B. |last7=Wimpenny |first7=Claire |last8=Newport |first8=Jenny |last9=Belton |first9=Emily |last10=Rypalski |first10=Annette |last11=Portas |first11=Tim |last12=Manning |first12=Adrian D. |date=2020-06-29 |title=Adapting reintroduction tactics in successive trials increases the likelihood of establishment for an endangered carnivore in a fenced sanctuary |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=15 |issue=6 |article-number=e0234455 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0234455 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7323978 |pmid=32598368|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1534455W |doi-access=free }}</ref>
|-
|[[File:Dasyurus hallucatus -Queensland-8.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Northern quoll|Dasyurus hallucatus]]''
{{small|Gould, 1842}}
|Northern quoll||Found in the northern third of Australia a century ago. Presently, it resides in high rocky areas and areas with heavy rainfall. In 2003, northern quolls were translocated to Astell and Pobassoo Islands to isolate them from the toxic invasive cane toad.<ref name="Hill">{{cite web |title=National Recovery Plan for the Northern Quoll Dasyurus hallucatus |publisher=Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, Darwin |last1=Hill |first1=B. M. |last2=Ward |first2=S. J. |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/pubs/northern-quoll.pdf |pages=1, 3, 6–7 |access-date=20 October 2011}}</ref> Genetic analysis indicates it is the earliest offshoot from the ancestors of other quolls.<ref name="Krajewski" />
 ||It is abundant on the minor islands surrounding northern Australia. 
|-
|  || ''[[Bronze quoll|Dasyurus spartacus]]''
{{small|Van Dyck, 1987}}
|Bronze quoll|| It is the only mammal found in the [[Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands|Trans-Fly ecoregion]], but not in northern Australia.  [[Sea level rise|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.<ref name="UNSW">{{cite web |title=New Guinea's bronze quoll could be a long lost Aussie |publisher=UNSW |url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2007/jun/Bronzed_quoll.html |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-date=9 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709172416/http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2007/jun/Bronzed_quoll.html }}</ref>  ||It is found in the southern part of New Guinea south of the [[Fly River]].<ref name="IUCN">{{cite web |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/6301/0 |title=Dasyurus spartacus |access-date=20 October 2011 |publisher=IUCN}}</ref>
|-
|[[File:New Guinean quoll.webp|120px]] || ''[[New Guinean quoll|Dasyurus albopunctatus]]''
{{small|Schlegel, 1880}}
|New Guinean quoll|| It tends to live at an elevation of about {{convert|1000|m|abbr=on}}, and is not found in the south-western lowlands, although it can be found on [[Yapen Island]].<ref name=IUCN2>{{cite web |title=Dasyurus albopunctatus |publisher=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/6299/0 |access-date=20 October 2011}}</ref> ||Found throughout most of [[New Guinea]].
|-
|}
 
The following is a phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial genome sequences:<ref name="GR1">{{cite journal |title=The mitochondrial genome sequence of the Tasmanian tiger (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') |journal=Genome Res. |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=213–20 |date=February 2009 |pmid=19139089 |pmc=2652203 |doi=10.1101/gr.082628.108|last1=Miller |first1=W. |last2=Drautz |first2=D. I. |last3=Janecka |first3=J. E. |last4=Lesk |first4=A. M. |last5=Ratan |first5=A. |last6=Tomsho |first6=L. P. |last7=Packard |first7=M. |last8=Zhang |first8=Y. |last9=McClellan |first9=L. R. |last10=Qi |first10=J. |last11=Zhao |first11=F. |last12=Gilbert |first12=M. T. |last13=Dalén |first13=L. |last14=Arsuaga |first14=J. L. |last15=Ericson |first15=P. G. |last16=Huson |first16=D. H. |last17=Helgen |first17=K. M. |last18=Murphy |first18=W. J. |last19=Götherström |first19=A. |last20=Schuster |first20=S. C. }}</ref>
{{clade| styl=font-size:100%; line-height:100%
|label1=[[Dasyuromorphia]]
|1={{clade
 |1=''[[Thylacinus]]'' (thylacine)[[File:Thylacinus cynocephalus white background.jpg|80 px]]
 |2={{clade
  |1=''[[Myrmecobius]]'' (numbat)[[File:A hand-book to the marsupialia and monotremata (Plate XXX) (white background).jpg|60 px]]
  |2={{clade
   |1=''[[Sminthopsis]]'' (dunnarts)[[File:The zoology of the voyage of the H.M.S. Erebus and Terror (Sminthopsis leucopus).jpg|60 px]]
   |2={{clade
    |1=''[[Phascogale]]'' (wambengers)[[File:Phascogale calura Gould white background.jpg|60 px]]
    |2=''[[Dasyurus]]'' (quolls)[[File:Dasyurus viverrinus Gould white background.jpg|60 px]]}} }} }} }} }}

==Description==
[[File:Eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) black and fawn morphs Esk Valley.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph|Eastern quolls]]

Quolls are solitary, nocturnal animals.<ref name="ADW" /> Depending on the species, adult quolls can be {{convert|25|to|75|cm|abbr=on}} long, with hairy tails about {{convert|20|to|35|cm|abbr=on}} long. Average weight differs greatly depending on the species; male western and eastern quolls weigh about {{convert|1.3|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and females {{nowrap|{{convert|0.9|kg|lb|abbr=on}}}}. The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest, with the male weighing about {{convert|7|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and the female {{convert|4|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The northern quoll is the smallest, and the male weighs on average {{convert|400|to|900|g|oz|abbr=on}}, and the female {{convert|300|to|500|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name="weight">{{cite web |title=Quolls of Australia |publisher=Australian Government: Department of the Environment and Heritage |year=2003 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/quolls2003.html |access-date=2 November 2011}}</ref> Their coats are sandy, brown, or black, with a sparse scattering of white spots. They have bright pink noses and long snouts.

Females have >8 teats and develop a pouch during the breeding season, which opens toward the tail (with the exception of the spotted-tailed quoll, which has a true pouch) when they are rearing young. Their natural lifespans are 1–5 years; the larger species tend to live longer.<ref name="Quolls of Australia">{{cite web |title=Quolls of Australia |publisher=Australian Government:Department of Environment and Heritage |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/quolls2004.html}}</ref>

Quolls exhibit [[biofluorescence]] under [[ultraviolet light]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillipp |first=Charlotte |title=Glow-in-the-Dark Animal and Its Colorful, Neon Fur Captured on Camera for the First Time |url=https://people.com/photographer-captures-first-ever-photo-glow-in-the-dark-marsupial-animal-11774372 |access-date=2025-07-18 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Quoll range map.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Map|Range of the six species of quoll|337x337px]]
Quolls are indigenous to mainland Australia, the island state of [[Tasmania]], and [[New Guinea]]. 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.<ref name=IUCN/><ref name="IUCN3"/><ref name=IUCN2/> The spotted-tailed quoll is an exclusively [[wikt:mesic|mesic]] zone species; inhabiting wetter 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.<ref name="PubMed">{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=C. E. |last2=Withers |first2=P. C. |year=2010 |title=Comparative physiology of Australian quolls (Dasyurus; Marsupialia) |journal=J. Comp. Physiol. B |volume=180 |issue=6 |pages=857–68 |doi=10.1007/s00360-010-0452-3 |pmid=20217094 |hdl=20.500.11937/8095 |s2cid=7440785 |url=https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/20.500.11937/8095/2/8075.pdf |hdl-access=free }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Behaviour==
Quolls are [[carnivore|carnivorous]] [[marsupial]]s. They are primarily [[nocturnal]], sleeping in hollowed-out logs or rocky dens and coming out to hunt during the night, though on rare occasions they can be seen looking for prey during the day.

They are mostly ground-dwelling, but it is not uncommon to see a quoll climbing a tree. Quolls [[territorial marking|mark their territory]] several kilometres away from their dens. A male's territory often overlaps many females' territories, and male and female quolls only meet for mating.<ref name="ADW">{{cite web |title=Dasyurus geoffroii |publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology |author=York Fei Leung |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyurus_geoffroii.html |access-date=31 October 2011}}</ref> Some quolls use communal [[Animal latrine|latrines]], usually on an outcropping used for marking territory and social functions, which may have up to 100&nbsp;droppings in them.<ref name ="Mammalian Species">{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Menna E. |last2=Rose |first2=Robert K. |last3=Burnett |first3=Scott |year=2001 |title=Dasyurus maculatus |journal=Mammalian Species |issue=676 |pages=1–9 |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/676_Dasyurus_maculatus.pdf |access-date=25 October 2011 |doi=10.1644/1545-1410(2001)676<0001:DM>2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=198968522 }}</ref> Quolls are mostly solitary, limiting contact with other quolls to mating or other social activities.<ref name="NPA">{{cite web |title=Eastern Quoll |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment |url=http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/fauna-of-tasmania/mammals/carnivorous-marsupials-and-bandicoots/eastern-quoll |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021180818/https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/fauna-of-tasmania/mammals/carnivorous-marsupials-and-bandicoots/eastern-quoll }}</ref>
==Diet==
[[File:Dasyurus viverrinus 20090502.jpg|thumb|alt=tex|Eastern quoll feeding on meat|407x407px]]
Quolls are mostly carnivorous. The smaller quolls primarily eat insects, birds, frogs, lizards and fruit; the larger species eat birds, reptiles, and mammals, including [[echidna]]s and [[Phalangeriformes|possums]]. The spotted-tailed quoll's diet is dominated by mammals such as [[brushtail possum]]s, [[rabbit]]s, hares and invertebrates. The exact mix is variable depending on the availability of prey after bushfires, and can include [[carrion]] or [[bandicoot]]s when food is scarce.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Dawson | first1 = J. P. | last2 = Claridge | first2 = A. W. | last3 = Triggs | first3 = B. | last4 = Paull | first4 = D. J. | title = Diet of a native carnivore, the spotted-tailed quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus''), before and after an intense wildfire | doi = 10.1071/WR05101 | journal = Wildlife Research | volume = 34 | issue = 5 | page = 342 | year = 2007 | bibcode = 2007WildR..34..342D }}</ref> The other species of quoll have also been known to eat [[carrion]].

Quolls hunt by stalking. Quolls pin small prey down with their front paws while devouring it, and jump onto larger prey, sinking in their claws and closing their jaws around the neck. The paws and [[vibrissae]] of quolls allow them to reach into small burrows to find prey.<ref name="Mammalian Species" /> Quolls can obtain all the water they need from their food, making them adaptable during droughts or other periods of water shortage.<ref name="Mammalian Species" /> A study of historical records revealed 111 written accounts of quolls opportunistically feeding on human remains in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=Quolls eat humans, research reveals |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2022/03/quolls-eat-humans-research-reveals-111-times-they-made-a-meal-of-us/ |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=Australian Geographic |language=en-AU}}</ref>

== Reproduction ==
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 (species dependent). A newborn quoll, or [[Marsupial#Early development|joey]], is the size of a grain of rice at birth. Up to 30 quolls (species dependent) can be born in each litter, but the number that can be raised is limited by the number of teats. The survivors fuse to the teats and suckle milk in their mother's pouch for 6–8 weeks. After this, the pups unfuse from the teats and the mother can deposit them in a den where they can remain for over a month.<ref name="Parks and Wildlife:Gestation">{{cite web |title=Parks and Wildlife Service-Spotted-tail Quoll |publisher=Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=4807 |access-date=19 October 2011}}</ref>

Quolls reach maturity at one year old, and have a natural lifespan of 1–5 years (species dependent).<ref name="Government of Australia">{{cite web |title=Quolls of Australia |publisher=Government of Australia |date=3 June 2011 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/quolls2004.html |access-date=6 October 2011}}</ref> The appearance of their pouches have been reported to be a reliable indicator of reproductive status: during the [[follicular phase]] pouches are red and have secretions, and after ovulation pouches are deep and wet. This can determine where a female quoll is in her [[ovarian cycle]], which is anticipated to be helpful in breeding management.<ref name="Journal of Zoology">{{cite journal |last1=Hesterman |first1= H. |last2=Jones |first2=S. M. |last3=Schwarzenberger |first3=F. |year=2008 |title=Pouch appearance is a reliable indicator of the reproductive status in the Tasmanian devil and the spotted-tailed quoll |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=275 |issue=2 |pages=130–138 |doi= 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00419.x
|url= https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/22867187 }}</ref>

==Threats==
[[File:Bufo marinus from Australia.JPG|thumb|left|alt=Photograph|The cane toad is a significant threat to the survival of quolls.]] [[Cane toad]]s 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. The [[Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities]] has stated that cane toads are highly invasive and are major threats to the survival of northern quolls.<ref name="Hill" />

Predators such as [[Red foxes in Australia|red foxes]] and [[Cats in Australia|feral 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, quoll populations have declined dramatically. Foxes have been eradicated from many of the islands off the coast of Australia in an effort to protect quolls.<ref name="Hill"/>

Quoll habitat suffers from urbanisation, housing development, mining development, and agricultural expansion. Habitats are also being destroyed by large herbivores trampling the grass and overgrowth, making camouflage difficult. Bushfires and weeds also contribute to habitat destruction.<ref name="Hill"/>

The natural poison [[Sodium fluoroacetate|fluoroacetate (Compound 1080)]] is commonly used in Australia to control introduced pests such as European rabbits, foxes, feral predators, and [[dingo]]es. The poison is extremely toxic to introduced pests, but less so to native animals as it is found naturally in many Australian plants. However, juvenile quolls may be susceptible to the poison. {{as of|2001}} research was being undertaken to determine whether the number of quolls protected from predators may be less than those killed by the poison.<ref name="Hill"/><ref name="Otway Ranges">{{cite web|title=Draft revised Tiger Quoll Action Statement|publisher=Otway Ranges Environment Network|date=June 2001|url=http://www.oren.org.au/issues/endspp/Tigerquoll/DraftTQAS.htm#5}}</ref>

==Conservation==
Since 1770, all Australian quoll species have declined due to habitat destruction through urbanisation. [[European rabbit]]s were introduced to Australia with the arrival of the [[First Fleet]] in 1788<ref name=ABC>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/04/08/2538860.htm|title=Australia's battle with the bunny|author=Wendy Zukerman|date=8 April 2009 |access-date=14 January 2018|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> as part of [[Acclimatisation society|biodiversity enrichment efforts]]. The native quolls predated upon rabbits<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/am/am19069|title=Run rabbit run: spotted-tailed quoll diet reveals invasive prey is top of the menu|author=G. D. Linley, A. Rypalski, G. Story, and E. G. Ritchie|year=2020 |access-date=11 December 2019|journal=[[Australian Mammalogy]]|volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=221–225 |doi=10.1071/AM19069 |s2cid=222131937 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and prior to 1870, many accounts recorded quolls impeding their establishment on the mainland while island colonies thrived.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270806585|title=The role of quoll (Dasyurus) predation in the outcome of pre-1900 introductions of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) to the mainland and islands of Australia|author=David Peacock, Ian Abbott|access-date=30 January 2013|publisher=[[Australian Journal of Zoology]]}}</ref> In response, quolls were systematically exterminated<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/mourn-our-lost-mammals-while-helping-the-survivors-battle-back-36126|title=Mourn our lost mammals, while helping the survivors battle back|author=Dale Nimmo, Euan Ritchie, Thomas Newsome|date=23 January 2015 |access-date=23 January 2015|publisher=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref> by colonists to defend introduced species such as chickens;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-12/spotted-tailed-quolls-released-into-mulligans-flat-sanctuary/100686726|title=Two spotted-tailed quolls expected to 'mop up' endangered animals in Canberra's Mulligan's Flat sanctuary|author=Craig Allen|access-date=11 December 2021|newspaper=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|date=11 December 2021 |location=Australia}}</ref> rabbits populations subsequently reached [[Rabbit plagues in Australia|plague proportions]].

Quolls have been studied in captivity, with the ultimate aim of supporting conservation of the species, and future translocations.<ref>Old JM, Stannard HJ (2021). Conservation of quolls (''Dasyurus'' spp.) in captivity – A review. Australian Mammalogy. 43, 277-289. DOI: 10.1071/AM20033</ref> These studies include investigations into their haematology and blood biochemistry profiles,<ref>Stannard HJ, Young LJ, Old JM (2013). Further investigation of the blood parameters of Australian quoll (''Dasyurus'' spp.) species. Veterinary Clinical Pathology. 42, 476-782. DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12094</ref> and dietary studies.<ref>Stannard HJ, Old JM (2013). Digestibility of two diets by captive eastern quolls. Zoo Biology. 32, 417-422. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21073</ref>

Creating a native pet industry in Australia related to quolls could aid in their conservation.<ref>Oakwood, M., & Hopwood, P. (1999). A Survey of the Attributes And Requirements of Quolls That May Affect Their Suitability As Household Pets. Australian Zoologist, 31, 365-375.</ref><ref>Confronting Crises in Conservation: A Talk on the Wild Side 12-52 (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales and the Australian Museum 2002).</ref> However, concerns exist about this methodology in regards to animal husbandry, conservation benefits, and other issues.<ref>Viggers, K. L., & Lindenmayer, D. B. (2002). Problems With Keeping Native Australian Mammals As Companion Animals. In D. Lunney & C. R. Dickman (Eds.), A Zoological Revolution: Using Native Fauna To Assist in Its Own Survival (pp. 130-151). Sydney, Australia: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales and the Australian Museum.</ref> Some scientists believe that keeping quolls as pets could aid in their long-term conservation,<ref>Cooney, R., Chapple, R., Doornbos, S., & Jackson, S. (2010). Australian Native Mammals as Pets: A Feasibility Study into Conservation, Welfare and Industry Aspects. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government – Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.</ref><ref>Hopwood, P. (2002). Native Australian Mammals As Pets: An Overview. In D. Lunney & C. R. Dickman (Eds.), A Zoological Revolution: Using Native Fauna To Assist in Its Own Survival (pp. 77-83). Sydney, Australia: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales and the Australian Museum.</ref><ref>Archer, M., & Beale, B. (2004). Going Native. Sydney, Australia: Hodder.</ref> but further research is needed.

=== Spotted-tailed quoll ===
In late October 2011, a litter of five spotted-tailed 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".<ref name="Quoll News">{{cite web |title=Baby quolls a boost for breeding program |publisher=Australian Geographic |last=Williams |first=Liz T. |date=26 October 2011 |url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/litter-of-baby-quolls-a-boost-for-breeding-program.htm |access-date=2 November 2011 |archive-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927224154/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/litter-of-baby-quolls-a-boost-for-breeding-program.htm }}</ref>

On 28 September 2023, it was reported that a farmer in [[Beachport]], [[South Australia]], set up a trap to catch what he thought was a fox or a cat eating his chickens and caught a Spotted-tailed quoll. It is the first time in 130 years that a quoll has been found in South Australia. It was considered to be extinct in South Australia. The captured quoll was handed over to the [[National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia|National Parks and Wildlife Service]] where it will be DNA tested and treated by a [[veterinarian]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-28 |title=A farmer set a trap to catch whatever was killing his chooks. He caught a quoll extinct in SA for 130 years |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-28/quoll-thought-extinct-found-south-australia/102911364 |access-date=2023-09-28}}</ref>

=== Western quoll ===
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 [[Translocation (wildlife conservation)|translocate]] to [[Wheatbelt (Western Australia)|Wheatbelt]] reserves and [[Shark Bay]].<ref name="IUCN3">{{cite web |title=Dasyurus geoffroii |publisher=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/6294/0 |access-date=6 November 2011}}</ref>

=== Eastern quoll ===
In 2003, the eastern quoll was reintroduced to a 473 ha fox-proof fenced sanctuary at Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre at [[Mount Rothwell]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]. In 2016, the eastern quoll was also successfully reintroduced to [[Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary]] in the [[Australian Capital Territory]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

[[Bristol Zoo]] was the first zoo in the UK to successfully breed eastern quolls.<ref name="Bristol Zoo">{{cite web |title=Bristol Zoo is the first in the UK to breed quolls |url=http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/latest-zoo-news/bristol-zoo-is-the-first-in-the-uk-to-breed-quolls |access-date=20 September 2017 |publisher=Bristol Zoo}}</ref>

In March 2018, twenty eastern quolls bred in a wildlife park in Tasmania were released into the [[Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens|Booderee National Park]] on the south coast of NSW. In May 2021, the reintroduction of eastern quolls to Booderee National Park has been reported to have failed when numbers were down to one male.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-22/can-extinct-australian-eastern-quolls-return-to-wild/100140048|title=Can extinct australian eastern quolls return to wild|date=2021-05-09|publisher=ABC News|access-date=2021-05-21|language=en-AU}}</ref>

=== Northern quoll ===
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.<ref name="Australian Geographic">{{cite web |title=Taste training for northern quolls |url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/quolls-in-danger.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417041902/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/quolls-in-danger.htm |archive-date=17 April 2010 |access-date=15 April 2010 |publisher=Australian Geographic}}</ref>

In 2008, the Northern [[Territory Wildlife Park]] in Australia recorded their first litter of northern quoll pups in the park. The quolls bred well in captivity, with over 15 litters in the 2008 breeding season alone.<ref name="News">{{cite web |title=Endangered Quolls breeding well in captivity in Darwin |url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/quoll-192.html#cr |access-date=2 November 2011 |publisher=Wildlife Extra}}</ref>

=== Bronze quoll ===
The bronze quoll occurs in a few protected areas, such as [[Wasur National Park]] and [[Tonda Wildlife Management Area]]. More research on distribution and threats is needed for further conservation.<ref name="IUCN" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Commons category|Dasyurus}}
*{{cite book |last1=Groves |first1=C. |last2=Wilson |first2=D. E. |last3=Reeder |first3=D. M. |title=Mammal Species of the World |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=2005 |pages=24–25 |isbn=978-0-8018-8221-0 |ref={{harvid|Groves|2005}}}}
*{{cite book |last1=Strahan |first1=Ronald |last2=van Dyck |first2=Steve |title=The Mammals of Australia |publisher=New Holland |year=2008 |pages=62–64 |isbn=978-1-877069-25-3 |ref={{harvid|Strahan|2008}}}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|quoll}}
* [https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/quolls Bush Heritage Australia: Quolls]

{{Dasyuromorphia|D.D.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q379740}}

[[Category:Dasyuromorphs]]
[[Category:Marsupials of Australia]]
[[Category:Marsupials of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Extant Miocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]]