Western Quoll
Encyclopedia
The western quoll also known as the chuditch or western native cat, is a medium sized predator and like its eastern and northern relatives, has a white-spotted brown coat and a long tail. It is most closely related to the eastern quoll
from which it differs in possessing a first toe on the hindfoot and a darker tail. It is classed as a vulnerable
Australian dasyuromorph, whose distribution is now confined to south-western Western Australia
.
that is coloured a rufous brown on its upperparts with white spots and a creamy white below. It has five toes on its hindfoot and granular pads.
The western quoll is a solitary, nocturnal predator which is mostly terrestrial
, although it does climb trees. It has a diet of small vertebrates, carrion, arthropods and freshwater crayfish
, among other things. The breeding season is from April-July.
The head and body average about 330 mm in length, with the tail averaging another 280mm. An individual can weigh up to 2 kg with males being slightly heavier.
.
, reaching areas of Queensland
, New South Wales
and Victoria
. It is now restricted to the south-western corner of Western Australia, where it inhabits wet and dry sclerophyll
forests and mallee
.
in 1841, when it was still widespread throughout the continent. Its species name, geoffroii, refers to the prominent French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
, who named the genus Dasyurus in 1796. The species has sometimes been placed in the genus Dasyurinus.
The western quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae
and is most closely related to the Bronze Quoll
(Dasyurus spartacus), a recently described species from New Guinea
that was for some time believed to be an outlying population of the western quoll.
Eastern Quoll
The Eastern Quoll , also known as the Eastern Native Cat, is a medium-sized carnivorous dasyurid marsupial native to Australia. They are now considered extinct on the mainland, but remain widespread and even locally common in Tasmania...
from which it differs in possessing a first toe on the hindfoot and a darker tail. It is classed as a vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
Australian dasyuromorph, whose distribution is now confined to south-western Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Description
The western quoll is a medium-sized quollQuoll
The quoll, or native cat, is a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It is primarily nocturnal and spends most of the day in its den. There are six species of quoll; four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea...
that is coloured a rufous brown on its upperparts with white spots and a creamy white below. It has five toes on its hindfoot and granular pads.
The western quoll is a solitary, nocturnal predator which is mostly terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
, although it does climb trees. It has a diet of small vertebrates, carrion, arthropods and freshwater crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
, among other things. The breeding season is from April-July.
The head and body average about 330 mm in length, with the tail averaging another 280mm. An individual can weigh up to 2 kg with males being slightly heavier.
Behaviour
The western quoll moves swiftly on the ground, climbs efficiently and may dig or occupy existing holes in the ground. Activity is greatest around dusk and dawn with the animal being crepuscularCrepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
.
Habitat
The western quoll was formerly found throughout most of inland AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, reaching areas of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It is now restricted to the south-western corner of Western Australia, where it inhabits wet and dry sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forests and mallee
Mallee (biogeographic region)
Mallee, also known as Roe Botanical District, is a biogeographic region in southern Western Australia. Located between the Esperance Plains, Avon Wheatbelt and Coolgardie regions, it has a low, gently undulating topography, a semi-arid mediterranean climate, and extensive Eucalyptus mallee...
.
Taxonomy
The western quoll was described by John GouldJohn Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
in 1841, when it was still widespread throughout the continent. Its species name, geoffroii, refers to the prominent French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories...
, who named the genus Dasyurus in 1796. The species has sometimes been placed in the genus Dasyurinus.
The western quoll is a member of the family Dasyuridae
Dasyuridae
Dasyuridae is a family of marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including 61 species divided into 15 genera. Many are small and mouse-like, giving them the misnomer marsupial mice, but the group also includes the cat-sized quolls, as well as the Tasmanian Devil...
and is most closely related to the Bronze Quoll
Bronze Quoll
The Bronze Quoll is a species of quoll found only in the Trans Fly savanna and grasslands of New Guinea. It was discovered in the early 1970s when five specimens were collected, but only described in 1987 when Dr...
(Dasyurus spartacus), a recently described species from New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
that was for some time believed to be an outlying population of the western quoll.