Quolls
Quolls belong to the family of marsupial carnivores (Dasyurids) that includes Tasmanian Tigers, Tasmanian Devils and the tiny mouse-sized Antechinuses. This family has a fearsome reputation because of their carnivorous habits but some quolls are endangered or extinct largely because of competition with foxes.
Types of quolls
There are four sorts of quolls in Australia. The Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) lives across the tropical areas of Australia from the Pilbara to the northeastern coast of Queensland. As foxes don’t live largely in this area they are reasonably ok and not under threat of extinction.
The Tiger Quoll or Spotted-tail Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) is the largest of the quolls and is found in Eastern NSW and Queensland. It still exists and survives because it is so tough but is still considered rare and vulnerable.
The Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is now extinct in the mainland due to competition with foxes, although it still hangs on in Tasmania where there are no foxes. This quoll is sometimes called a native cat because of its habit of poultry raiding. They have a spotted body similar to the Tiger Quoll but no spotted tail.
The Western Quoll or Chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) used to be found throughout inland areas of Australia but is now found only in a tiny part of south-west Western Australia. They have a distinctive bushy tail without spots, but do have a spotted body.
Quolls love to eat meat, anything from mince meat to fresh chickens. They have fine, sharp teeth and kill their prey with a crushing bite to the back of the skull. In spring and early summer females feed their babies and young quolls disperse from their territories all very hungry, and eager to get into a chicken pen for a free feed. To prevent this build a fence that goes into the ground and covers the top of the pen to keep the quolls from burrowing or climbing into it.
Earth Sanctuaries in South Australia with John Wamsley are breeding quolls, and trying to select them for docility as pets. This will help educate the public making them available and puts a monetary value on them which ultimately will help conserve the species.