Spotted Tailed Quoll

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Spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies)Dasyurus maculatus maculatus

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Biology and ecology

The spotted-tailed quoll is normally nocturnal, and hunts on the ground as well asspending considerable time climbing trees. It shelters in nests made inside hollowtrees, hollow logs, caves or rock crevices. Individual quolls use multiple dens and, withthe exception of maternal dens, rarely shelter in the same location on successive days.

This species is known to use cavities in fig trees Ficus spp. as den sites.In a Queensland study, adult males at Girraween National Park occupied a mean homerange size of 359 and 5512ha and female home ranges between 88 and 1515ha in size,while in New South Wales home range size estimates range from 621ha to at least2561ha for males, and 88ha to at least 653ha for females. In both studies male homeranges overlapped those of other individuals regardless of sex, while female homeranges tended not to overlap suggesting that adult females separate themselves in thewild.

Mating occurs from April to July, the average litter size is five and the young are fullyindependent at 18 weeks of age, although on average only one or two young surviveto weaning. Adults have been recorded living to five years of age. The quoll is anefficient, opportunistic hunter taking a range of prey including echidnas, marsupialgliders, possums, bandicoot, rabbits, hares, small mammals, native birds, reptiles,

insects and poultry. Quolls also eat river-associated items, such as waterbirds, eels,crayfish, aquatic molluscs and frogs. The remains of large mammals in their scatsindicate they feed on carrion from dingo and wild dog kills, road kills or take theyoung of larger mammals. In general, they appear to prefer medium-sized mammalsin the diet. However, because of the range of prey types taken, quolls seem to be ableto switch diet, particularly following fire-induced changes in prey availability. Theextremely high proportion of mammals in the diet identifies the spotted-tailed quoll asa hypercarnivore, or meat specialist. The importance of tree hollow-nesting mammalsin the diet indicates that the preservation of hollow-bearing trees should aid theconservation of this species.

Threats to the spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies)

Since European settlement, quoll numbers have declined significantly. As the specieshas large home range requirements, forest set aside in protected areas may not beenough to maintain viable populations. Therefore, appropriately managed habitat onother State lands and private property are important in maintaining viable populations,especially where it supplements habitat in protected areas. Quolls have beenextensively shot, poisoned and trapped in the past and illegal killing may still occur.Population declines have been found to correlate with 1080 poison baiting programs.Wild dogs may predate on the quoll and feral cats and foxes have the potential tocompete for resources. Other quoll species are known to be killed by eating poisonouscane toads and the spotted-tailed quoll may be at risk from this threat.

Specific threats to the spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies) include:

habitat loss and modification (including timber harvesting operations);

habitat fragmentation;

poisoning from 1080 meat baits set for dingoes, wild dogs and foxes;

competition and/or predation by feral species;

illegal/incidental shooting, trapping and poisoning;

roadkills;

loss of hollow trees and hollow logs as den sites, especially as a result of fire andvegetation clearing (including timber harvesting operations);

prescribed burning and conducting high impact land management activities duringthe breeding period; and

poisoning from ingesting cane toads.

Managing threats

The recommendations below should be considered against local conditions, regionalecosystem values and this species requirements. Habitat and biological characteristicsrequired by the spotted-tailed quoll are described in the above sections Biology andecology and Habitat and distribution.

Estimated distribution of the spotted-tailedquoll (southern subspecies) in Queensland.

Spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies)Dasyurus maculatus maculatus.Photo: Bruce Thomson, EPA.


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Using buffers

Where possible, establish a protective buffer that excludes vegetation clearing in nativeforest within at least 100m of known den sites. Refer to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) for den site information.

Vegetation clearing and prescribed burning should be restricted within 500m of a known

breeding den between September and January each year.

Managing resource use

Forest practices undertaken within spotted-tailed quoll habitat must comply with the Codeapplying to native forest practice on freehold land available from the Department of NaturalResources and Waterhttp://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/vegetation/pdf/fp_code.pdfor the Codeof practice for native forest timber production on State lands 2007 available from theEnvironmental Protection Agency at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/publications/p00069aa.pdf/Code_of_practice_for_native_forest_timber_production.pdf. Specifically, a minimum ofsix live habitat trees (those with hollows greater than 10cm and higher than 2m up thetrunk) and two recruitment trees per hectare should be retained. Where six live habitat treesare not available per hectare then additional recruitment trees must be retained. Hollow-dependent fauna comprise a significant component of quoll food resource and hollows also

provide dens for quolls.Where feasible retain all fig trees Ficus spp. within the species distribution as these can beused as den trees. Fallen timber, used extensively for shelter and in travelling, may serve toenhance the quality of habitat for the species, and should be retained by land managers.

Habitat protection

Participate in rainforest or wet sclerophyll rehabilitation projects that link spotted-tailedquoll habitat. The preservation of hollow-bearing trees should aid the conservation of thisspecies during the breeding season, and throughout the year.

Fire management

Where the spotted-tailed quoll occurs, the aims of fire management must include theminimisation of damage and destruction to hollow logs on the ground and standing hollow

trees (live and dead) by fire.If heavy fuel loads are observed at the base of a known den tree, and it is considered thatthere is a substantial risk to the den tree, removal of the fuels from around the base of thetree may be possible. This activity should occur outside the breeding season betweenSeptember and January.

Rocky outcrops and riparian zones (i.e. areas along creek or river banks) can provide highquality habitat for the species preferred prey. Therefore these rocky outcrops and riparianhabitat should be protected from prescription burns in areas known to support spotted-tailed quolls.

Road management

To reduce the threat of quoll roadkills the removal of roadkill carcasses may discouragequolls from venturing onto roads. Please report quoll roadkills to the EPA on the EPA Hotline1300 130 372.

Feral animal control

Where practical control or eradicate feral dogs, foxes and feral cats on sites where thespotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies) occurs. Please consult with your Land ProtectionOfficer from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries for appropriate control oreradication procedures, visit http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_8582_ENA_HTML.htm for contact details. Feral animal baits may also cause quoll death ifnot utilised carefully. Trapping or baiting methods are to use non-meat baits and/orchemical lures that wont attract quolls. Where 1080 is used, bait concentrations are not toexceed 0.014mg/gram. If advised by Depa Land Protection Division that a significant risk toquolls is posed by secondary poisoning, then poisoned animal carcasses should behygienically removed from the baited area during the baiting period wherever possible.

Baiting programs should be monitored for any impacts on quolls.

The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has information on pest animalmanagement on its website, visit http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_4823_ENA_HTML.htmto obtain copies of the fact sheets. Information includesdetails on prevention and various methods of control.


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Management of quoll impacts on poultry

The impact of quolls on poultry can be minimised through construction of quoll-proofpoultry pens. There should be no gaps in the wire (or other material used in construction),including the roof and the door. It is critical to bury the wire at least 15cm into the ground toensure that quolls cannot dig underneath it. Refer to fact sheet on the following website tohelp you design a quoll proof pen http://quollseekers.wildlife.org.au/qsn_info_kit_p29_42.

pdf.

Monitoring

Community-based wildlife postal surveys have the capacity to provide a major source ofpreviously overlooked sightings. The quolls unique appearance makes them an idealspecies to include in community-based surveys. Future use of these surveys has thepotential to contribute significantly to conservation of spotted-tailed quolls through theinvolvement of landholders and local communities.

ORIGINAL AUTHOR: A. Borsboom, DNR, 1996.

REVISED: Internal update and review, Nature Refuges Branch, EPA, 2008.

REVIEW: First review Dr. A. Watt, EPA; S. Burnett, James Cook University, 1996;Edited by EPA 2002; Second review Dr G. Smith, EPA, 2007.

00572-0607_

Feb08

PROFILE CONTACT OFFICER: Senior Conservation Officer, Nature Refuges

Branch, Sustainable Communities,

[email protected]

DISCLAIMER: While this document has been prepared with care, it contains general information and does not profess to offer legal, professional or commercialadvice. While reasonable care and attention has been exercised when internally reviewing and updating information in this document, it should be noted thata full scientific review of the text has not been conducted since the listed date of compilation. The Queensland Government accepts no liability for any externaldecisions or actions taken on the basis of this document.

References

Australasian Marsupial and Monotreme Specialist Group. 1996. Dasyurus maculatus ssp. maculatus. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species. . Downloaded on 02 October 2007.

Belcher, C.A. 1995. Diet of the Tiger Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in East Gippsland, Victoria. Wildlife Research 22:341-57.

Belcher, C. A. and Darrant, J. P. 2004. Home range and spatial organization of the marsupial carnivore, Dasyurus maculatus maculatus(Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in south-eastern Australia.Journal of Zoology, London 262:271-280.

Belcher, C.A. 2003. Demographics of tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus) populations in south-eastern Australia. AustralianJournal of Zoology 51(6):611-626.

Belcher, C.A. and Darrant, J.P. 2006. Habitat use by tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in south-easternAustralia.Journal of Zoology269(2):183-190.

Belcher, C.A., Nelson, J.L. and Darrant, J.P. 2007. Diet of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in south-eastern Australia.AustralianJournal of Zoology55(2):117-122.

Claridge, A.W., Paull, D., Dawson, J., Mifsud, G., Murray, A.J., Poore, R. and Saxon, M.J. 2005. Home range of the spotted-tailed quoll(Dasyurus maculatus), a marsupial carnivore, in a rainshadow woodland. Wildlife Research 32(1):7-14.

Dawson, J.P., Claridge, A.W., Triggs, B. and Paull, D.J. 2007. Diet of a native carnivore, the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus),before and after an intense wildfire. Wildlife Research 34(5):342-351.

Edgar, R. and Belcher, C. 1995. Spotted-tailed Quoll. In The Mammals of Australia. (Ed. Strahan, R.). pp. 67-9. Australian Museum,Sydney.

Glen, A.S. and Dickman, C.R. 2006. Diet of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in eastern Australia: Effects of season, sexand size. Journal of Zoology269(2):241-248.

Glen, A.S. and Dickman, C.R. 2006. Home range, denning behaviour and microhabitat use of the carnivorous marsupial Dasyurusmaculatus in eastern Australia.Journal of Zoology268(4):347-354.

Jarman, P.J., Allen, L.R., Boschma, D.J. and Green, S.W. 2007. Scat contents of the spotted-tailed quoll Dasyurus maculatus in the NewEngland gorges, north-eastern New South Wales.Australian Journal of Zoology55(1):63-72.

Long, K. and Nelson, J. In prep. Draft National Recovery Plan for the Spotted-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus. Department of

Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

Long, K. and Nelson, J. In prep. Draft Background and Implementation Information for the Spotted-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatusNational Recovery Plan. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.

Lunney, D. and Matthews, A. 2001. The contribution of the community to defining the distribution of a vulnerable species, the spotted-tailed quoll, Dasyurus maculatus. Wildlife Research 28(5):537-545.

Maxwell, S., Burbidge, A.A. and Morris, K (eds). 1996.Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes, Environment Australia,Canberra.

Queensland DPI Forestry. 1995. Map prepared by Mapping and Geographic Information Services from information in Edgar and Belcher(1995), and Watt (1993).

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