The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea, often referred to as a “native cat.” This spotted predator belongs to the Dasyuridae family, which also includes the Tasmanian devil. Understanding what quolls consume and how they secure their meals provides insight into their role as land-based hunters in the diverse ecosystems they inhabit.
Primary Food Sources of the Quoll
Quolls are generalist, opportunistic carnivores, consuming a wide variety of available meat. For smaller quoll species, invertebrates form a substantial portion of their intake, including insects such as beetles, grubs, and larvae, along with spiders.
The diet quickly expands to include small vertebrates, which are systematically hunted when encountered. These prey items typically involve lizards, frogs, small birds, and their eggs. The quoll’s consumption of agricultural pests, such as cockchafer beetles and corbie grubs, can be significant in certain areas, providing a form of natural pest control.
Although their diet is overwhelmingly focused on meat, quolls are not strictly carnivorous. They opportunistically consume small amounts of plant matter to supplement their diet. This intake includes various fruits and berries, especially during the summer, as well as grasses.
Hunting Methods and Foraging Behavior
Quolls are primarily solitary and nocturnal, hunting under the cover of darkness while resting in dens during the day. Their foraging movements can cover significant distances, with males often traveling several kilometers nightly. They utilize keen senses of smell and hearing to locate prey hidden in the leaf litter.
The quoll’s hunting technique is characterized by stalking and a swift attack, typically subduing prey with a targeted bite to the back of the head or neck. While they are mostly ground-dwelling, their agility and ability to climb are crucial for securing certain prey. They readily ascend trees to raid bird nests or to hunt arboreal mammals like possums and gliders resting in tree hollows.
Their opportunistic nature means they do not rely solely on fresh kills; scavenging carrion is a common behavior. Quolls are drawn to dead animals and will scavenge around human-disturbed sites like campsites and rubbish bins. This flexible approach allows them to adapt to fluctuations in prey availability, such as those following natural events like bushfires.
How Diet Differs Among Quoll Species
The genus Dasyurus includes four species in Australia, and their diets vary based on size and geographic location. The Spotted-tail Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), also known as the Tiger Quoll, is the largest carnivorous marsupial on the mainland. Its hypercarnivorous diet often includes medium-sized mammals such as brushtail possums, bandicoots, rabbits, and small wallabies. Larger males may even prey on animals up to four times their own size, dispatching them with a powerful bite.
Conversely, the smaller Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), now largely confined to Tasmania, relies much more heavily on invertebrates and smaller vertebrates. While it will consume small mammals like mice and rats, a significant portion of its intake consists of insects and grubs, like the cockchafer beetle. This difference in preferred prey size minimizes competition between the largest and medium-sized quolls in areas where they overlap.
The Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) and the Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) have diets centered on large invertebrates and small vertebrates like lizards and frogs. However, the Northern Quoll faces a severe dietary challenge in the form of the invasive Cane Toad. It readily attacks and attempts to eat the toxic toad, which often results in fatal poisoning due to the toad’s powerful toxins.
This interaction has caused catastrophic population declines as the Cane Toad spreads across northern Australia. Some quoll populations are beginning to show a learned aversion to the toxin, a behavioral shift that offers a chance for the species to persist in toad-infested areas. The dietary flexibility that generally serves the quoll well has become a liability when encountering this deadly prey item.