Quolls are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. These distinctive animals are primarily nocturnal, spending most of the day concealed in dens. Agile predators with spotted fur, pointed snouts, and sharp teeth, quolls range in size from a kitten to a domestic cat.
Continent-Wide Range
Historically, the six recognized quoll species were widely distributed across mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. The Western Quoll, for instance, once occupied about 70% of Australia’s continental expanse. However, their range has significantly contracted since European settlement, with populations now restricted to fewer areas.
Diverse Ecosystems
Quolls inhabit a variety of natural environments. They are found in diverse settings, including temperate forests, tropical rainforests, dry woodlands, grasslands, rocky areas, and coastal regions. Suitable habitats provide essential resources such as prey and secure denning sites, which quolls utilize in hollow logs, rock crevices, or burrows.
Habitats of Each Quoll Species
Northern Quoll
The Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is found across northern Australia, with populations in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. This species prefers rocky escarpments, open eucalyptus forests, and savanna woodlands. They often use tree hollows, rock crevices, and termite mounds as den sites. While once widespread, their distribution has become fragmented.
Eastern Quoll
The Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is now largely restricted to Tasmania, though reintroduction efforts are establishing populations on the mainland in protected sanctuaries. Historically, they were found throughout southeastern Australia, including Victoria and New South Wales. These quolls prefer habitats such as dry grasslands, open woodlands, and the edges of farmland. They often shelter in hollow logs, rock piles, or even haysheds.
Western Quoll
The Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii), also known as the Chuditch, has a limited current range in the southwestern region of Western Australia. This species inhabits wet and dry sclerophyll forests, including the Jarrah Forest, as well as woodlands and shrublands. They are well-adapted to dry climates, capable of surviving for extended periods without water by obtaining moisture from their diet. Western Quolls shelter in hollow logs or earth burrows during the day.
Spotted-tailed Quoll
The Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), also called the Tiger Quoll, has a wider but fragmented distribution along eastern Australia, extending through Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. This species is found in a variety of habitats, including rainforests, wet and dry eucalypt forests, and coastal heathlands. They often utilize hollow-bearing trees, rock crevices, and fallen logs for denning. While still present on mainland Australia, their numbers have significantly declined, making them more common in Tasmania.