The Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) is an endemic marsupial carnivore that use to occupy most of the continent of Australia. With European settlement and feral cats and foxes, they have become endangered. They are now restricted and protected in south-western Australia and an area in South Australia.
Their other name is Chuditch, which is from Noongar Australian Aboriginal people of the south-west of Western Australia.
The quolls have a rufous brown fur with numerous white spots on their back and sides. They have a black brush on the tail, that extends from half-way down their tail to the tip. The size of a domestic cat, the Western Quolls males weight approximately just over 1 kg, with the females slightly smaller just under 1 kg.
Tending to be a solitary nocturnal predator, the Western Quoll prey include large invertebrates, reptiles, mammals and birds. Whilst they primarily forage on the ground, they can also climb trees in search of prey. They are most active around dusk when hunting. During daylight they retire to hollow logs or burrows.
Images © Ausemade PL
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Infraclass: Marsupialia
- Order: Dasyuromorphia
- Family: Dasyuridae
- Genus: Dasyurus
- Species: D. geoffroii
- Binomial name: Dasyurus geoffroii
Footnote & References
- Western quoll, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_quoll (last visited Apr. 18, 2021).
- Western Quoll, Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/20-mammals-by-2020/western-quoll
- Safeguarding the Western Quoll (Idnya), Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species (FAME), https://www.fame.org.au/projects/safeguarding-the-western-quoll