The eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus, previously called the eastern native cat) is a medium-sized meat-eating marsupial (dasyurid) and one of six still-living quoll species. Found only in Australia, they live on the island state of Tasmania. They were thought to be extinct on the mainland after 1963. The species was reintroduced to protected areas with fences that keep out foxes in Victoria in 2003 and to the Australian Capital Territory in 2016.

Taxonomy

The eastern quoll belongs to the family Dasyuridae, which includes most meat-eating marsupials. Its species name, viverrinus, means it looks like a ferret. There are no known subspecies of this animal.

Description

Eastern quolls are about the size of a small domestic cat. Adult males measure 53 to 66 cm (21 to 26 in) in total length, including a 20 to 28 cm (7.9 to 11.0 in) tail, and weigh about 1.1 kg (2.4 lb). Females are smaller, measuring 48 to 58 cm (19 to 23 in), including a 17 to 24 cm (6.7 to 9.4 in) tail, and weigh around 0.7 kg (1.5 lb). They have a pointed snout, short legs, and upright ears. Eastern quolls can be told apart from other quoll species by having only four toes on their hind feet, instead of five, and lacking the hallux.

Their fur is thick and light fawn or nearly black, with white spots covering the upper body and sides. The underparts are off-white, stretching from the chin to the tail. Both fawn and black individuals can be born in the same litter, but fawn quolls are about three times more common in surviving populations. The spots are 5 to 20 mm (0.20 to 0.79 in) in diameter and are found from the top of the head to the rump, but not on the tail.

Female quolls have a shallow fur-lined pouch formed by skin folds on the sides of their bodies. This pouch grows larger during the breeding season and contains six to eight teats. These teats only grow longer and become functional if a baby attaches to them, and they shrink again after the young leave the pouch. Like all quolls, male quolls have a fleshy appendage on their penis. The large intestine of eastern quolls is simple, with no caecum and no division into a colon and rectum. A unique feature is that newborn quolls have an opening connecting the ventricles of the heart, in addition to the atrial opening found in all marsupials. Both openings close after a few days.

Eastern quolls glow under ultraviolet light. This was first photographed in the wild in 2025.

• Fawn morph
• Black morph
• Black and fawn morphs

Distribution and habitat

The eastern quoll was once found across much of southeastern mainland Australia, from the eastern coasts of South Australia, through most of Victoria, to the middle to northern part of New South Wales. The species was once common near Adelaide, especially in the Adelaide Hills. A newspaper article from 1923 reported its quick decline and likely extinction in the area over the previous ten years.

The eastern quoll was probably no longer found in large numbers across its entire mainland range by the early 1960s. However, it is still found in many areas, though not all, in Tasmania and Bruny Island. In Tasmania, eastern quolls live in rainforests, heathlands, alpine areas, and scrublands below 1,500 meters (4,900 feet). They prefer dry grasslands and forests that mix together, especially near agricultural land where pasture grubs are often found.

Behaviour

The eastern quoll is a solitary predator that hunts at night for food, including insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles. It may also eat food left behind by the larger Tasmanian devil. While most of its diet is meat, it also eats some plants, such as fruit in the summer and grass throughout the year. The eastern quoll is preyed upon by Tasmanian devils and masked owls.

Eastern quolls are nocturnal, resting during the day in dens. They may also use natural rock crevices or hollow tree trunks as shelter. Dens are often simple tunnels that end without opening, but some have more complex structures with nesting areas lined with grass. Each quoll typically uses up to five different dens and switches between them on different days.

Eastern quolls are generally alone and avoid other quolls, though they may live near each other in loose groups. Female quolls usually have home ranges of about 35 hectares (86 acres), while males have larger ranges of around 44 hectares (110 acres). During the breeding season, male ranges become much larger. Quolls mark their territories with scents, but their droppings are spread randomly rather than placed in specific areas. Adults use hissing and coughing sounds to warn others, and they may emit a sharp shriek as an alarm. If an intruder does not leave quickly, the quoll may chase or wrestle it while standing on its hind legs. Mothers and their young use softer calls to stay in contact.

Reproduction

The breeding season starts in early winter. The reproductive cycle lasts 34 days, but most animals mate during their first cycle each year. A female can give birth to up to thirty young after a pregnancy period of 19 to 24 days. Only the young that attach to the available teats will survive. The young stay attached to the teats for 60 to 65 days. They begin growing fur around 51 days, open their eyes at about 79 days, and are fully weaned at 150 to 165 days. These animals reach sexual maturity in their first year and usually live for 2 to 3 years. However, they can live up to 7 years in captivity.

Conservation

A group of organizations across Australia work together in the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program to help breed eastern and spotted-tailed quolls. This effort aims to support wild quoll populations in Tasmania and eastern quoll conservation programs throughout Australia.

The eastern quoll likely disappeared from mainland Australia because of hunting by non-native animals, such as red foxes. Disease may also have played a role in their decline. In Tasmania, where red foxes are not present, the species has survived. However, unusual weather and hunting by feral cats may have caused recent declines in Tasmania. The species is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

The last known eastern quoll on the mainland was found as roadkill in Sydney on January 31, 1963. However, a preserved specimen given to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2016 was reported to have been collected in the Gloucester region of NSW in 1989 or 1990. This suggests the species may have survived longer than previously thought. Unconfirmed sightings and a photograph from 2013 in the Nungatta area of NSW also indicate possible survival. Quolls collected in 2005 and 2008 near Melbourne, Victoria, were likely connected to a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

In 2003, eastern quolls were reintroduced to a 473-hectare (1,170-acre) sanctuary at Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre in Victoria. The sanctuary is enclosed by a fence that keeps out foxes.

In March 2016, a trial reintroduction of 16 eastern quolls from Mount Rothwell and Tasmania was conducted at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in the Australian Capital Territory. This reserve, which covers 485 hectares (1,200 acres), is surrounded by a predator-proof fence. The survival rate of the first trial was 28.6%, with most deaths linked to male quolls leaving the enclosure. Later trials focused on releasing female quolls, which improved survival rates to 76.9% in 2017 and 87.5% in 2018.

In 2017, the Aussie Ark program started a captive breeding project at the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary, a 400-hectare (990-acre) fox-proof fenced area. By 2022, 250 eastern quolls had been released into the sanctuary, and 63 joeys were born during the 2022 breeding season.

In 2018, 20 captive-bred eastern quolls were released into Booderee National Park in New South Wales as a trial. The park was not enclosed but had been treated to reduce fox populations. A second release of 40 quolls occurred in 2019. However, due to threats like foxes, dogs, and road accidents, none of the quolls survived past early 2021. A second trial in 2021 released 19 quolls into a smaller, enclosed area of the park.

In 2025, a new captive breeding program was started at the Conmurra Wildlife Sanctuary in Bathurst. Plans include growing the breeding population before releasing quolls into the wild.