Eastern quoll facts for kids

Quoll eating meat.

The Eastern quoll is a special type of quoll. It's a meat-eating marsupial, which means it's a mammal with a pouch, like a kangaroo. These amazing animals live in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. Sadly, they used to live on mainland Australia too, but they disappeared from there a long time ago. Scientists are now thinking about bringing them back to the mainland to help their numbers grow.

What is an Eastern Quoll?

The Eastern quoll is one of six different types of quolls found in Australia and New Guinea. They are about the size of a small cat. These fascinating creatures are known for their spotted fur and sharp teeth, which help them hunt for food. They are mostly active at night, making them nocturnal animals.

Where Do Eastern Quolls Live?

Eastern quolls used to live all across southeastern Australia, including New South Wales and Victoria (Australia). However, by the 1960s, they had completely disappeared from the mainland. Now, they can only be found in the wild on the island of Tasmania. They prefer to live in grasslands, forests, and woodlands, where they can find plenty of food and shelter.

What Do They Look Like?

Eastern quolls are quite striking! They have soft fur that can be either a fawn (light brown) color or black. Both colors have white spots all over their bodies, except for their bushy tails. They have pointed snouts, bright eyes, and small, rounded ears. An adult Eastern quoll usually weighs between 0.7 and 2 kilograms (about 1.5 to 4.4 pounds) and can be up to 60 centimeters (about 24 inches) long, including their tail.

What Do Eastern Quolls Eat?

Eastern quolls are carnivores, which means they love to eat meat! Their diet mainly consists of insects like grasshoppers and beetles. They also hunt small animals such as mice, rats, and small birds. Sometimes, they will even eat fruit or plants. They are very good hunters and use their keen sense of smell and hearing to find their prey in the dark.

How Do They Live?

Eastern quolls are mostly solitary, meaning they prefer to live alone. They find shelter in dens, which can be hollow logs, rock crevices, or burrows they dig themselves. Female quolls usually have one litter of babies each year, with about four to six young. The tiny babies, called "joeys," are born very small and crawl into their mother's pouch to continue developing. They stay in the pouch for about two months before moving to a den. Eastern quolls typically live for about two to three years in the wild.

Why Are Eastern Quolls Important?

Eastern quolls play an important role in their ecosystem. By eating insects and small rodents, they help to control the populations of these animals. This helps keep the natural balance in their habitat. They are also a food source for larger predators, like Tasmanian devils and eagles.

Are Eastern Quolls in Danger?

Unfortunately, Eastern quolls are considered an endangered species. Their numbers have dropped significantly, especially on mainland Australia where they are now extinct in the wild. In Tasmania, their population has also declined.

What Threats Do They Face?

Several things have caused the decline of Eastern quolls:

• Habitat Loss: As humans develop land for farms and cities, the quolls lose their homes and hunting grounds.
• Predators: Introduced animals like foxes and feral cats are a big threat. These predators hunt quolls and compete with them for food.
• Diseases: Diseases can also affect quoll populations.
• Road Kills: Sadly, many quolls are hit by cars when they cross roads, especially at night.

Conservation Efforts

Scientists and conservationists are working hard to protect Eastern quolls. One important effort is the reintroduction of quolls to safe areas on mainland Australia. This involves breeding quolls in captivity and then releasing them into protected reserves where they can thrive without the threats they face in other areas. These efforts give hope that future generations will continue to see these unique marsupials.

Images for kids

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  A fawn-coloured form of the eastern quoll photographed in Tasmania

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  A black eastern quoll photographed in Tasmania

See also

In Spanish: Cuol oriental para niños