The Northern Quoll is the smallest of the four Australian quoll species. It has a pointy snout and reddish brown fur, with a cream underside. It has white spots on its back and rump and a long, sparsely-furred, unspotted tail (Oakwood 2008). The tail length ranges between 202 and 345 mm. The hindfeet have striated pads and five toes (Oakwood 2008). Northern Quolls can weigh up to 1.2 kg, with the males (usually between 400 to 900 g) (Braithwaite & Begg 1995) being larger than the females (usually 300 to 500 g) (Braithwaite & Begg 1995, TSSC 2005). It is the most arboreal and aggressive of the four quoll species, and its faeces and body smell strongly (Braithwaite & Begg 1995).
Northern Quoll, Digul [Gogo-Yimidir], Wijingadda [Dambimangari], Wiminji [Martu] |
Dasyurus hallucatus
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Listing Advice, Dasyurus hallucatus
There may be a number of factors that have contributed to the current status of the Northern Quoll; including changes in vegetation structure; fire frequency; and the introduction of exotic herbivores.
Key threats to Northern Quoll populations are considered to be more extensive and frequent fires in northern Australia predation following fire and more recently poisoning by the Cane Toad; Bufo marinus.
Other factors operating may include the impact of predation following increasing fire frequency and intensity.
A number of factors are considered to be threatening the survival of the species inappropriate fire regimes predation following fire and lethal toxic ingestion of Cane Toad toxin.
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