The Spot-tailed Quoll is a nocturnal, cat-sized, carnivorous marsupial with reddish-brown fur. It has distinctive white spots over its back and tail.Males are 380–759 mm in head and body length, and females are 350–450 mm. Tail length is 370–550 mm for males and 340–420 mm for females. Males weigh up to 7 kg and females up to 4 kg although the mean weight range for male adults is 2.8–4.6 kg and 1.5–2 kg for females.
Spot-tailed Quoll |
Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (SE mainland population)
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (SE mainland population)
Climate change may potentially extend the range of cane toads; which may increase the likelihood of future interactions (DELWP 2016); 2.5 Poisoning associated with Suspected Poison baits extensively used control of non native current throughout the range of the species predators (DELWP 2016).
Overall the level of risk to the species is minor. 3.0 Fire 3.1 Too frequent burning Known High frequency fire may reduce the current structural complexity of their habitat and the abundance of some of their preferred prey (Woinarski et al. 2014). 3.2 Increase fire Suspected The scale; frequency and intensity of frequency intensity due to future bushfires are increasing with climate climate change change; compounding the impacts of fire.
The bushfires will not have impacted all areas equally some areas burnt at very high intensity whilst other areas burnt at lower intensity; potentially even leaving patches unburnt within the fire footprint.
Increasing frequencies of similar fire events could cause further declines in the future.