Spotted-tailed Quoll (North Queensland)
Dasyurus maculatus gracilis
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 6/05/2016
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Near Threatened
Listed since: 15/06/2015
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: Yarri
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Spotted-tailed Quoll is a distinctive marsupial carnivore endemic to eastern Australia. The average lifespan of Spotted-tailed Quolls is relatively short, with estimates of three years for animals in northern Queensland. The species is carnivorous, hunting on the ground and in trees feeding on a wide variety of prey including mammals, birds and reptiles. The north Queensland subspecies is confined to the relatively cool, wet and climatically equable upland closed-forests (mostly above 900 m altitude).
Threats
The greatest threat to the Spotted-tail Quoll is habitat loss and modification and aspects of the biology and ecology of Spotted-tailed Quolls render them especially susceptible to threatening processes. They are generally solitary and occupy large home ranges, and consequently occur at low population densities. They have a relatively short lifespan and a low overall reproductive output, with some females breeding only once or twice during their lives.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
31
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.