Eastern Quoll

The eastern quoll is a striking carnivorous marsupial with a foxy face, pointed snout, and bright eyes. Slightly smaller than a domestic cat, it has a soft coat covered in white spots. The coat can be coloured either fawn or black depending on the individual. Once widespread across southeastern Australia, it's now mostly found in Tasmania, where it remains relatively common thanks to fewer introduced predators.

This agile nocturnal hunter plays an important role in its ecosystem by helping control insect and rodent populations. Unlike many of its marsupial relatives, the eastern quoll is a solitary creature, patrolling its territory each night in search of prey. It hunts with precision and speed, using its keen sense of smell and hearing to locate food in the dark.

Eastern quolls prefer open forests and grassy areas, nesting in hollow logs, burrows, or rock crevices. They are excellent climbers but spend most of their time on the ground. Despite their small size, they’re fierce and resourceful predators, capable of taking down prey larger than themselves.

Breeding occurs in the cooler months, and females give birth to up to 30 tiny joeys, although only six survive to grow fully, as that's the number of teats in her pouch. After leaving the pouch, the young continue to stay in the nest while the mother hunts, before venturing out on their own.

Conservation efforts are crucial for mainland reintroduction projects, as habitat destruction and predation from foxes and cats continue to pose major threats.

Sydney Zo launched its first rewilding initiative with the release of eastern quoll joeys into a sanctuary in NSW, where they were safely reintroduced into a predator-free environment. Their return to sanctuaries on the Australian mainland is a hopeful step toward restoring the balance of native species in our ecosystems.

Did You Know?

The Eastern quoll doesn't just hunt, it scavenges too! They're known to follow tasmanian devils to scavenge leftovers from their kills, cleverly taking advantage of another predator’s success.