Eastern quolls, found in the southeast for millions of years, disappeared from the mainland about 60 years ago – and even where they remain in Tasmania, their numbers are declining. There is, however, conservation efforts in SE states (see video for example)

The size of a small domestic cat, it’s mostly nocturnal, solitary and a bold carnivore which usually hunts in open country or woodland. It tends to spend daylight hours in nests made under rocks in underground burrows or fallen logs.

The eastern quoll has a pointed nose, a bushy tail, and is covered in white spots. Eastern quolls have two colour morphs of either a soft fawn or dark colour, so while they may look slightly different, they are exactly the same species. These colour variations are an evolutionary adaptation to increase their chances of survival in the wild.

A female eastern quoll (see picture) can give birth to a litter of up to six quoll pups a year, and each litter will have a random variation of the dark and light colours.

They perform a valuable role eating invertebrates such as spiders, cockroaches and grasshoppers, but being great hunters they will also eat rabbits, mice and rats which helps to control numbers of these introduced pests.

Video: BACK FROM THE BRINK: EASTERN QUOLLS RETURN TO THE WILD! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2bIGsC2Go