Spotted-tailed dasyure, Spotted-tailed native cat, Tiger cat, Spotted-tailed quoll
The Tiger quoll is the largest of all 6 quoll species. At first glance, these animals look similar to mongooses. Their coloration varies from reddish-brown to dark brown. On the body and tail, the Tiger quoll exhibits noticeable white markings. Males and females look alike, although females tend to be smaller. This carnivore is one the most violent animals, found in the Australian bush with a rather sturdy built and powerful teeth, helping it to rip meat of its prey and crush invertebrates.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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The Tiger quolls occur in Tasmania and mainland Australia, where these animals are presented by two distinct sup-species: those found from Tasmania to southern Queensland; and northern Queensland sub-species that are comparatively smaller. Within their home range, these animals inhabit a wide variety of habitats, generally preferring rainforests, closed canopy Eucalyptus forests, creeks and river forests. When foraging, they are known to frequent adjoining woodlands and open pasturelands.
Tiger quoll is generally a solitary animal. Home ranges of male individuals are usually larger, overlapping with these of females and other males. Females fiercely defend their home ranges against other females, except for female juveniles. These animals are nocturnal: they hunt by night, spending their daytime hours resting in underground hollows, which serve them as dens. However, the Tiger quolls are known to occasionally come out of their dens during the day in order to forage or take sunbath. About a tenth of their time is spent moving around above the surface of the ground or in trees. These animals are mainly silent, although they do vocalize when communicating with conspecifics. Thus, mothers communicate with their offspring through a special clucking call to which the babies respond. When threatened, these animals try to turn away the opponent by emitting growls and high-pitched scary sounds.
As carnivores, the Tiger quolls generally feed upon possums, bandicoots, pademelons, rats, gliders and other small to medium-sized mammals, supplementing their diet with reptiles, birds, insects and occasional carrion.
Tiger quolls are polygynous, which means that one male mates with multiple females. They breed in April-July. Gestation period in this species lasts for 21 days, yielding 5 young on average. The babies are then moved to the pouch of their mother, where they continue to grow for the following 12 weeks. Then the mother begins feeding her offspring by bringing food into her pouch. The female does not carry her young on her back. However, the babies tend to rest on their mother and cling on her if threatened. Full independence in reached at 18 - 21 weeks old, while the age of sexual maturity is one year old.
The biggest threat to this species is habitat loss as a result of urban development and fragmentation of their range. Furthermore, the situation is compounded by competition with other animals, with which they share similar habitat. On the other hand, the Tiger quolls are hunted by both native and non-native predators, including red fox or feral cats. And finally, these animals are poisoned through taking traps with 1080 poisoning baits, targeting dingoes.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Tiger quoll population is around 20,000 mature individuals, including small population in north-eastern Queensland, which is estimated to less than 1,000 individuals. Today, Tiger quolls’ numbers are decreasing, and these animals are classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.
