Physical Features of a Tiger Quoll

The tiger quoll lives on the eastern coast of Australia. A mammal that is a member of the genus dasyurus, the tiger quoll is considered a threatened species that is endangered in North Queensland. Tiger quolls are large, carnivorous marsupials with a lifespan of approximately five years.

  1. Physical Features

    • Tiger quolls are the largest quoll species, more than half again as large as other quolls. These animals grow to be between 16 and 28 inches in length with tails that can be up to 18 inches long. Male tiger quolls are larger than females. Tiger quolls have coarsely textured, red-brown or dark brown fur with white spots that extend along the tail; this leads to the tiger quoll also being referred to as the spot-tailed quoll or spotted-tailed quoll. They have pointed snouts, pink noses and sharp teeth.

    Diet and Habitat

    • Tiger quolls hunt and the majority of their diet comprises mammals such as possums and rabbits. Hunting mostly at night, these carnivores also eat carrion, eggs, birds, invertebrates, small mammals and reptiles. Tiger quolls prefer forested habitats such as woodland and rainforest. These solitary creatures nest in caves, hollow logs and trees, burrows and rock crevices. Tiger quolls can cover significant ground, traveling over 6 kilometers at night.

    Breeding Habits

    • Tiger quolls become sexually mature at two years old, mating in June. Female tiger quolls give birth in the beginning of July; the baby is weaned by the middle of August. Baby tiger quolls continue to live in the den and feed from the mother until early November when, at 18 weeks old, the tiger quoll is fully independent.

    Threatened Species

    • Tiger quolls have become a threatened species, endangered in some parts of Australia, due to the negative impact of human development on their territories. Land clearing, which results in the loss of tiger quoll habitat, makes it increasingly hard for this carnivorous marsupial to find suitable habitats with sufficient prey and den sites. The loss of habitat contributes to scattered tiger quoll populations and increased competition for food. Pesticides used to control wild dog and fox populations ("1080") also claims some young tiger quolls.