Australian Species ThreatenedNorthern Dasyurus hallucatus

CONSERVATION STATUS COMMONWEALTH: Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) : Vulnerable (Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000) QUEENSLAND: Near Threatened (Nature Conservation Act 1992)

The Northern Quoll is a medium-sized carnivorous that lives in the WHERE DOES savannas of northern . It is found from southeastern Queensland all the IT LIVE? way to the northern Western Australian Northern live in a range (WA) coast. Populations have declined of habitats, but prefer rocky areas Photo: Viewfinder Australia Photo Library across much of this range, particularly and eucalypt forests. The quoll is as a result of the spread of the . a good climber but spends most of its time foraging and sleeping on the ground. During the day it likes to hide DID YOU KNOW... in hollow logs, rock crevices, caves • Although they are , female WHAT DOES IT and hollow trees. Northern Quolls do not have a pouch. At the start of the breeding season LOOK LIKE? The species was once found from north the area around the nipples become The Northern Quoll is the smallest in of Brisbane right across to the northern enlarged and partially surrounded by the quoll family, growing to about the WA coast. It is now reduced to small a flap of skin. The young (usually 6 in size of a small cat. It has a dark grey to populations in the Northern Territory’s a litter) live here for the first 8-10 weeks brownish body with large white spots (NT) Top End, WA’s Kimberley and Pilbara of their lives and a long furry tail. In Queensland the regions, and Queensland’s Cape York, • Almost all male Northern Quolls die at Northern Quoll lives in the same areas Wet Tropics and a small area just north about 1 year old, not long after mating. as the Spotted-tailed Quoll, but it is easy of Brisbane. to distinguish between them - Northern Quolls are smaller and don’t have (you guessed it!) spotted tails. WHAT DOES IT EAT? The Northern Quoll eats a wide range of insects, reptiles, small , figs and other soft fruits. CANE TOADS: A MAJOR THREAT!

WHY ARE CANE WHAT’S BEING DONE? Communities, scientists and governments TOADS A PROBLEM IN are working together to coordinate the research and management effort. AUSTRALIA? Cane toads were brought to Australia The Northern Territory Government has in 1935 to control a beetle in cane fields. visited remote island communities to They are now found across northern talk about the toad impact and to try to Australian from the top of New South ensure the pests do not reach the islands. Wales (NSW) through the NT to near The Tiwi Land Council has already taken the WA border. action, installing a hose-down facility at a barge landing to discourage toads Photo: Bureau of Resource Sciences Cane toads breed quickly in suitable from ‘hitching a ride.’ Some Aboriginal habitat (they can reach densities of over communities have been involved in 2000 per hectare!), and by sheer weight releasing quolls onto islands to protect HOW YOU CAN HELP of numbers impact on their surrounding them from the mainland threat. In the • Be careful when travelling – make sure environment. The toad will eat almost Darwin area ‘ToadBuster’ communities are you don’t allow cane toads to hitch-hike anything that fits in its mouth - native placing traps in rural regions to try and in your camping gear insects, frogs, small reptiles, mammals prevent the toads from reaching the city. • Contact the Threatened Species and birds. It also competes with native Network to find out more about cane species for food and shelter. The Western Australian, Northern Territory toad trapping. and Australian Governments are Cane toads are poisonous at all stages co-operating on cane toad control in of their life cycle. Native species often northern Australia and the NT/WA CONTACTS AND REFERENCES mistake toads for native frogs, eat them border area. Activities to prevent cane Jarrad Holmes and then die from the poison. Studies toads from entering the east Kimberley Northern Savannas Coordinator show that 59 per cent of northern region include a trapping and monitoring Threatened Species Network Australia’s dragons, 85 per cent of program at key waterholes where cane Ph: (08) 8941 7554 monitors, both crocodile species, and toads will be forced to look for water Email: [email protected] all freshwater turtles could be at risk in the late dry season. The Western Visit: www.wwf.org.au from cane toads. Australian Government has provided significant funding for this on-ground Katherine Miller work, including support for the WA Coordinator WHY ARE THEY A community-based Stop the Toad Threatened Species Network Foundation to purchase and install Ph: (08) 9387 6444 THREAT TO NORTHERN traps. The east Kimberley community Email: [email protected] is volunteering its time to install and Stop the Toad Foundation monitor the traps. QUOLLS? Visit: www.stopthetoad.com Northern Quoll populations have declined for various reasons, such as changed fire The West Australian and Australian You can also find out more information patterns and hunting by feral cats. The Governments are also working about Australia’s threatened species by visiting rapid decrease in recent years has been together on an awareness-raising www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened or due to the spread of the cane toad into campaign to reduce ‘hitchhiker’ contacting the Department of the Environment areas where Northern Quolls live. A recent toads on road vehicles. and Heritage Community Information Unit on study in found the free-call 1800 803 772. In addition the Australian Government species was completely gone from sites • Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory where cane toads had recently arrived. is leading the national effort to find (2003) Threatened Species Information Sheet, Northern long-term solutions, providing funds for Quoll research projects at Charles Darwin, • Strahan R (1995) Complete Book of Australian Mammals. James Cook and Sydney Universities as The Australian Museum. Reed Books, Chatswood. well as biologicalcontrol studies at the • Oakwood, M. (2000). Reproduction and demography of the CSIRO. The Government also recently Northern Quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus, in the lowland savanna of northern Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 48, gave conservation group Frogwatch NT 519-539 funds from the Natural Heritage Trust’s • http://www.nt.gov.au/ipe/pwcnt Envirofund to install cane toad traps at key wetland sites around Darwin. • http://www.calm.wa.gov.au • http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/ • http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/information/ factsheets/quoll/northern.html The Threatened Species Network is a community-based program of the Australian Government & WWF-Australia.