Dasyurus maculatus (Kerr, 1792)

Common Name and Classification

Dasyurus maculatus, commonly called the tiger quoll, is the largest species of quoll.

Sexual Dimorphism in Northern Subspecies

For the northern subspecies (D. m. gracilis), adult females are generally smaller, weighing 1.5 times less than adult males of the same subspecies.

Average Weight by Subspecies

On average, male and female D. m. maculatus weigh 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) and 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) respectively, while male and female D. m. gracilis weigh an average of 1.60 kg (3.5 lb) and 1.15 kg (2.5 lb) respectively.

Maximum Recorded Weight

The largest recorded male tiger quolls can weigh up to 8.85 kg (19.5 lb), and the largest females can weigh over 4.0 kg (8.8 lb).

Limb and Tail Morphology

The tiger quoll has relatively short legs, and its tail is the same length as its body and head combined.

Head and Snout Structure

It has a thick head and neck, with a slightly rounded, elongated snout.

Foot Structure

Both the front and hind feet have five toes, and the hind feet have well-developed halluces.

Foot Pad Adaptations

Its long pink foot pads are ridged, an adaptation for its arboreal lifestyle that compensates for its non-prehensile tail.

Fur Color and Spots

Most tiger quolls have a reddish-brown fur coat, while a small minority have black fur; all have white spots, and their coat color does not change with the seasons.

Tail Spot Distinction

It is the only quoll species that has spots on both its body and its tail.

Fur Oil Characteristics

The fur and skin are covered in an orange-brown oil.

Underbelly Coloration

The underbelly is typically greyish or creamy white.

Total Length by Subspecies

Average total length (head to tail tip) for D. m. maculatus is 930 mm (37 in) for males and 811 mm (31.9 in) for females. For D. m. gracilis, males average 801 mm (31.5 in) in total length, and females average 742 mm (29.2 in).

Tail Length Range

For both subspecies, the tail alone averages between 285 and 550 mm (11.2 to 21.7 in) long.

Bite Force

Among living mammalian carnivores, the tiger quoll has the second-most powerful bite relative to its body size, able to exert a force of 153 N (34 lbf).

Native Range and Rainfall Requirement

The tiger quoll is native to eastern Australia, where it occurs in areas that receive more than 600 mm (24 in) of rainfall per year.

Elevation Range

Most confirmed sightings of the species are at elevations of at least 600 m (2,000 ft).

Historical Distribution

Historically, the tiger quoll ranged across southeastern Queensland, through eastern New South Wales, Victoria, southeastern South Australia, and Tasmania.

Impact of European Settlement

European settlement has severely reduced and fragmented the species' distribution on the Australian mainland.

Distribution in Queensland

Tiger quolls are rare in southeastern Queensland and are mostly restricted to national parks.

Population Trend in Victoria

In Victoria, the species' population has declined by nearly 50%.

Distribution in New South Wales

Range decline has been less severe in New South Wales, but tiger quolls are still rare there.

South Australia Status

The tiger quoll was probably never very numerous in South Australia; after being considered locally extinct for 130 years, one individual was captured in the state's southeast in 2023.

Distribution in Tasmania

In Tasmania, the tiger quoll is most often found in the northern and western parts of the state, where rainfall follows seasonal patterns.

Extirpation from Offshore Islands

Tiger quolls were once native to Flinders Island and King Island, but have been locally extinct (extirpated) there since the 20th century, so they no longer occur on Tasmania's offshore islands.

Habitat Preferences

Tiger quolls can live in a wide variety of habitats, but they prefer humid forests such as rainforests and closed eucalypt forest.

Arboreal Activity

They are moderately arboreal, with around 11% of their travel occurring above ground.

Arboreal Hunting Behavior

When in trees, they may hunt arboreal prey such as possums, and will leap between trees when necessary.

Tree Descent Behavior

They usually descend trees head first.

Prey Species Range

Prey consumed by tiger quolls includes insects, crayfish, lizards, snakes, birds, domestic poultry, and smaller mammals such as platypus, rabbits, arboreal possums (including cuscuses and greater gliders), bandicoots, pademelons, small wallabies, and wombats.

Hunting Stalking Behavior

When hunting, the tiger quoll stalks its prey, stopping only to hold its head up.

Killing Bite Technique

It then launches an attack, delivering a killing bite to the base of the skull or the top of the neck, depending on the size of the prey.

Small Prey Handling

Small prey is pinned down with the forepaws before the bite is delivered.

Large Prey Handling

For large prey, the quoll jumps to latch onto the prey's back before biting the neck.

Nocturnal Arboreal Hunting

Tiger quolls can also climb into trees to hunt for possums and birds at night.

Scavenging Behavior

They may also scavenge carrion from larger animals such as kangaroos, feral pigs, cattle, and dingoes, though they scavenge less often than Tasmanian devils.

Mainland Diet Composition

In one study, feral rabbits made up 76% of the tiger quoll's diet on the Australian mainland.

Dietary Flexibility and Fire Resilience

The flexibility of the species' diet indicates that its prey base is not negatively impacted by bushfires.

Predators of Tiger Quolls

Tiger quolls themselves may be preyed on by Tasmanian devils and masked owls in Tasmania, and by dingos and domestic dogs on mainland Australia. They may also be hunted by wedge-tailed eagles and large pythons.

Interspecific Interactions with Devils

Tiger quolls will back down from adult Tasmanian devils, but will chase subadult devils away from carcasses.

Competition with Introduced Carnivores

They also likely compete with introduced carnivores including foxes, cats, and feral dogs.

Parasites

Tiger quolls also host many species of endoparasites.