2 Eastern Quoll at Forde, ACT
Identification history
| Dasyurus viverrinus | 25 Apr 2023 | BelindaWilson | ||
| Dasyurus viverrinus | 25 Apr 2023 | pjpiper |
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User's notes
At Mulligans Flat. Quoll was visible only for a few seconds. I have never seen one before.
3 comments
MatthewFrawley
wrote:
25 Apr 2023
Only the second ever sighting of an Eastern Quoll on Canberra Nature Map.
BelindaWilson
wrote:
25 Apr 2023
Thanks for the observation @pjpiper! Eastern quolls are primarily nocturnal during their adulthood, so it is worth noting that any adult that is out during the day is generally not fairing very well.
There has been an increase in daytime sightings in the last month, which is likely due to males shifting their territories ahead of the breeding season in late-May and early winter to maximise the number of females they have access to (since they are polygamous). Dominant males will secure these high-value territories, while subordinate males can be outcompeted and forced into less suitable habitat, sometimes causing them to need to forage in the day if they can't get their needs met at night.
Eastern quolls are in the same family as antechinus, in which males only live for one year due to their 'suicidal reproduction' strategy. Being closely related, it follows that male eastern quolls have short lifespans - typically 1–3 year in the wild. This, in combination with territorial disputes, often leads to an increase in male (and sometimes female) mortality at this time of year. However, since each female can raise up to 6 pups by the following summer, their breeding more than makes up for this!
Please keep sending through these interesting records, and don't hesitate to contact me or the Mulligans Flat team if you have any burning questions. Thanks!
There has been an increase in daytime sightings in the last month, which is likely due to males shifting their territories ahead of the breeding season in late-May and early winter to maximise the number of females they have access to (since they are polygamous). Dominant males will secure these high-value territories, while subordinate males can be outcompeted and forced into less suitable habitat, sometimes causing them to need to forage in the day if they can't get their needs met at night.
Eastern quolls are in the same family as antechinus, in which males only live for one year due to their 'suicidal reproduction' strategy. Being closely related, it follows that male eastern quolls have short lifespans - typically 1–3 year in the wild. This, in combination with territorial disputes, often leads to an increase in male (and sometimes female) mortality at this time of year. However, since each female can raise up to 6 pups by the following summer, their breeding more than makes up for this!
Please keep sending through these interesting records, and don't hesitate to contact me or the Mulligans Flat team if you have any burning questions. Thanks!
pjpiper
wrote:
25 Apr 2023
Thanks Belinda, keep up the great work trying to bring these beautiful creatures back from the brink. Cheers, Phill
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Nearby sightings
Location information
- Coordinates 149.154400-35.168533
- Maps Mulligans Flat
- Places Forde, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 25 Apr 2023 01:46 PM Recorded on
- pjpiper Recorded by
-
Priority species lists
Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 Priority Species
Additional information
- Alive / healthy Animal health
Species information
- Dasyurus viverrinus Scientific name
- Eastern Quoll Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Very rare / threatened
- Non-Invasive
- Up to 684m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Confirmed by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
