Dasyurus hallucatus

Geographic Range

Northern quolls ( Dasyurus hallucatus ) are native to a 150 kilometer band, across the northern Australian coast, from Pilbara in western Australia, to the northeast coast of Queensland. Since European settlement, the species has declined drastically over much of its range and has even become locally extinct on some Australian Islands. It is currently found in six isolated populations: in the Hamersley Range, northern and western Top End, North Cape York tip, Atherton Tableland and the Carnarvon Range.

• Biogeographic Regions
• australian australian
  • native native

Habitat

Northern quolls are the most arboreal of the Australian quolls although they inhabit a variety of terrestrial habitats. They are most often found in rocky escarpments and open eucalyptus forests of lowland savannahs. This species has experienced an overall decline in population throughout its range; however, the savannah habitats have experienced the most drastic population decline. Northern quolls have been known to den in tree hollows, rock crevices, logs, termite mounds and goanna burrows.

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
• forest forest

Physical Description

Northern quolls are medium sized Dasyurids and the smallest of the Australian quolls . They are sexually dimorphic, with males larger than females. Males may weigh as much as 1,200 g, although they usually range between 400 to 900 g (an average of 760 g). Females range between 300 to 500 g (an average of 760 g). Their total length is similar, although males are slightly longer, ranging from 12.3 to 31 cm; whereas females range from 12.5 to 30 cm. Their tail is long relative to their body, the average tail length for males is 12.7 to 30.8 cm; whereas female tail lengths range 20 to 30 cm.

In general, northern quolls are somewhat mouse-like in appearance. They have short coarse fur, with thin underfur. They are dusky grey-brown, with large white spots dorsally and cream to white fur ventrally. This species has well-defined serrated pads on their palms and soles and an unspotted tails. They have a hallux, with a total of five toes on their hind feet. Females have five to eight exposed teats, arranged in anterioposterior rows, surrounded by a marginal fold of skin (marsupium).

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• male larger

Reproduction

Males and females are promiscuous. The mating season corresponds with the Australian dry season, occurring in May and June. Females are intra-sexually territorial, with no observed overlap in territory, most likely maintained by mutual avoidance. Feces markers are more commonly observed during the mating season, advertising female presence both to other females and males. Females are visited by multiple males during the mating season, with short encounters occurring at night in the female's den. It is rare for a female not to breed in any given year. Males are non-territorial and attempt to breed with as many females as possible during the breeding season, often traveling long distances from one female to another, monitoring the onset of estrus. The mating process has yet to be observed, although it appears to be quite aggressive, with females often showing distinct scars from males biting the back of their neck and clasping their sides during copulation. Males are the largest mammal and the only Dasyurid known to experience complete semelparity, usually dying within two weeks of mating.

• Mating System
• polygynandrous (promiscuous) polygynandrous (promiscuous)

After a 21 to 25 day gestation period, birth is completed synchronously among a single population within a four week period, with little annual variation. This period varies geographically, beginning as early as late May and ending as late as August. Evidence suggests that a combination of photoperiod and latitude affect the timing of this event for a given population.

When they are ready to give birth, females groom the area around their urogenital sinus, pouch and tail. Just before emergence of the young, a female will lift her posterior region and lick a cloudy mucus-like fluid, which is released from the urogenital sinus. During birth, females place their heads to the ground, keeping their urogenital sinus higher than the pouch region, with the base of their tail held away. The young are excreted in a gelatinous material and either drop to the ground or successfully climb their way along the mother to the pouch, aided by their senses and gravity.

Females may give birth to as many as 17 altricial offspring in one litter, although the average litter size is 5 to 8 and they have a maximum of 8 teats available for nursing young. The average weight of a newborn is 18 mg; with an average length of 5 mm. Offspring unsuccessful in latching to a teat soon perish. During birth, marginal ridges of skin develop around the teats and cover the young. Young are first released from this rudimentary pouch at two months of age for short periods of time. They are fully weaned at 4 months of age. Males and females become sexually mature at 11 months of age, although males reach their maximum weight at 7 months.

• Key Reproductive Features
• semelparous semelparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Both sexes put forth most of their reproductive energy in their first breeding season, which is when they are at their highest fitness level. Females care for the young on their own because there is no paternal care. Little is known about parental care in this species, but studies indicate that the female will move from the rockier areas of her home range to the woodland areas near creeks when the young are around 2 months old. This is the time at which the young will first detach from their mother. The female will leave the young in a succession of nursery dens for periods of time, while foraging at night. When the young are weaned, the female will move them back to the rockier areas. Dispersal of young is not yet fully understood.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• female parental care female parental care
• post-independence association with parents
• inherits maternal/paternal territory

Lifespan/Longevity

Female northern quolls may live up to 3 years, although 1 to 2 years is more common. Males only live up to 1 year. Mating is extremely energetically costly for males, ultimately resulting in death within 2 weeks after mating. During the mating period, they experience weight loss, elevated androgens, loss of fur, and proliferation of parasites, increasing their risk of predation and vehicle collisions.

Behavior

Both male and female northern quolls are solitary and asocial. Males only contact females during short mating encounters. There is no evidence of a male dominance hierarchy and individuals appear to practice mutual avoidance in overlapping home ranges. Females are intra-sexually territorial to varying degrees. The size of an average female's territory is 35 ha. In low densities there is no overlap between female home ranges; however, in higher densities, foraging areas may overlap, with denning sites remaining mutually exclusive. A surviving young female of the last breeding season may inherit her mother’s territory when her mother dies, otherwise, young disperse into vacant areas and immediately take over rocky areas that become vacant when a neighbor dies.

Males and females are nocturnal. Evidence of torpor and early morning lethargy has been observed in an individual male. This is not unexpected because torpor is common among marsupials inhabiting arid and tropical environments with variable resource availability.

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• solitary solitary
• territorial territorial

Home Range

Males have a much larger home range than females, especially during the mating season. Males have an average home range area of 99 ha, whereas females average 35 ha.

Communication and Perception

Young northern quolls vocalize as early as 35-days-old by making stereotypic isolation calls. Hearing doesn’t develop until approximately 65 days, which promotes call development to a more adult-like vocalization. Call duration in young last 100 to 200 ms; while adult calls last 1 to 2 s. Young communicate vocally with their mother, providing information regarding location and stress level. Adult communication is in the form of a “hiss”, acknowledging an encounter.

Scent marking has been commonly observed in D. hallucatus to mark territories and advertise their presence to mates. Both females and males rub their ventral surfaces on objects in their environment, to disperse their scent. They also urinate on the feces of other individuals and deposit scat in prominent places. When feces by another individual is found, it is picked up, sniffed and examined.

• Communication Channels
• acoustic acoustic

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Dasyurus hallucatus is considered a carnivorous marsupial, although it primarily feeds on insects . Their diet also consists of other small mammals , birds , frogs , reptiles and sometimes fleshy fruits. Cane toads ( Bufo marinus ), an invasive species to Australia, are a food item of particular interest because their toxins appear to be a major cause of decline in northern quolls' populations, even in areas where they are managed.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore

• Animal Foods
• mammals
• insects

Predation

Predators of D. hallucatus include dingos ( Canis lupis dingo ), feral cats ( Felis catus ) and snakes, such as olive pythons ( Liasis olivaceus ), king brown snakes ( Pseudechis australis ) and possibly avian predators, such as owls ( Strigiformes ). Physiological decline after mating is speculated to cause male northern quolls to become susceptible to lice infestations.

Ecosystem Roles

Northern quolls are predators of small mammals , which aides in the control of small mammal populations. They are also an ideal alternative host in the life cycle of many parasites. Although no particular parasitic species are known to favor northern quolls exclusively, males are commonly infested with lice ( Boopia ucinata ) before death. Other parasites that have been found on D. hallucatus include Bandicoot ticks ( Haemaphysalis humerosa ), trombiculid mites ( Guntheria coorongensis ) and fleas ( Xenopsylla vexabilis ). Sarcocystis species have been observed histologically in northern quolls.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

A survey answered by scientists and wildlife handlers suggests that northern quolls, along with other quolls , have many characteristics that are ideal of a quality house pet. In addition, northern quolls may benefit agriculture by removing insect pests.

• Positive Impacts
• controls pest population

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Quolls can be an agricultural annoyance and have been known to destroy poultry.

Conservation Status

Northern quolls are considered ‘endangered’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) list of threatened species. They have no special status in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Other Comments

Dasyurus hallucatus was originally identified by Gould in 1942, under the genus Satenellus . Some still suggest that D. hallucatus be placed in a separate genus due to its basal characteristics.

Northern quolls are also known as the “little northern native cat”, “north Australian native cat”, and “njanmak”, a Mayali aboriginal word.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Jenna Black (author), University of Manitoba, Jane Waterman (editor), University of Manitoba, Leila Siciliano Martina (editor), Texas State University.

References

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