Extinct since 1963, wild eastern quolls discovered in Australia

[depakid]

Two eastern quoll have been found as roadkill on the Australian mainland. Although considered extinct in Australia since 1963, these carnivorous marsupials remain abundant on the island of Tasmania.

While it may be possible that the quolls are remnants of a long-surviving population, it is far more likely they are descendants of escapees. Mount Rothwell Conservation and Research Center near Melbourne has been breeding captive quolls since 2002. Individual quolls probably escaped from the sanctuary into the wild; most likely the quolls found recently either escaped directly from the center or are descendants of escaped quolls.

Australian biologists are now working to discover how long these quolls survived in the wild. Although found in what was once their natural habitat, the area is populated by cats and foxes. Foxes and cats are introduced species in Australia and are blamed, along with habitat loss, for the extinction of eastern quolls. If the quolls have survived in the area for some time, it would mean the marsupials were successful in avoiding their unnatural predators.

Such findings would have important consequences for Tasmania as well, since foxes have recently been introduced on the island. It is unclear whether the foxes were introduced intentionally or by mistake.

Eastern quolls are nocturnal opportunists, eating everything from small animals, carrion, grass, fruit, and even garbage where it is available. While females give birth to up to thirty young, they only have teats for six causing the majority to perish. The eastern quoll is easily-distinguished from the other three Australian quoll species due to their white spotted body and white-tipped tail.

More: http://news.mongabay.com/2008/1017-hance_quoll.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. How sad that they were found as road-kill...

:(

[BlooInBloo]

2. Radically misleading headline.

[depakid]

4. Basically, they're extinct in the wild

though there are several captive breeding populations that hope one day to try to repopulate certain areas where there aren't so many feral cats nd foxes.

We visited one last year called Secret Creek Sanctuary near Lithgow. The place is run by a former coal miner (coal miners make a LOT of money in Oz) who bought a spread near Lithgow on the west side of the Blue Mountains with his savings.

Here's what they did:

"Around 4 hectares (10 acres) of land is enclosed in a 2.4m high feral-proof fence. Since the fence was erected in 2004, all of the foxes and cats have been removed to create a safe bushland environment. Pure-bred Dingoes have been included in a captive breeding program to ensure the long-term survival of the species.

The greatest threat faced by dingoes is outbreeding with wild dogs and in partnership with other facilities, Secret Creek is helping to maintain the pure Dingo in Australia. Long-nosed Potoroo and Rufous Bettong were released in the protected habitat in 2006 and are now increasing in number. 2006 also saw the construction of the Spotted-tailed Quoll breeding facility with the assistance of AEFI members, volunteers and donors. In 2007, AEFI has released additional Long-nosed Potoroo, as well as new species including, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, the Cream-striped Red-necked Pademelon, Swamp Wallaby, Emu and Brush Turkey".

It's an impressive operation- you go up in the late afternoon, have an amazing modern Australian dinner, and then at dusk, you walk around the property with spotlights and check out all the strange animals. The quolls of course are in their own pens. They're very clever little beasts, and tame up quite well- though oddly enough, they only live about 3 years.

http://ausecosystems.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=54

[DarthDem]

3. I Thought It Was Sad Too :(

I guess no one was looking for them - - presumably there are others out there. I thought the anecdote about having 30 offspring, but only being able to nurture six, was pretty tragic as well. What interesting characters. I hope they make a comeback.

[Booze]

5. uhhh

Such findings would have important consequences for Tasmania as well, since foxes have recently been introduced on the island. It is unclear whether the foxes were introduced intentionally or by mistake.

why would some intentionally do that ? who would benefit ?