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The western quoll ( Dasyurus geoffroii) is Western Australia's largest Endemism mammalian carnivore. One of the many marsupial native to Australia, it is also known as the chuditch. The species is currently classed as Near threatened.
It is also known as the chuditch () in Western Australia (from Noongar language djooditj); chuditch serves as both the singular and plural form. Other include atyelpe or chilpa (from Arrernte), (1994). 9780949659743, IAD Press. ISBN 9780949659743 kuninka (from Western Desert language); idnya (Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges) and the archaic western native cat.
Often confused with eastern quoll, it differs in possessing a first toe on the hind foot and a darker tail. It does share a white-spotted brown coat and a long tail with both the eastern quoll and northern quoll.
As a result of its carnivorous feeding habits, the western quoll has a large home range. These territories often share rock ledges and other open spaces. This serves to mark territory and for other social functions. Males spread out over about and typically overlap with several female ranges, about each. Although males share their large territories with smaller female territories, females do not cross theirs with other females. Most female home ranges contains around 70 hollow log dens and 110 burrows.
The western quoll is at the top of the food chain, and depends on resource abundance and a healthy ecosystem. Being a carnivore, the western quoll feeds on large invertebrates and any small animal it can. This includes lizards, birds, frogs, spiders, insects, and small mammals; the largest it will eat is the size of a bandicoot or parrot.
Reintroduced populations in South Australia have been recorded preying on rabbits and Boodie.
They hunt mostly on the ground, but will climb a tree to grab a bird's egg. A bite to the back of the head kills their larger prey. It possesses an ability to obtain most of its water from its food, which is especially handy for survival during a drought.
As , western quolls mate between late April to July, and have a peak in June. During this time, the western quoll tends to take up large areas of habitat, and females aggressively defend their territory of 55–120 ha. Male and female quolls meet up only to mate. Although there are occasional cases when more young are produced than can be nursed, most litters range from two to six. There is a Gestation period of 16 to 23 days which is followed by the young living in their mother's shallow pouch. After another seven to fifteen weeks, the young outgrow the pouch and are left in the den while the female forages for food. Weaned at 23 to 24 weeks, western quoll are independent at 18 weeks and are sexually mature at one year of age. The young disperse in November before taking up their own territories.
AWC (Australia Wildlife Conservancy) protects this species at Paruna Sanctuary using a comprehensive feral predator control program, which sees feral cat and fox numbers controlled using trapping and baiting.
A five-year trial re-introduction of western quoll to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia began in April 2014. Despite the loss of about a third of the first release population (mostly due to predation by feral cats), most of the surviving females bred and sixty joeys were born. , a final release of 15 quolls from Western Australia was carried out in the Flinders Ranges, with a total population of 150. About half of this population was born locally. Monitoring of the population continued for an additional two years. The success of the reintroduction led to relocation of animals from the initial site in the Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park to the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park in 2022 and 2023.
The species has been returned to the South Australian arid zone, with a population established at the fenced Arid Recovery Reserve near Roxby Downs. Animals were reintroduced to the semi-arid Mount Gibson Sanctuary in WA in April 2023, with the aid of feral predator control.
Plans are in process to reintroduce the species to Dirk Hartog Island in Shark Bay, Wardang Island as part of the Marna Banggara (formerly Great Southern Ark) project on the southern Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, and large fenced reserves in the Pilliga forest, Mallee Cliffs National Park and Sturt National Park, all in NSW.
Captive breeding programs have contributed to reintroduction efforts, with Perth Zoo providing some animals for release.
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