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Eastern quolls once occurred on mainland
Australia, with the last sighting in Sydney in the early
1960s. They are now considered extinct on the mainland, although some
recent sightings in northern New South Wales suggest that the species may
still survive.
The species, fortunately, is widespread
and common in Tasmania. It is found in a variety of habitats
including rainforest, heath land, alpine areas and scrub. However, it seems
to prefer dry grassland and forest mosaics which are bounded by
agricultural land, particularly where pasture grubs are common.
The eastern quoll is an opportunistic
carnivore that takes live prey and scavenges. The eastern quoll is an
impressive hunter, taking small mammals such as rabbits, mice and rats.
They can also be quite bold when competing with the larger Tasmanian Devil for food. Eastern quolls sometimes scavenge morsels of food from around
feeding devils. However, the main component of its diet is invertebrates,
especially agricultural pests such as the cockchafer beetle and corbie
grub. Carrion and some fruits are also eaten. |
