Quolls (/ˈkwɒlz/; genus Dasyurus) are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Another two species are known from fossil remains in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits in Queensland.
Genetic evidence indicates that quolls evolved around 15 million years ago in the Miocene, and that the ancestors of the six species had all diverged by around four million years ago. The six species vary in weight and size, from 300 g (11 oz) to 7 kg (15 lb).
They have brown or black fur and pink noses. They are largely solitary, but come together for a few social interactions, such as mating, which occurs during the winter season. A female gives birth to up to 30 pups, but the number that can be raised to adulthood is limited by the number of teats (six or seven). They have a lifespan of 1–5 years (species dependent).
Quolls eat smaller mammals, small birds, lizards, and insects. All species have drastically declined in numbers since Australasia was colonised by Europeans, with one species, the eastern quoll, becoming extinct on the Australian mainland in the 1960s.
Major threats to their survival include the toxic cane toad, predators such as feral cats and foxes, urban development, and poison baiting. Conservation efforts include captive-breeding programs and reintroductions.
A story with hunters and told by hunters. CINEMATIC TEASER (60 sec)
Now, 11 years later, I’m proud to introduce the next chapter. Premiering soon on Australian television. This film is more than a sequel.
It represents more than a decade of persistence in the field, thousands of hours of observation, remote-camera monitoring and the development of non-invasive research methods designed to study quolls while allowing them to remain wild and undisturbed.
For the Australian Quoll Conservancy and WildCAM Australia, those 11 years have revealed extraordinary insights into breeding, motherhood, movement and the lives of a new generation of quolls in North Queensland’s Wet Tropics.
Much has changed since our first film. Our commitment to these animals has not. Eleven years. Two films. One continuing story of survival.
Lead Image: Eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) fawn morph, Upper Esk Valley, Dorset, TAS, Australia
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Alberto Vale
Alberto Vale is an award-winning wildlife filmmaker, cinematographer, naturalist and citizen scientist based in Cairns, North Queensland, at the gateway to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. For more than two decades, Alberto has combined wildlife cinematography with an intimate knowledge of tropical habitats, guided by a simple principle: to film wildlife successfully, you must first understand its habitat and behaviour. As founder and President of the Australian Quoll Conservancy (AQC), he has spent more than a decade conducting non-invasive field research on the endangered northern spotted-tailed quoll, developing non-invasive techniques to identify and monitor individual animals, breeding and behaviour without conventional trapping. Through WildCAM Australia®, Alberto has produced and directed internationally broadcast natural-history documentaries, including Green Tree Ants – Friend or Foe?, Quolls: Fast & Furious, and his latest production, Quollity Breeding, narrated by veteran Australian voice-over artist Katherine Kennard. Today, Alberto continues to combine cinematography, natural history and citizen science, using the camera not simply to capture wildlife, but to reveal behaviour, contribute to conservation knowledge and bring the hidden lives of Australia's native species to audiences worldwide.
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