Quoll vs Toad

The Northern Quoll is listed as endangered under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation  Act 1999. Without doubt, the greatest threat to this amazing little beasty comes from the Cane Toad. Cute.....no?

As the quoll has a very short life span (only two years) and is such a voracious feeder, it lives and dies with only two primary objectives: to eat and to make babies. As such, anything that moves in front of a quoll is attacked and eaten. Unless, of course it is a quoll of the opposite sex. Then....well, you can guess what happens.

Couple that appetite with a super high metabolic rate and a digestive process that is always in overdrive and the response to an easy prey item is very predictable. When the quolls attack and eat a cane toad they quickly meet an untimely demise. Quoll populations across the Kimberley are being decimated as the toads march westward and down the coast of Western Australia. Pilbara and Island populations are safe for now but they won't be safe for long.

Animal Plant Mineral, Murdoch University and Mount Gibson Iron have commenced a four year research program which hopes to make a considerable contribution to knowledge of the Northern Quoll and the threats imposed by the presence of the Cane Toad. The video link below gives you some idea of what all the fuss is about.

Koolan Island quoll research.