Hunt for endangered spotted-tailed quoll in Logan

28 July 2020

 

Wildlife Queensland’s Quoll Seekers Network (QSN) has completed its latest round of detection dog surveys to establish the existence of the spotted-tailed quoll in the Logan region.

The native spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus) is a carnivorous marsupial listed as ‘vulnerable’ under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 and ‘endangered’ under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The last known irrefutable evidence in Logan was a deceased male quoll found on the side of the Mt Lindsey Highway in 2005 but some rural parts of the city have been historically known as quoll habitat.

The latest round of surveys, funded by Logan City Council’s Environmental Levy, was conducted over four days in June 2020 at two properties in Mt Elliott and Mt Perry.

No sign of the spotted-tailed quoll was found.

This result is in contrast to the QSN detection dog surveys undertaken in the Logan region in 2019 where dogs indicated quoll scent, and an old scat was identified (see article: Brisbane Times, 28 July 2020).

Wildlife Queensland Projects Manager Matt Cecil says the two contrasting results further indicate just how rare the species is in the south-east.

“This really is a case of finding a needle in a paddock of haystacks – except we are trying to find an endangered animal existing in very low densities, who’s home range can be 1000’s of hectares and are generally very shy and secretive in nature.”

Matt joined ABC breakfast radio on 28 July to discuss the QSN’s latest efforts to track and protect the elusive spotted-tailed quoll in South East Queensland. Listen here. (interview at 47 min, 10 sec to 53 min, 13 sec.)

Have you spotted a spotted-tailed quoll in the wild in Queensland?

If so, QSN wants to hear from you! Email us with a description of the sighting, the postcode of the sighting and your contact details. Your record will:

  • be included in QSN’s database of quoll populations
  • aid the Network’s continued efforts to address the threats that quolls face from habitat loss and invasive species.

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