Wondrous Wednesday: Eastern Quoll

I've decided that there are some animals that need more attention. Not like those "rare" or "unknown" or "misunderstood" animals like the Red Panda or the Hyena, but those real "rare" and "unknown" animals, like the Lamprey or the Bush dog.

So, without further ado, I present to you, the first Wondrous Wednesday animal! *drumroll*

The Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus Viverrinus)
Or Eastern Native Cat
Conservation Status: Near Threatened.

The Eastern Quoll is a medium-sized, carnivorous marsupial, one of the 6 extant species of Quoll. Native to Australia, the Eastern Quoll is now considered extinct on the mainland, but are still fairly common in Tasmania. This is probably because of the lack of predators such as foxes and dingos, though even without these hunters they are still in danger of being out-competed or predated upon by feral cats and killed by illegal poisons and traps

The Eastern Quoll is usually about the size of a small domestic cat, weighing roughly 2 pounds on average. Their coat can be any color from a pale tan to a dark brown or even black, with a cream or off-white colored belly and white spots all over their body save for their tail. The lack of spots on the tail and the skinnier build and slender snout of the Eastern Quoll helps distinguish them from the bigger, fiercer Tiger Quoll; also known as the Spotted-tail Quoll.

The Eastern Quoll is a solitary predator, usually hunting only at night and preying upon small mammals, birds and insects. They have also been known to scavenge food from other predators, mainly the Tasmanian Devil.

The breeding season begins in early winter. After mating, the female will then grow a pouch for her young, and will give birth to up to 30 tiny, hairless, helpless babies. However, only the first 6 to start nursing on her 6 teats will survive. Weaning takes place at around 10 weeks of age.

The last mainland Eastern Quoll was collected as roadkill in Sydney's Nielsen Park on January 31st, 1963. However, there have since been many reported sightings, some as recent as 2006. However, it is still unconfirmed whether or not there are any Eastern Quolls surviving outside of zoos and research facilities in Australia.

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Images from Google
[More about Quolls]

Alright, well there's not much on Quolls to find on the internet, but I hope this has at least shown you about this under-loved and largely unknown animal, and maybe you'll read up a bit more on them and perhaps spread the word about this little marsupial.
-Willow