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Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus)

The eastern quoll is a medium-sized, mostly solitary and nocturnal carnivorous marsupial found mainly in Tasmania, with reintroduced populations in fenced or predator-managed sites on mainland Australia. It uses open grassland, farmland, heathland and eucalypt forest mosaics, so clearing, road construction, fire and predator control activities can affect feeding areas, dens and dependent young.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Endangered.

Breeding season

The timing below reflects the Tasmanian breeding cycle and the seasonal pattern described for eastern quolls. Timing can vary between locations, and reintroduced mainland populations may not follow exactly the same local schedule.

Avoid clearing suspected denning and feeding habitat during the breeding and dependent-young period where practicable. If works cannot be timed around this period, increase pre-clearance den searches, fauna supervision and night-time traffic controls.

  • Breeding: Males and females prepare for and undertake mating mainly in May and June. Males range more widely during the mating season.
  • Births and pouch young: Births generally occur from May to July. Young remain attached to teats for about 60 to 65 days.
  • Den young and emergence: Females generally occupy one den with young from July to October. Young emerge and become increasingly independent in November and December.
  • Movement and dispersal: Males move more widely during the May to June mating season. Most males and some females disperse from their natal home ranges. Females and juveniles can range more widely around weaning in November and December.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing risk is highest from May to November because mating, births, pouch young, den young and juvenile emergence occur across this period. The highest risk is July to November when females may be tied to dens with young or juveniles are beginning to move outside them.

Identification

Eastern quolls are compact, short-legged marsupial carnivores with a bushy tail and conspicuous white spots. They are mainly ground dwelling and are most likely to be detected at night, in dens, or from distinctive scats.

The coat is fawn or black, with about 60 to 80 irregular white spots over the head, back, rump and upper legs. The tail is bushy but lacks white spots. The muzzle is pointed, the ears are rounded, and the hind foot has four toes. The tail may have a white tip.

Male head and body length: 32 to 45 cm

Tail length: 20 to 28 cm

Male weight: 0.9 to 2.0 kg

Female weight: 0.7 to 1.1 kg

Identification: Sexes and similar species

Males are larger than females and have stronger canines. Eastern quolls can overlap with spotted-tailed quolls in Tasmania. Eastern quolls are smaller and more lightly built, have spots that stop at the base of the tail, have a pointed muzzle and have four toes on the hind foot. Spotted-tailed quolls are larger and have spots on the tail.

Identification: Signs and detection

Scats are dark brown, pungent and usually 30 to 50 mm long. One end commonly has a diagnostic overlying curl. Scats may be straight when packed with insect remains or twisted when they contain fur.

Adults are mostly solitary and generally use several dens, often changing dens on successive days. Their calls are infrequent and include guttural hisses, coughs and short, sharp shrieks. Mothers and young use distinct contact calls after young leave the pouch.

Scat length: 30 to 50 mm

Typical activity period: At or shortly after dark, for about 8 hours

  • Record den entrances under rocks, fallen trees, bushes, rotting stumps, buildings, rubbish tips and bulldozed earth.
  • Treat a possible quoll scat, den or carcass as a prompt for targeted nocturnal camera surveillance and advice from the relevant wildlife authority.

Distribution: Current and former range

The species formerly occupied a broad band of south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. Wild populations now remain in Tasmania and Bruny Island, with reintroduced populations in fenced or managed mainland sites.

Wild eastern quolls are widespread but declining in Tasmania and occur from sea level to 1,500 m, with higher abundance in the drier eastern half of the state. Bruny Island supports a population. The species is considered extinct in the wild on the mainland, with the last confirmed mainland sighting at Vaucluse in 1963.

The former mainland range extended from eastern South Australia through Victoria and New South Wales to the central New South Wales coast. Mainland populations declined rapidly around 1890 to 1910, with isolated populations persisting in parts of Victoria and New South Wales until the early 1960s.

  • Current wild range: Tasmania and Bruny Island.
  • Mainland conservation populations: Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in the ACT, Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Centre in Victoria and Booderee National Park in New South Wales.
  • The documents do not assign the species to named IBRA bioregions. They describe the main wild range as eastern Tasmania, especially the drier eastern half, and the former range as south-eastern mainland Australia.

Distribution: Subpopulations and trend

The original Tasmanian population declined until the early 2000s, with unusual weather implicated in earlier declines. Vehicle strike and feral cats constrain recovery in some Tasmanian areas. The Bruny Island population has at least partly recovered.

Mainland reintroductions have established conservation populations, including a fenced population at Mulligans Flat that reproduced after release. These populations require ongoing predator management, genetic management and monitoring.

Mainland disappearance: Last confirmed mainland sighting at Vaucluse in 1963

Mulligans Flat release: 16 individuals were released in 2016, with about 40 animals recorded in 2017

Mulligans Flat breeding: Ten females produced up to 60 young after a later release, according to the ACT conservation advice

National population estimate: No national population estimate is provided in the supplied documents

Habitat: Habitat types

Eastern quolls use a broad range of terrestrial habitats but are most strongly associated with open country close to cover. The best habitat is a dry grassland and forest mosaic with abundant prey and secure den sites.

In Tasmania, eastern quolls occur in grassland, sedgeland, heathland, alpine habitats, grassy woodland, dry open eucalypt forest, wet closed eucalypt forest and temperate rainforest. They are more abundant in open habitats, particularly grasslands or farmland adjoining eucalypt forest.

They are associated with dry to moderate-rainfall areas, especially in eastern Tasmania. Populations can use modified areas where pasture is interspersed with wooded remnants.

Recorded elevation: Sea level to 1,500 m

Preferred broad setting: Open grassland or pasture adjoining eucalypt forest or woodland

Fire response noted in source literature: Population densities in open eucalypt forest can increase for 5 to 10 years after major fires

Habitat: Structural features

Suitable habitat contains short or open grassland, ground cover, fallen timber, rocks, bushes, old stumps and connected wooded remnants. Rocks and logs provide den opportunities, while adjoining pasture can provide abundant insect prey.

Black gum and Brookers gum forest and woodland are among the Tasmanian vegetation communities that can provide habitat. Small patches near agricultural land may still be useful where they retain cover and are connected to feeding areas.

  • Retain rocky piles, fallen logs, rotting stumps, dense ground cover and native vegetation adjoining pasture.
  • Avoid isolating small wooded remnants from grassland and other cover used for movement and feeding.
  • Inspect areas of open ground beside forest, farm paddocks and remnant woodland before clearing.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Eastern quolls are opportunistic carnivores and scavengers. They usually forage on the ground at night, using open grassland, pasture margins, woodland and forest floor habitats.

The diet includes insects, insect larvae, small mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, terrestrial crayfish, earthworms, fruit and small amounts of grass or other plant material. Invertebrates are often the main food, including cockchafer beetles, southern army worms and corbie grubs.

Eastern quolls also scavenge carcasses. In alpine areas, small mammals and birds form a larger part of the diet and insects form a smaller part, particularly in winter. Fruits, including blackberries, are eaten in summer.

Main food group: Invertebrates, especially insect larvae

Other prey: Small mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, terrestrial crayfish and earthworms

Plant food: Fruit, including blackberries, and small amounts of grass or other vegetation

Scavenging: Regularly scavenges carcasses and takes live prey

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas and range

Foraging is mainly terrestrial. Quolls move through grassland, pasture, forest edges, open eucalypt forest, woodland and heathland, often close to den sites. On farmland, insect larvae can be important throughout the year, with seasonal changes linked to insect emergence.

Individuals are solitary while foraging, with mean distances of about 200 m between animals. Home ranges overlap extensively and are not defended as exclusive territories.

Mean distance between foraging individuals: About 200 m

Mean female home range: 35 ha

Mean male home range: 44 ha

  • Retain pasture margins, grassy clearings, open woodland, leaf litter and fallen timber that support invertebrate prey.
  • Check likely feeding areas within and around the proposed clearing footprint, including adjoining pasture and forest edges.
  • Avoid assuming that a small remnant is unused because it lacks dense forest, as open habitat and farmland margins can be important feeding areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding is synchronised in winter. Females need secure dens near feeding areas, and den protection is especially important from the birth period through pouch dependence and den rearing.

Mating occurs mainly in May and June. Births generally occur from May to July, depending on location. Pregnancy lasts about 19 to 24 days, with a mean of about 21 days. Females have six to eight teats and usually raise about six young.

Young remain attached to teats in the pouch for 60 to 65 days. They then continue developing in a den until weaning at about 150 to 165 days. Young begin accompanying the mother outside the den when well furred and become independent around spring to early summer.

Breeding season: Mainly May to June

Birth period: Usually May to July

Litter size: Usually about 6 young, with up to 8 recorded

Gestation: 19 to 24 days, mean about 21 days

Pouch attachment: 60 to 65 days

Weaning: 150 to 165 days

Age at sexual maturity: About 10 to 12 months

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Females use dens with their young from about July to October and generally occupy one den during this period. Dens are usually close to feeding areas and may be in underground burrows, rock piles, fallen trees, rotting stumps or beneath bushes.

Breeding females can be particularly vulnerable to clearing, vibration, vehicle access and den collapse while young are in the pouch or den. Retain several alternative dens and a connected route to nearby feeding habitat.

  • Inspect and protect likely den sites before vegetation removal, earthworks or access track construction.
  • Maintain cover between dens and nearby pasture, grassland, woodland and forest feeding areas.
  • Do not block or fill a suspected active den without approval from the relevant wildlife authority.

Sheltering habitat: Dens and refuges

Eastern quolls use multiple daytime dens and change dens frequently outside the main denning period. Shelter is usually on or below the ground rather than in tree hollows.

Dens are mainly underground burrows, but may also occur in natural rock piles, fallen trees, rotting stumps, under bushes and in man-made structures such as buildings, rubbish tips and bulldozed earth. Entrances are often at the base of rotting stumps or beneath bushes where soil is less compacted.

Burrows range from simple tunnels without nests to complex interconnected tunnels with one or occasionally more nests. Both sexes usually use one to five dens, although up to 12 dens have been recorded, and individuals often change dens on successive days.

Typical number of dens used: 1 to 5, with up to 12 recorded

Den sharing: Uncommon, except between mothers and young or among some related females

Den location: Often in forest adjoining pasture, but also in open grassland

  • Retain rock piles, fallen timber, old stumps, bushes, loose soil and dense ground cover within and beside the work area.
  • Search beneath fallen logs, around stumps, under bushes and along pasture and forest edges before clearing.
  • Include artificial structures and earth banks in pre-clearance den inspections.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter during works

Eastern quolls are mostly terrestrial and do not regularly climb trees. They can use fallen branches and logs as cover, but their principal refuges are ground-level dens and burrows.

A den may not contain obvious nesting material, and repeated daily den changes mean that a single empty-looking refuge does not demonstrate that the area is unused.

  • Use staged clearing where practicable so animals can move towards retained habitat rather than being surrounded by active works.
  • Keep machinery, spoil placement and trenching away from retained dens and connected cover.
  • Where an animal is found during clearing, stop work in the immediate area and follow the project fauna handling and release protocol.

Threats: Predators and disease

The main risks are predation, habitat loss, vehicle strike, disease and extreme events. Clearing can remove feeding habitat, den sites and movement routes at the same time.

Feral cats are a major threat in Tasmania. Foxes were important in the mainland decline and remain a risk to reintroduced mainland populations. Dogs, including domestic or uncontrolled dogs, can also kill quolls.

Disease is a concern because populations are small and genetic diversity is low. Biosecurity is particularly important for Bruny Island and for fenced or translocated populations.

  • Keep cats, foxes and dogs out of work areas and predator-managed reserves where practicable.
  • Do not move animals, soil, carcasses or equipment between sites without following relevant disease and biosecurity controls.
  • Coordinate predator management with the project ecologist and land manager, particularly at release sites.

Threats: Clearing, roads and fire

Clearing can remove open feeding habitat, forest edges, fallen logs, rocks, bushes and underground dens. Fragmentation can separate den sites from pasture and other feeding areas and can reduce movement between habitat patches.

Vehicle strike is a recognised threat in Tasmania. Road construction and increased traffic can therefore affect quolls even where vegetation clearing is limited. Severe fire and other extreme weather events can cause additional losses, especially in small populations.

  • Complete pre-clearance searches around rocky ground, fallen timber, old stumps, bushes, burrows, pasture margins and forest edges.
  • Retain connected grassland and forest mosaics, den resources and ground cover beside roads and construction areas.
  • Use fauna-sensitive traffic controls, particularly at night and during the May to November breeding and dependent-young period.
  • Plan fire management to retain den structures and a mosaic of feeding and shelter habitat rather than removing all ground cover.

Threats: Other project risks

Non-target poisoning from 1080 and rodent control programs is identified as a threat. Earthworks can collapse burrows or bury animals, while construction lighting, noise and repeated night traffic may disrupt nocturnal movement near active dens.

The supplied documents do not identify hydrology change as a specific eastern quoll threat. Hydrology changes should still be assessed where they alter grassland, woodland, forest-floor cover, prey resources or den stability.

  • Keep baiting and poisoning programs under an approved pest management plan that considers eastern quolls and other non-target fauna.
  • Inspect trenches, pits and open pipes regularly and provide escape devices where fauna could enter.
  • Record and report quoll observations, injured animals, carcasses and den locations to the project ecologist.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Eastern Quolls are nocturnal, mostly terrestrial and difficult to detect during daylight. Survey effort should focus on dry grassland and forest mosaics, pasture margins, fallen logs, rocks, burrows and other den features, with extra care where Eastern Quolls may occur with Spotted-tailed Quolls. [No source ids in text]

Inspect aerial imagery, site plans and ground conditions before fieldwork. Map dry grassland, open forest, woodland, farmland edges, coastal scrub, heathland, rocky areas, fallen logs, burrows and other potential den sites.

Record habitat adjoining the development area because Eastern Quolls can forage across overlapping home ranges of about 35 ha for females and 44 ha for males.

Use daytime searches to locate tracks, scats, dens, carcasses, hair, prey remains and shelter features. Treat a single den, log pile or rock pile as a potential fauna management feature until assessed.

Typical home range: About 35 ha for females and 44 ha for males

Typical habitat association: Dry grassland and forest mosaics, especially where pasture borders eucalypt forest

  • Walk transects through all habitat that may be cleared, including retained areas that could receive relocated animals.
  • Search around the bases of fallen trees, under rocks, in underground burrows, beneath dense vegetation and along forest edges adjoining pasture.
  • Record the location, type and condition of each potential den or shelter feature using GPS and photographs.

Survey methodology: 2. Remote cameras

Use motion cameras as a primary direct detection method where habitat is suitable and access allows equipment to remain undisturbed. The available Australian mammal survey guidance identifies remote cameras as a cost-effective method for detecting quolls and for recording cats and foxes at the same time.

Place cameras on likely travel routes, beside den entrances, at forest and pasture edges, and near bait or lure stations where approved. Avoid placing equipment where it could obstruct an active den.

Leave cameras operating for at least three weeks when following the available quoll survey guidance. Use an appropriate time and date stamp and check equipment at intervals that do not compromise deployment duration.

Minimum camera deployment in the available quoll guidance: At least three weeks

Useful camera records: Eastern Quolls, Spotted-tailed Quolls, feral cats and foxes

  • Use photographs or video to distinguish Eastern Quolls from Spotted-tailed Quolls, noting that Eastern Quolls have no spots on the tail and are smaller and more lightly built.
  • Record feral cats, foxes, dogs and other predators on the same cameras because predator activity informs the disturbance risk and fauna management plan.
  • Do not treat a failure to photograph an animal as proof of absence where habitat remains suitable or survey conditions were poor.

Survey methodology: 3. Hair funnels and other direct detection

Use hair funnels as a supplementary or alternative direct detection method where cameras are unsuitable. The available quoll guidance recommends hair funnels placed 100 m apart, baited with sardines, tuna oil and flour, and operated for at least 14 consecutive nights.

Use a laboratory or suitably qualified analyst to identify hair where Eastern Quolls and Spotted-tailed Quolls may occur together. Hair identification can help resolve records that cannot be identified from field signs or photographs.

Use trapping only where it is necessary, approved and conducted by appropriately authorised personnel. The available guidance does not require cage trapping as the first detection method when cameras or hair funnels are used.

Hair funnel spacing in the available quoll guidance: 100 m apart

Minimum hair funnel deployment: 14 consecutive nights

Bait specified in the available quoll guidance: Sardines, tuna oil and flour

  • Keep a deployment register showing device locations, bait, dates, weather, equipment checks and evidence collected.
  • Do not use cage traps during periods when females may have large pouch young or den young unless the method has been specifically assessed and authorised.
  • Obtain all required animal ethics, wildlife and landholder approvals before using traps, handling animals or collecting samples.

Survey methodology: 4. Timing, conditions and identification

Conduct night surveys when Eastern Quolls are active, with particular attention to the breeding period from May to June and the wider activity period from May to August identified in the available quoll guidance.

Avoid relying on a single night, poor visibility, heavy rain, strong wind or unsafe conditions. Record weather, moon conditions, start and finish times, visibility and any factors that may reduce detection.

Expect seasonal changes in detection. Juveniles emerge from dens in November and December, and population numbers can increase three to four fold over summer before declining towards winter.

Peak survey period in the available quoll guidance: April to August, with peak activity from May to August

Breeding period: May to June

Juvenile emergence: November to December

  • Use experienced observers for spotlighting and vehicle or walking searches, with safe access and traffic controls on project sites.
  • Confirm species identity before acting on a record where Spotted-tailed Quolls are also present.
  • Treat denning females, pouch young and dependent young as a high-risk finding requiring immediate advice from the fauna ecologist and project environmental officer.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a combination of daytime habitat searches and direct detection methods rather than relying on one method.
  • As a minimum targeted program, deploy remote cameras for at least three weeks or hair funnels for at least 14 consecutive nights where those methods are suitable, and document the justification where the effort cannot be achieved.
  • Record all sightings, photographs, tracks, scats, hair samples, dens, mortality, predator records, survey effort and negative results with coordinates, dates and habitat descriptions.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant survey data to the appropriate state or territory wildlife database and notify the project environmental officer and relevant land manager.
  • Report any nationally significant record, unexpected population or material change in the impact assessment to the relevant Australian Government department.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Plan the project around the Eastern Quoll's use of connected grassland, woodland and forest habitat, den features and adjoining farmland. The species is nationally Endangered and is also listed in several jurisdictions, so confirm approvals before disturbance begins.

Redesign the work footprint to retain dry grassland and forest mosaics, forest edges, fallen logs, rocks, burrows and dense ground cover.

Retain connected habitat between feeding areas, den sites and adjoining grassland or forest. Avoid isolating retained patches with roads, fencing or cleared strips.

Avoid unnecessary night lighting, traffic and disturbance near known dens and retained habitat.

  • Keep machinery, stockpiles, access tracks and spoil outside retained habitat and mapped den or shelter features.
  • Retain fallen timber, rocks and ground cover wherever they do not create a direct safety or construction risk.
  • Use a project-specific buffer around confirmed dens and occupied habitat, set by the fauna ecologist after considering the animal, the work type, noise, vibration, lighting and access constraints.
  • Avoid creating conditions that increase access by feral cats, foxes or dogs.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and project planning

Check whether the action may have a significant impact on an EPBC Act Endangered species and obtain environmental advice on referral requirements before finalising the construction method.

Confirm state or territory threatened species requirements, wildlife permits, animal ethics approvals and fauna handling authorities for the jurisdiction where work will occur.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies survey results, habitat features, exclusion areas, stop-work triggers, handling responsibilities, release sites, injured animal procedures and reporting requirements.

National status: Endangered under the EPBC Act

Jurisdictional status identified in the supplied material: Endangered in the ACT, NSW and South Australia; threatened and regionally extinct categories are identified for Victoria

  • Include the Eastern Quoll in the project's threatened fauna risk register even where only potential habitat is present.
  • Obtain written approval for any translocation, trapping, collection of hair or biological material, treatment of animals and release into retained habitat.
  • Use a suitably qualified fauna ecologist to review the plan before clearing and after any material change to the work footprint.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete the pre-clearance survey close enough to the clearing date that habitat conditions and animal use remain representative.

Mark exclusion areas, den features, retained logs, rock piles, burrows, wet depressions, forest edges and movement connections before machinery enters the site.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block access to retained habitat, trap an animal inside the work area or sever movement between feeding and denning areas.

  • Brief all operators, supervisors and spotter catchers on the species' appearance, nocturnal activity, den features, stop-work triggers and reporting chain.
  • Inspect fencing daily for gaps, trapped animals and movement barriers, particularly after rain, wind or earthworks.
  • Stage clearing so that animals can move towards retained habitat, while preventing movement into active work zones or onto roads.
  • Do not remove logs, rocks, dense vegetation or other shelter features until the fauna ecologist has assessed them.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter catcher duties

Clearing must be supervised and controlled from the first disturbance of habitat until the area is safe. The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop machinery and must work in direct communication with the operator.

Hold a pre-start briefing each day covering the approved work area, exclusion zones, known records, weather, access routes, animal handling arrangements and emergency contacts.

Inspect the work area before disturbance for animals, fresh signs, active dens, tracks, scats, carcasses, logs, rocks and burrows.

Position the fauna spotter catcher where the operator can see and hear the direction to stop, and use agreed radio or hand signals.

Progressively clear small sections so each area can be checked before the next section is disturbed.

  • Stop machinery immediately when the spotter catcher identifies an animal, occupied den, unexpected hollow, burrow, rock refuge or other fauna risk.
  • Do not allow machinery to chase, corner, crush or force an Eastern Quoll into a road, drain, water body or predator access area.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and unnecessary noise away from an animal while the fauna ecologist assesses the situation.
  • Maintain a daily register of cleared area, machinery, supervisors, spotter catchers, weather, searches, findings, incidents and stop-work events.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Treat fallen logs, rock piles, underground burrows, dense grass and forest edge cover as potential Eastern Quoll shelter and den habitat.

Inspect logs, rocks and burrows before moving them. Where safe, lift or move features slowly under fauna supervision and check the ground and underside for animals.

Retain suitable logs and rocks in nearby connected habitat where they can provide dens and cover. Do not place them in locations that will be flooded, isolated or exposed to machinery.

Use a staged approach for large trees and hollow-bearing trees. The supplied material identifies logs, stumps, fallen trees and rock piles as den or shelter features, but does not provide Eastern Quoll specific hollow-tree dimensions or nest-box specifications.

  • Do not fill or collapse a burrow until it has been inspected and cleared by an authorised fauna handler.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury habitat features before the fauna ecologist confirms that no animal is present and the approved management plan allows the action.
  • Keep water, sediment, spoil and chemicals out of retained grassland, forest edges, wetlands and drainage lines used by fauna.
  • If a tree or log must be moved, place it in a connected retained area with similar cover and record its original and final location.

During habitat disturbance: Animal found, injured or dependent

Stop work and establish a quiet exclusion zone when an Eastern Quoll is found. Only an appropriately authorised fauna handler may capture, handle, contain or release it.

Allow an uninjured animal to move into nearby retained habitat where the fauna ecologist confirms that the route is safe and the release location is suitable.

Use a secure, ventilated container with appropriate bedding and minimal handling if capture is required. Keep the animal cool, quiet and away from people, machinery and pets.

Take an injured animal promptly to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, following the jurisdiction's wildlife permit and transport requirements.

  • Do not feed, water, sedate or treat the animal unless directed by a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer.
  • Check the surrounding area for pouch young or dependent young before moving a female.
  • Do not relocate an animal outside the approved release area or across roads, barriers or unsuitable habitat without written approval and specialist direction.
  • Record the animal's sex if known, age class, condition, capture location, release or treatment location, handler, time and photographs where this can be done safely.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

Stop work when an Eastern Quoll is found, when a suspected den or dependent young is identified, when exclusion fencing traps or blocks an animal, or when approved controls cannot be maintained.

Resume only after the fauna ecologist or other authorised person has inspected the situation, documented the control, confirmed the animal's safety and authorised restart.

  • Escalate immediately to the project environmental officer and construction supervisor for any death, injury, unapproved handling, escape into a work zone or damage to retained habitat.
  • Record all stop-work events, decisions, people involved, photographs, GPS coordinates, treatment, release, corrective action and restart approval.
  • Notify the relevant wildlife authority where required by the permit, approval, incident plan or state legislation.
  • Update the fauna management plan if the finding shows that the approved controls are not effective.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearing work must confirm that no animal remains in the disturbed area, that retained habitat is still functional and that all incidents and records have been closed out. Continue controls while machinery, traffic and temporary fencing remain on site.

Complete a final inspection of the cleared area, adjacent retained habitat, access tracks, drainage lines, exclusion fencing and material stockpiles.

Search for live animals, injured animals, carcasses, fresh tracks, scats, dens and displaced shelter features after clearing and after major changes to the site.

Check that all known release locations remain accessible, connected to cover and free from machinery, construction materials, dogs and unnecessary night lighting.

  • Remove or modify temporary fencing when it is no longer required, unless the fauna plan requires it to remain.
  • Repair gaps, erosion, sediment movement and vehicle damage that could expose retained habitat or allow predators into a refuge area.
  • Keep logs, rocks and other retained features in place and prevent their use as construction access or storage areas.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Continue camera or hair monitoring where the approval, fauna management plan or ecologist requires confirmation that Eastern Quolls remain in retained habitat or use a release area.

Compare post-work records with pre-clearance records, including detection effort, habitat condition, predator records, den features and animal incidents.

Provide the landholder, project environmental officer and relevant regulator with a completion report that documents clearing, fauna observations, handling, injuries, deaths, releases, retained habitat and corrective actions.

  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, including negative survey results where requested by the database or approval.
  • Report any unexpected Eastern Quoll occurrence, mortality or population decline through the approval incident process.
  • Retain raw camera files, photographs, GPS data, field sheets, permit records and veterinary or wildlife carer records for the period required by the approval.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

Maintain predator controls, fencing, habitat protection and access restrictions for as long as specified in the approval or fauna management plan.

Assess whether the project has reduced the area or quality of Eastern Quoll habitat, interrupted movement or increased exposure to cats, foxes, dogs, vehicles, fire or disease.

Where an approval requires an offset, restoration action or conservation payment, implement it in accordance with the approved offset strategy and document measurable outcomes.

  • Do not describe an offset as replacing retained habitat unless the approval expressly allows that treatment.
  • Link any offset or conservation action to the species' documented needs, including dry grassland and forest mosaics, den cover, predator management and viable translocated populations.
  • Review controls after extreme weather, fire, new predator records, road mortality or evidence of animal use in the work area.

Rehabilitation actions: Habitat structure and planting

Rehabilitation should restore connected, structurally varied habitat rather than only replanting trees. Eastern Quolls need access to open foraging areas, forest and woodland cover, den features and safe movement routes.

Re-establish a mosaic of dry grassland, open woodland, forest edge and dense ground cover that reflects the site's pre-disturbance habitat.

Use locally appropriate native grasses, shrubs and eucalypts selected by the project ecologist and land manager. The supplied sources describe habitat types but do not provide a universal planting list for all Australian regions.

Retain or reinstate low ground cover, fallen timber, rocks and other shelter features close to feeding areas and connected retained habitat.

Control weeds without creating food shortages, removing all cover at once or exposing animals to chemical bait and poisoning risks.

  • Avoid dense plantings that remove open foraging habitat or create isolated vegetation strips with no den cover.
  • Use local provenance and regional ecological advice for species selection because the Eastern Quoll occurs in Tasmania and in managed mainland populations and safe havens.
  • Protect new plantings from grazing, vehicle damage and soil compaction until they provide stable cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Logs, rocks, dens and artificial refuges

Place retained or salvaged logs and rocks in connected clusters that provide daytime shelter and den opportunities without blocking drainage or creating a machinery hazard.

Where natural den features cannot be retained, design artificial refuges with a fauna ecologist and obtain approval before installation. The supplied documents do not specify a standard Eastern Quoll nest-box or den design.

Do not install artificial refuges in isolated patches, beside roads, in areas exposed to dogs or near known feral cat or fox activity unless those risks are actively managed.

  • Inspect artificial and natural refuges during monitoring for use, flooding, collapse, pest occupation and safety problems.
  • Record the location, design, materials, installation date and maintenance history of each artificial refuge.
  • Keep construction spoil and mulch away from entrances to retained burrows, logs and rock refuges.

Rehabilitation actions: Predator, fire and access management

Manage feral cats and, for mainland reintroduced populations, foxes in accordance with the approved conservation and site management plan.

Prevent domestic dogs from entering retained habitat and release areas, and manage vehicle access where road mortality is a known risk.

Plan fire management to retain den cover and a dry grassland and forest mosaic. Use site-specific ecological advice because the sources do not provide a universal fire interval for Eastern Quoll habitat.

Maintain biosecurity controls where animals are translocated or held, particularly to reduce the risk of disease introduction to isolated or island populations.

  • Coordinate predator control with monitoring so that changes in cat and fox activity are detected and recorded.
  • Do not use poison bait where Eastern Quolls or other non-target fauna could access it unless the method is approved and risk controls are in place.
  • Keep firebreaks, access tracks and fuel treatments from severing movement between retained habitat patches.
  • Inspect rehabilitated areas after fire, drought, flood and extreme weather and repair lost cover or den features.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor rehabilitation for plant establishment, ground cover, den and shelter features, connectivity, predator activity, road mortality and Eastern Quoll detections.

Use remote cameras for at least three weeks or hair funnels for at least 14 consecutive nights where the approved monitoring program requires direct detection and those methods are suitable.

Set success measures before works begin. They should include survival of planted vegetation, retention of logs and rocks, functioning movement connections, absence of harmful fencing effects and confirmed use or continued presence of Eastern Quolls where detection is expected.

  • Record monitoring effort and conditions so that changes in detection can be interpreted rather than treated as changes in abundance without evidence.
  • Continue monitoring until the approval's performance criteria are met and the fauna ecologist confirms that controls can be reduced.
  • Use monitoring results to adjust planting, predator control, fencing, fire treatment and refuge placement through adaptive management.
  • Submit confirmed records and any mortality or significant management outcome to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and approval reporting system.

Sources