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Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)

The spotted-tailed quoll is Australia's largest native carnivorous marsupial and occurs from north-eastern Queensland through eastern Australia to Tasmania. It uses large areas of connected vegetation, several dens and abundant medium-sized prey, so clearing, road construction, fire and predator control can affect individuals well beyond the disturbance footprint.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

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

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies across the species' broad range, but the main breeding period is April to July. Dependent young may remain associated with a den until about September to January, depending on the timing of birth.

Before clearing, check for dens, latrines, scats and other signs across the proposed disturbance area and connected habitat. Timing does not remove the need for assessment because individuals use large home ranges and multiple dens.

  • Breeding and mating: Mating occurs from April to July. Gestation is about 21 days.
  • Pouch young and dependent young: Young remain in the pouch for about 12 weeks and become independent at about 18 to 21 weeks. Depending on birth timing, dependent young may therefore be present from about May to January.
  • Movement and dispersal: The species is highly mobile and can travel at least 8 km in a day and 19 km in a week. ACT records have largely occurred from May to August and are thought to include dispersing young males.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from April to July during mating and from about May to January when pouch young or dependent young may use dens. Clearing can also remove dens and habitat at any time of year.

Identification

The spotted-tailed quoll is a large, low-slung marsupial carnivore with a pointed face, short legs and a long tail. It is most reliably identified by the conspicuous white spots continuing onto the tail.

Adults have rich rufous-brown to dark fur above and paler underparts. White spots of varying size cover the back and continue along the tail, which separates this species from the other Australian quolls.

Males are substantially larger than females. Males can weigh up to 7 kg, while females can weigh up to 4 kg.

Identification: Distinguishing features

The spots on the tail are the key field feature. Other quoll species do not have the same pattern of conspicuous spots continuing along the tail.

Young animals can have indistinct spots, so body shape, the large size of older animals and the distribution of the record should also be considered. A confirmed identification may require clear photographs, hair analysis or genetic testing of suitable material.

  • Record the full body and tail pattern where possible, rather than relying on a single dorsal photograph.
  • Do not treat an unconfirmed sighting as a species record when the tail is not visible or the animal is very young.
  • Hair samples can identify spotted-tailed quoll material, although the technique does not distinguish all listed subspecies without considering the sampling location.

Identification: Field signs and behaviour

The species is mainly solitary, highly mobile and active at night, although it can also be active during the day. It uses communal latrine sites, often on exposed rocky outcrops.

Scats are useful indirect evidence, but identification can require an experienced observer, expert assessment or DNA testing. Other useful evidence includes camera records, road records, tracks and reliable community observations.

Mothers and young use clucks and other calls to locate each other. Threatened animals can growl or produce high-pitched screeches.

  • Search rocky outcrops, den entrances and movement routes for repeated latrine use and scats.
  • Photograph and record the position of scats, latrines, tracks, dens and carcasses with a GPS.
  • Use camera traps or other direct methods where scats cannot be confidently assigned to species.

Distribution: National range

The species is endemic to eastern Australia, with listed populations extending from north-eastern Queensland to Tasmania. The mainland range has contracted substantially and populations are fragmented and isolated.

The north Queensland subspecies, Dasyurus maculatus gracilis, is restricted to north-eastern Queensland, including the Wet Tropics and higher elevation areas.

The south-eastern mainland population, Dasyurus maculatus maculatus, occurs from southern Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to south-western Victoria. Historical and scattered records also extend into south-eastern South Australia, where the species is considered extinct by the ACT action plan source.

A separate listed population occurs in Tasmania. The species is recorded from coastal and inland forests, but is most commonly reported in New South Wales and Victoria on the mainland.

  • Queensland: north-eastern Queensland for D. m. gracilis, and southern Queensland for the south-eastern mainland population.
  • New South Wales: mainly along both sides of the Great Dividing Range, with scattered unconfirmed records in western areas.
  • Victoria: eastern and south-western forested areas.
  • South Australia: formerly present in the south-east, with the population considered extinct in the cited ACT action plan.
  • Australian Capital Territory: occasional records, mostly associated with movement from adjoining New South Wales.
  • Tasmania: a separate listed population distributed across suitable Tasmanian habitat.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Known strongholds include protected forest in south-eastern New South Wales, including Kosciuszko National Park, and parts of north-eastern New South Wales. The ACT is connected to strongholds in Kosciuszko National Park, but the ACT action plan states that an endemic ACT population does not appear to be established.

The three EPBC Act listed taxa are the north Queensland population, the south-eastern mainland population and the Tasmanian population.

  • Kosciuszko National Park and adjoining areas are important for the south-eastern mainland population.
  • The Namadgi National Park, Tidbinbilla and adjoining forest links provide movement connections in the ACT region, although recent ACT detection has been low.
  • North-eastern New South Wales supports areas with relatively high quoll numbers where hollow-bearing trees, fallen timber and low fox density are maintained.

Distribution: Trend and available numbers

The species has declined in range and abundance since European settlement. The available estimates indicate a decline of 50 to 90 per cent across the mainland generally and 25 to 50 per cent in New South Wales, although these are historical estimates rather than a current national population count.

In one 3 km walked transect in the Lower Snowy and Byadbo area of Kosciuszko National Park, about 60 latrines were found during the 2017 survey, with some containing more than 30 scats. This is an index of local activity, not an estimate of population size.

Estimated mainland decline: 50 to 90 per cent since European settlement

Estimated NSW decline: 25 to 50 per cent

ACT confirmed sighting records since the 1950s: 29 live or dead animal records, plus 32 records of hair, scats or DNA

Kosciuszko National Park survey result: About 60 latrines along one 3 km transect in 2017

Habitat: Habitat types

Spotted-tailed quolls occupy a broad range of terrestrial habitats, but they need connected vegetation, denning resources and enough medium-sized prey to support large home ranges.

Recorded habitats include rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest, riparian forest, swamp forest, woodland, heathy woodland, coastal heathland, scrub, dunes, mangroves, beaches and grassland or pastoral areas beside forest.

In New South Wales, the species occurs along both sides of the Great Dividing Range and may use coastal and upland forests. It can occur from sea level to about 1,500 m elevation.

Recorded elevation: Sea level to 1,500 m

Habitat setting: Forests, woodlands, rainforests, coastal heathlands, riparian areas, wetlands, rocky areas and adjacent open country

Habitat: Structural requirements

Habitat critical to survival includes large forest patches with adequate denning resources and relatively high densities of medium-sized mammalian prey.

Important structural features include complex rock outcrops, hollow-bearing trees, fallen timber, hollow logs, dense vegetation and connected forest links. Hollow-bearing trees also support prey species such as gliders and possums.

  • Retain large forest patches and continuous or near-continuous vegetation between denning areas and feeding areas.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, fallen timber, rock outcrops and dense ground cover.
  • Treat all occupied habitat within the current range as important because potential recolonisation habitat cannot currently be mapped reliably.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Spotted-tailed quolls are obligate carnivores that forage over large areas. They hunt on the ground, climb trees and also scavenge.

Recorded prey includes possums, gliders, small wallabies, bandicoots, rabbits, rats, birds, reptiles and insects. The species also takes carrion and may take domestic poultry.

Smaller quolls consume a greater proportion of insects relative to mammal prey during winter. Insects, reptiles and birds are also taken during summer.

  • Retain habitat that supports medium-sized mammals, especially possums, gliders, bandicoots, rats and rabbits.
  • Protect fallen timber, hollow-bearing trees and dense vegetation that support prey and provide cover during hunting.
  • Check open pasture, roadsides and construction areas as well as forest because quolls can forage in open country beside forest.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range and movement

Home ranges extend from several hundred to several thousand hectares. Males generally have larger ranges than females, and female ranges are generally smaller and do not overlap.

Individuals can move several kilometres in a night. One study recorded movements of at least 8 km in a day and 19 km in a week.

Recorded daily movement: At least 8 km

Recorded weekly movement: 19 km

Recorded male home ranges: 1,755.4 to 3,761.7 hectares

Recorded female home ranges: 495.9 to 1,113.0 hectares

  • Assess connected habitat and likely movement routes beyond the clearing boundary.
  • Do not assume that a small cleared area is isolated from quoll use when it lies within or beside forested habitat.
  • Record prey-rich gullies, riparian flats, rocky areas, hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber as part of the site assessment.

Breeding habitat: Breeding cycle

Breeding is seasonal and females provide all care. Females use protected dens and need reliable prey close enough to the den to support young.

Females breed about once a year, although the ACT action plan notes that some females may breed only once or twice during their lives. After birth, young remain in the rudimentary pouch for about 12 weeks, then remain dependent while the female brings food to the den.

Young become independent at about 18 to 21 weeks. Females prepare den sites with grasses, sedges and other soft material and may spend little time away from the den after young leave the pouch.

Breeding season: April to July

Gestation: About 21 days

Average litter size: 5 young

Reported litter range: 2 to 6 young

Pouch period: About 12 weeks

Independence: About 18 to 21 weeks

Age at sexual maturity: About 12 months

Typical wild lifespan: About 2 to 5 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Females use multiple dens and may regularly move between more than 20 sites. Suitable breeding areas provide secure dens, dense ground cover and nearby prey.

Important denning and breeding features include rock crevices, caves, boulder piles, hollow logs, hollow tree buttresses, tree hollows, windrows, clumps of vegetation, rabbit or wombat burrows and underground burrows.

  • Inspect and retain potential dens before clearing, including rock crevices, hollow logs, hollow trees, boulder piles, windrows and burrows.
  • Maintain dense vegetation and fallen timber around denning features.
  • Plan disturbance to avoid April to July mating and the period when pouch young or dependent young may be present, unless a suitably qualified fauna professional has assessed the risk.

Sheltering habitat: Dens and refuges

Spotted-tailed quolls use several shelter sites across their home range rather than relying on one den. Shelter is provided by both natural structures and suitable animal burrows.

Recorded dens include rock shelters, rock crevices, small caves, boulder tumbles, hollow logs, hollow tree buttresses, tree hollows, windrows, clumps of vegetation, rabbit and wombat burrows, and sites under buildings.

Rocky outcrops are often preferred for denning, and latrines are commonly located in exposed areas such as rocky outcrops. Females can dig burrows where the substrate allows.

  • Inspect rocky outcrops, caves, boulder piles, hollow logs, tree bases, large tree hollows, windrows and animal burrows before earthworks.
  • Retain multiple shelter sites within connected vegetation because individuals regularly move between dens.
  • Avoid filling or blocking rabbit and wombat burrows until their use by quolls and other native fauna has been assessed.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter structure

No single den size is provided in the cited documents. The consistent requirement is secure, enclosed shelter with ground cover and nearby prey.

Hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber are important both as direct shelter and because they support prey populations.

  • Retain hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber, including where they appear to be potential prey habitat rather than an obvious quoll den.
  • Keep ground cover and vegetation around rocks, logs, tree bases and burrow entrances where practicable.
  • Record den-like features and signs before clearing, then protect them from machinery, spoil placement, trenching and excessive fire exposure.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The species is vulnerable to threats that remove denning resources, reduce prey, kill individuals or isolate populations. Large home ranges and low population densities mean that local impacts can affect animals using a much wider area.

Clearing, habitat modification and fragmentation reduce forest area, den sites, prey habitat and movement connections. Loss of large hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber is particularly important where rock dens are scarce.

Construction, mining, roads and infrastructure can remove occupied habitat and create gaps between forest patches. The species may still move through modified areas, so impacts should not be assessed only within the vegetation being cleared.

  • Avoid clearing large forest patches, connected riparian vegetation, rocky outcrops, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs and dense ground cover.
  • Map potential movement routes and denning features before finalising clearing limits and access tracks.
  • Stage clearing so that fauna professionals can inspect dens and respond to any live animal or dependent young.

Threats: Roads and machinery

Road mortality is a recognised national threat. New roads, widened roads, traffic and night works can increase the risk of collision and can disrupt movement between denning and feeding areas.

Animals may be encountered in construction areas, on roads or in nearby open country because they travel several kilometres in a night and use large home ranges.

  • Include quoll records, den sites, latrines and likely movement routes in the traffic and fauna management plan.
  • Use fauna spotter catchers during vegetation removal and around identified shelter features.
  • Manage night-time vehicle movements and inspect roads for carcasses or injured animals during active construction.

Threats: Fire and habitat condition

Bushfire and prescribed burning can remove cover, hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber. Short fire intervals may reduce hollows and affect prey, particularly where rock dens are uncommon.

Weeds, climate change and altered fire patterns can reduce habitat quality and increase the effects of fragmentation.

  • Protect rocky outcrops, hollow-bearing trees, fallen timber and dense vegetation when planning firebreaks and burns.
  • Avoid short fire intervals that remove denning resources and the structural features used by prey.
  • Control weeds without removing shelter features or disturbing known den and latrine sites.

Threats: Predators, baiting and other threats

Foxes and feral cats prey on quolls and compete with them for food. Feral cats can also spread disease. Feral dogs, deliberate killing and persecution over alleged stock or poultry losses are additional threats.

Poison baiting can kill individual quolls. The risk is of particular concern where populations are small, fragmented or declining, even if some populations persist in areas with a history of baiting.

Other recognised threats include timber harvesting, cane toad poisoning in relevant parts of the range, climate change and loss of prey.

  • Design fox and feral cat control to reduce non-target exposure and follow best practice procedures for spotted-tailed quolls.
  • Assess bait type, placement, timing, frequency and intensity because susceptibility may vary with these factors.
  • Keep domestic poultry and livestock management separate from persecution of quolls, and report confirmed sightings or incidents to the relevant wildlife authority.
  • Consider cane toad risk in northern parts of the range and prevent access to toxic control materials wherever practicable.

Survey methodology: 1. Review habitat and records

Survey design must account for the spotted-tailed quoll’s low density, large home ranges, solitary behaviour and mostly nocturnal activity. Use several detection methods because the species may be recorded by scats, hair, camera traps, sightings, road records or direct observation.

Before fieldwork, map forest, woodland, rainforest, coastal heathland, scrub, dunes, swamp forest, riparian areas, rocky outcrops, hollow-bearing trees, fallen timber, caves, rock crevices, hollow logs and potential burrows.

Check state wildlife databases, local records, road-kill records, wildlife carers, landholders and relevant Traditional Owner groups. Community consultation has been used to detect spotted-tailed quolls and can provide historical records.

Treat all known occupied habitat within the species’ current distribution as important where the site is within range. The national recovery plan states that habitat critical to survival cannot currently be mapped precisely.

Breeding season: April to July

Recorded movement capacity: At least 8 km in one day and 19 km in one week

Recorded den types: Rock crevices, hollow logs, hollow tree buttresses, tree hollows, caves, boulder tumbles, vegetation clumps, rabbit or wombat burrows and buildings

  • Record the nearest confirmed records, dates, evidence type and distance from the project area.
  • Give particular attention to connected forest, rocky country and areas with many dens or medium-sized mammalian prey.

Survey methodology: 2. Day searches for habitat resources and signs

Search during daylight for rocky outcrops, caves, boulder piles, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, dense vegetation, burrows, latrine sites and tracks or diggings.

Inspect likely latrine sites, especially exposed rocky outcrops. Mark each location with a GPS point and record the habitat feature, evidence type, apparent age and photographs.

Collect scats only where authorised and where collection will not damage the site. Scats may require expert identification or genetic testing because field identification is not always reliable.

Specified indirect-search effort: Two hours per hectare for each one hectare survey site, within a subject site up to 5 hectares

Scat sample timing for DNA: Scats less than one day old are suitable for DNA collection, subject to expert collection and preservation advice

  • Use the survey guideline effort for indirect searches where applicable: two hours of search time for each one hectare survey site in a stratified sampling program, for a subject site up to 5 hectares.
  • Record weather, recent rain, fire history, search area, search time, observers and the condition of each sign.
  • Use hair sampling devices only with suitable equipment and an identification pathway. The survey guideline identifies spotted-tailed quoll hair samples as potentially identifiable, but notes that the method may not separate all listed subspecies.

Survey methodology: 3. Camera trapping and spotlighting

Use motion-sensor cameras at rocky outcrops, latrine sites, den entrances, tracks, fallen timber, creek crossings and other travel points identified during habitat searches.

Use cameras for a period that reflects the species’ low density and large home ranges, and document the number of cameras, deployment dates, spacing, operating hours, bait or lure, weather and independent detection events. The supplied survey guideline does not provide a spotted-tailed quoll-specific camera duration or spacing.

Conduct spotlighting at night along forest tracks, fire trails, creek lines, rocky outcrops and other suitable habitat. Record start and finish times, route length, observer numbers, weather, moon phase, spotlight type and all detections.

Avoid relying on one negative survey to conclude that the species is absent. Quolls can move several kilometres in a night and may be missed by short or poorly placed surveys.

  • Use non-toxic approaches unless baiting has been assessed and authorised under the project fauna management plan.
  • Do not place cameras or survey equipment where they obstruct movement to a den or latrine.
  • Follow animal ethics, permit and land access requirements for any capture, lure or handling method.

Survey methodology: 4. Targeted nocturnal and seasonal work

Plan repeated night surveys where the project could affect connected forest, rocky denning habitat or known records. The supplied guideline extract does not state a fixed number of nights or hours for spotted-tailed quolls, so the project ecologist must justify effort from habitat quality, project risk, records and survey results.

Give additional attention to April to July, the breeding season, and to the period when females may be denning and raising young. Do not disturb a suspected den without a species-specific fauna management decision.

In the ACT, the action plan describes annual scat inspection at likely latrine sites in early spring and larger surveys at about 10-year intervals. Apply this as regional context, not as a universal project standard.

Breeding period: April to July

ACT example for scat monitoring: Early spring inspections at likely latrine sites

ACT example for broad surveys: Approximately every 10 years

  • Schedule surveys in suitable weather and avoid periods when heavy rain, strong wind or other conditions are likely to reduce detection.
  • Repeat surveys after significant habitat changes, fire or new records.
  • Use qualified personnel who can distinguish spotted-tailed quoll evidence from fox, cat and other mammal signs.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Prepare a written survey design that states the target habitat, survey area, timing, effort, weather, methods, personnel, limitations and decision rules for additional work.
  • Use at least the specified indirect-search effort where that method is selected: two hours per hectare for each one hectare survey site in a stratified program, for a subject site up to 5 hectares.
  • Report every confirmed, probable and unresolved record to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, including GPS location, date, evidence type, photographs, genetic results where available and the project name.
  • Submit nationally relevant records and survey results through the project’s EPBC Act assessment or approval reporting pathway where applicable.
  • Retain raw camera files, photographs, scat or hair sample records, track logs, field sheets and chain-of-custody information.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid clearing or isolating habitat before confirming whether spotted-tailed quolls use the site. The species occupies large home ranges, uses multiple dens and depends on connected habitat with denning resources and prey.

  • Avoid clearing forest, woodland, rainforest, riparian vegetation, rocky outcrops, caves, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, boulder piles, dense ground cover and potential burrows.
  • Retain connected vegetation between the work area and adjoining protected or occupied habitat.
  • Retain fallen timber, hollow-bearing trees and denning structures because they provide shelter, movement routes or habitat for prey.
  • Avoid placing permanent roads, fences, lighting, compounds or drainage structures across likely travel routes, creek lines or connections between den sites.
  • Keep works outside known denning and latrine areas wherever practicable, and establish site-specific no-go areas after the pre-clearance survey.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

  • Check whether the proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on the EPBC Act listed population or taxon and obtain project-specific advice on referral, approval and conditions before work starts.
  • Check state and territory threatened species legislation, permits, animal ethics requirements and wildlife rehabilitation arrangements before survey, capture, handling or relocation.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey results, exclusion zones, clearing sequence, spotter catcher authority, stop-work triggers, handling procedures, release areas and reporting requirements.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat, movement routes and adjoining vegetation remain available while fauna management controls are operating.
  • Schedule high-risk clearing outside April to July where practicable, and obtain a species-specific decision before disturbing a suspected den during that period.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

Adult average weight: About 3.5 kg for males and about 2 kg for females

Key identification feature: White spots continue along the back and tail, unlike other Australian quoll species

  • Complete the pre-clearance survey using day searches, scat searches, camera traps and night detection methods suited to the habitat and project risk.
  • Mark no-go areas, den features, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, rocky outcrops, boulder piles, burrows, latrines and movement routes on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block access to retained habitat, den sites, water or movement routes, and inspect it before and during clearing.
  • Brief machinery operators, supervisors and all spotter catchers on the species’ appearance, nocturnal behaviour, denning resources, stop-work triggers and escalation contacts.
  • Remove unnecessary food waste, carcass material and attractants that could increase fox, cat or dog activity around the work area.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter catcher duties

Clearing must proceed slowly enough for the fauna spotter catcher to inspect habitat and respond to animals, dens and shelter features. Machinery must stop whenever the approved fauna management plan requires it or when a new risk is identified.

  • Hold a daily pre-start meeting covering the work area, retained habitat, weather, access routes, planned clearing sequence, communications and stop-work triggers.
  • Use an appropriately authorised fauna spotter catcher during all vegetation and habitat feature removal that could affect the species or its denning resources.
  • Keep machinery within approved limits and clear in stages, allowing the spotter catcher to inspect each tree, log, rock feature, burrow and dense vegetation patch before disturbance.
  • Maintain a clear communication method between the spotter catcher, machinery operator and supervisor, including an immediate stop signal.
  • Record the area cleared, habitat features removed or retained, animal observations, injuries, relocations, incidents, photographs and any departure from the plan.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features

  • Do not fell a hollow-bearing tree, move a large hollow log, disturb a rock shelter, dismantle a boulder pile or collapse a burrow until the spotter catcher has inspected it and the fauna management plan permits the action.
  • Retain hollow-bearing trees, fallen timber, rock crevices, caves, dense vegetation and other suitable den features wherever practicable.
  • If a feature must be removed, inspect it during daylight and use a staged, low-impact method that gives an animal an opportunity to leave without being chased or trapped.
  • Keep excavations, trenches, spoil piles and temporary barriers open only for the shortest practicable period, and inspect them for trapped fauna before work resumes.
  • Protect riparian vegetation and wet areas that provide cover, prey and movement routes.

During habitat disturbance: If a quoll is found

  • Stop work immediately in the animal’s vicinity and keep people, machinery, dogs and vehicles away.
  • Do not chase, corner, feed or handle the animal unless the person is authorised and the approved fauna management plan allows handling.
  • Allow an uninjured animal to move to nearby retained habitat where it can leave safely, unless the authorised fauna handler determines that capture is required.
  • Relocate an animal only to suitable nearby retained habitat identified in advance, with cover, denning resources and a connection to surrounding habitat.
  • Place an injured or distressed animal in the hands of an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian as soon as practicable, following approved transport and animal welfare procedures.
  • Treat a female with a pouch or a quoll found near a den as a high-risk breeding record and seek advice before work resumes.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

  • Stop work if a spotted-tailed quoll, suspected den, fresh scat concentration, hair sample, camera record or other credible evidence is found in an area not covered by the approved plan.
  • Stop work after an injury, entrapment, death, unplanned habitat removal, machinery strike or failure of exclusion fencing until the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have reviewed the incident.
  • Report the location, date, time, evidence, action taken, people involved, photographs, condition of the animal and final outcome.
  • Notify the relevant regulator, wildlife authority, land manager and approval holder where required by the approval or permit.
  • Update the clearing map and fauna management plan before restarting work in the affected area.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearing work must confirm that animals were not left in the work area and that retained habitat, movement routes and controls remain effective. Any new record must be treated as evidence that the project’s risk assessment needs review.

  • Inspect the cleared area, retained vegetation edge, excavations, trenches, stockpiles, fencing and access tracks for live or injured fauna before each work shift and after major weather events.
  • Reinspect retained dens, hollow logs, rocky outcrops and other marked features after vibration, blasting, flooding, fire or nearby earthworks.
  • Continue camera, scat or spotlight monitoring where a pre-clearance record was made, where a den was retained or where the project borders connected habitat.
  • Check that temporary barriers do not prevent movement between retained habitat patches or cause animals to enter roads, compounds or drainage structures.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Compare post-work detections with pre-work records, including the number and location of cameras, survey routes, scat records, latrines and confirmed sightings.
  • Report all records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and through any EPBC Act approval reporting process.
  • Report fauna incidents, relocations, injuries, deaths, habitat feature losses, control failures and corrective actions to the approval holder and regulator where required.
  • Maintain monitoring for the period specified in the approval, fauna management plan, offset condition or rehabilitation plan.
  • Review the project controls if quolls continue to use the site, if movement routes are blocked or if predator activity increases.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls and offsets

  • Keep no-go areas, exclusion fencing, fauna crossings, retained vegetation and denning features protected for the duration of the works and maintenance period.
  • Control introduced predators and weeds where this is an approved management action and where it will not create additional risk from baiting or disturbance.
  • Provide offsets or other approved compensation measures where required by the EPBC Act approval, state approval or project conditions.
  • Ensure offset or conservation areas retain habitat features, connectivity and management arrangements suitable for spotted-tailed quolls.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild connected habitat with shelter, denning features and prey resources. It should also reduce weeds and introduced predator pressure without creating new risks from baiting, fire or infrastructure.

Known den resources: Rock crevices, hollow logs, hollow tree buttresses, tree hollows, windrows, vegetation clumps, caves, boulder tumbles, rabbit or wombat burrows and underground burrows

Known habitat types: Rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest, coastal heathland, scrub and dunes, woodland, heathy woodland, swamp forest, mangroves, beaches and grassland or pastoral areas near forest

  • Replant locally appropriate native vegetation that recreates the forest, woodland, rainforest, riparian, heathland or scrub community present before disturbance.
  • Prioritise dense ground cover, shrubs, mature trees and vegetation along creek lines and between retained habitat patches.
  • Retain and reinstate suitable fallen timber, hollow logs, rock piles, boulder features and natural ground cover where safe and approved.
  • Protect existing hollow-bearing trees and allow replacement trees to mature; use nest or den boxes only where a qualified ecologist confirms that they are suitable and can be maintained.
  • Recreate or protect burrows, rock crevices and other den features where they occur naturally, without directing animals towards roads, active work areas or domestic animals.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage weeds, predators and fire

  • Control weeds so that native ground cover, shelter and prey habitat can regenerate.
  • Plan fox and feral cat control with the project ecologist and relevant authorities, using methods that minimise poisoning and other risks to spotted-tailed quolls.
  • Use best-practice baiting procedures where predator control is approved, because individual quolls can be poisoned even though field studies indicate that impacts vary between operations.
  • Protect hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber when preparing fire plans, because short fire intervals can reduce hollows and other denning resources.
  • Use a fire regime that maintains habitat diversity and avoids repeated fire before denning resources and ground cover recover.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor rehabilitation success

ACT monitoring example: Annual inspection of likely scat sites in early spring, with broader surveys approximately every 10 years

Relevant detection evidence: Scats, hair, camera records, sightings, tracks and road or wildlife carer records

  • Set measurable rehabilitation targets for native plant establishment, ground cover, weed reduction, retained or reinstated den features, predator activity and habitat connectivity.
  • Inspect restored areas after planting, major rain, fire and maintenance works, and repair erosion, fencing failures and damaged den features.
  • Use annual or project-specific scat searches, camera traps and night surveys at likely latrines, rocky outcrops, den features and movement routes.
  • Record whether spotted-tailed quolls or their signs return, whether prey habitat is developing and whether animals can move between retained habitat areas.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and retain monitoring data for approval audits and future management.

Sources