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Western Quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii)

The Western Quoll is a solitary, mostly nocturnal carnivorous marsupial now found mainly in south-west Western Australia, with translocated populations in South Australia and safe havens in New South Wales. On development sites, clearing can remove den logs, burrows, riparian vegetation, protective cover and prey habitat, while new roads and fragmentation increase exposure to vehicles and introduced predators.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

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

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Timing varies across the species' former and reintroduced range, but the documented breeding cycle is broadly consistent. Young may remain dependent in dens until about 24 weeks after birth.

Seasonal timing is based on the documented breeding cycle and may vary between populations and years. Confirm local timing before scheduling work.

  • Breeding: Mating occurs from April to July, with peak activity across the documented mating period.
  • Young: Young are born from May to September, remain in the pouch for about nine weeks, then stay in a den while the mother forages. They are fully weaned at about 24 weeks.
  • Movement and dispersal: Young begin to disperse at about 24 weeks. Depending on birth date, dispersal can extend from late spring or summer into the following autumn. Western Quolls also travel long distances within large home ranges.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from April to October because mating, births, pouch young and den-dependent young occur during this period. Den removal at any time can affect adults using multiple refuge sites.

Identification

Western Quolls are medium-sized, spotted dasyurid marsupials. They are usually detected at night, by camera, cage trapping, road mortality or signs around dens and feeding areas.

Adults have brown fur with distinctive white spots, large rounded ears, a pointed muzzle and large dark eyes. The tail is about three-quarters of the head and body length and has a black brush over the distal upper surface.

The species has a non-hopping gait. It is the largest carnivorous marsupial in Western Australia and is about the size of a small domestic cat.

Head and body: 26 to 40 cm

Tail: 21 to 35 cm

Adult male: Average 1.3 kg

Adult female: Average 0.9 kg

Identification: Similar species

The northern quoll is the main similar species in Western Australia, but its current distribution in the Pilbara and Kimberley does not overlap with the Western Quoll in the south-west. Confirm identification using the combination of white-spotted brown fur, rounded ears, pointed muzzle, black tail brush and non-hopping gait.

The Western Quoll is a dasyurid marsupial, not a feral cat. Its spots, rounded ears and long brush-tipped tail help distinguish it from a cat, while its gait and body shape distinguish it from hopping marsupials.

Identification: Field signs and detection

Western Quolls are primarily active at night, although they may be active during the day in the breeding season or when cold and wet conditions restrict nocturnal foraging. They rest during the day in hollow logs, tree limbs, rocky outcrops and burrows.

A sharp, guttural call may be given when an animal is threatened. Other useful records include infrared camera images, cage captures, direct observations, road-killed animals, tracks and scats.

Scats can be used for dietary analysis, including microscopic examination of remains or DNA analysis where greater resolution is needed. Search for shelter sites and signs during daylight before setting traps or cameras.

  • Record the location and condition of hollow logs, burrows, rock crevices and other potential den sites.
  • Use remote cameras or suitably supervised cage trapping to confirm presence where habitat appears suitable.
  • Treat a road-killed animal, scat, track or camera record as a potential site record and report it through the relevant state system.

Distribution: Current range by state and territory

The Western Quoll formerly occurred across about 70% of Australia and in every mainland state and territory. It now occupies about 5% of its former range, with natural free-ranging populations mainly in Western Australia and reintroduced or protected populations elsewhere.

In Western Australia, the main natural populations occur in the south-west, with lower-density records in the Midwest, Wheatbelt and Goldfields, and along the south coast east to the Ravensthorpe area. Records also occur in or near the Swan Coastal Plain and in translocated areas such as Kalbarri National Park.

South Australia has translocated populations, including the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park population and more recent releases in Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park. New South Wales has animals in safe havens, but the species is not a naturally persistent free-ranging component of the former mainland range there.

The species is considered extinct in the wild in Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory according to the cited historical range summaries. It formerly occurred in South Australia before recent reintroductions.

Distribution: Bioregions and strongholds

The recovery plan identifies records or populations across the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, Warren and Yalgoo Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia regions.

The strongest remaining natural concentrations are associated with jarrah forests and woodlands in south-west Western Australia and woodlands, mallee shrublands and heathlands along the south coast. Riparian jarrah forest has supported the highest recorded population densities.

The South Western Australia Mallee Woodlands Conservation Management Zone identifies the species as potentially present, but does not provide a percentage of total distribution or zone occupancy.

Distribution: Population size and trend

The species declined severely after European settlement because of habitat alteration and introduced predators. Its range contracted from approximately 70% of the continent to about 5% of the former range.

The 2012 recovery plan estimated fewer than 10,000 individuals in 2007. It noted that about 75% of those animals occurred in the eucalypt forests and woodlands, mallee heath and shrublands of south-western and south-coastal Western Australia.

Fox and feral cat control has increased abundance or trapping rates at some monitored sites, and translocations have extended the species' distribution. Population size remains difficult to estimate because animals are solitary, nomadic and occur at low density.

Former range: Approximately 70% of Australia

Current range: Approximately 5% of the former range

Estimated population in 2007: Fewer than 10,000 individuals

Estimated proportion in south-west and south-coastal habitats: About 75% of the estimated 2007 population

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Western Quolls use a wide range of terrestrial habitats, provided that prey, shelter and connected areas of suitable vegetation are available. They are most strongly associated with intact forest, woodland, mallee, heath and riparian habitats.

Known habitats include jarrah forest and woodland, salmon gum and morrel woodland, Melaleuca heath, mallee shrubland, low open shrubland, Callitris and Eucalyptus woodland, and arid grassland and Acacia woodland.

In South Australia, the species uses Callitris glaucophylla and Eucalyptus intertexta woodlands, rocky gorges and ranges, and low mallee, Allocasuarina and Acacia shrublands. Central Australian records were associated with Triodia and Plectrachne grasslands, rocky hills and ranges, open Acacia and Casuarina woodland, and ephemeral creek lines with Eucalyptus camaldulensis.

Habitat: Structural requirements

Suitable habitat must provide den and refuge sites, protective ground cover, adequate prey biomass and enough area for large home ranges. Hollow logs, earth burrows, tree hollows, rock crevices, rocky outcrops and dense riparian vegetation are important features.

Large areas of uncleared and connected vegetation are needed because Western Quolls travel long distances and are rarely found as persistent populations in severely fragmented habitat. Gaps through otherwise continuous habitat, roads beside uncleared vegetation and loss of riparian vegetation are particular concerns.

  • Retain hollow logs, large fallen timber, burrows, rock piles, rocky outcrops and tree hollows where they occur.
  • Retain riparian vegetation and connected vegetation between reserves or habitat patches.
  • Inspect areas proposed for clearing for den features and signs before works begin.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The documents describe Western Quolls from high-rainfall south-western forests through semi-arid woodlands and the Flinders Ranges to arid central Australian habitats. No elevation limit is provided in the cited documents.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Western Quolls are opportunistic ground-foragers that hunt mainly at night. They use a broad range of prey and can climb trees to obtain food or escape predators.

The diet includes mammals, large invertebrates, reptiles, birds, frogs, eggs, carrion and some plant material. Reported plant foods include the red pulp of Zamia seeds, small fruits and parts of flowers.

Important prey groups include crickets, scorpions, spiders, lizards, small mammals, birds and rabbits. The dominant prey changes with local availability, including during mouse plagues or where rabbits are abundant.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas and range

Foraging occurs on the ground through forest, woodland, mallee, heath, shrubland, grassland and rocky habitats. Western Quolls also use creek lines and riparian vegetation where these provide prey, cover and den sites.

Home ranges vary with sex, habitat, resource availability and predator control. Reported average home ranges in the semi-arid Ikara-Flinders Ranges were 2.45 km2 for females and 27.78 km2 for males. In the Lane-Poole area of Western Australia, reported home ranges were 3.37 km2 for females and a male core area of at least 4.15 km2. Other Western Australian guidance gives ranges of up to 3 to 4 km2 for females and up to 15 km2 for males.

Reported female home range, Ikara-Flinders Ranges: Average 2.45 km2

Reported male home range, Ikara-Flinders Ranges: Average 27.78 km2

Reported female home range, Lane-Poole: 3.37 km2

Reported male core area, Lane-Poole: At least 4.15 km2

  • Retain connected foraging habitat around den sites rather than protecting isolated logs or burrows alone.
  • Avoid reducing prey habitat through broad-scale clearing, removal of ground cover or high-intensity fire.
  • Manage food waste, poultry access and rodenticide use around worksites to reduce attraction to contaminated prey or conflict with people.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding is seasonal. Females need secure den sites and enough nearby food and cover to raise young while continuing to forage.

Mating occurs from April to July. Litters are born from May to September. Young remain in the pouch for about nine weeks, then stay in a den while the female forages. At about 15 weeks they are fully furred and beginning to eat solid food, and at about 24 weeks they are fully weaned and begin to disperse.

Both males and females can breed from one year of age. The average adult lifespan is reported as two years in one monitoring review, while a Western Australian fauna profile gives a maximum lifespan generally of three to four years.

Mating: April to July

Young born: May to September

Litter size: Up to six young

Pouch period: Approximately nine weeks

Fully furred and beginning solid food: About 15 weeks

Weaning and dispersal: About 24 weeks

Age at breeding: From one year

Lifespan: Average adult lifespan reported as two years; maximum generally three to four years

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat requires secure dens, protective cover, adequate prey biomass and connected vegetation. Core areas around den sites do not overlap between quolls, although broader home ranges may overlap.

Potential breeding refuges include hollow logs, earth burrows, tree hollows, hollow limbs, rocky outcrops and rock crevices. Clearing or moving these features can remove denning habitat even where no animal is present during a daytime inspection.

  • Retain den features and surrounding vegetation during clearing design and construction planning.
  • Inspect hollow logs, burrows, rock crevices and dense riparian vegetation before disturbance.
  • Schedule intrusive works outside the main breeding and dependent-young period where practicable, and use a fauna spotter catcher where disturbance cannot be avoided.

Sheltering habitat: Den and refuge types

Western Quolls shelter by day in concealed sites close to the core of their home ranges. They may use several dens rather than a single permanent refuge.

Known shelter sites include horizontal hollow logs, earth burrows, tree hollows, hollow limbs, rocky outcrops and rock crevices. Dense vegetation and riparian cover also provide protection from predators and weather.

The cited documents do not give a standard minimum den diameter, log length, hollow entrance size or burrow depth. All apparently suitable den structures should therefore be treated as potential habitat until inspected by a qualified person.

  • Do not remove, roll, burn or bury hollow logs without first checking them for fauna.
  • Check burrows, rock crevices, hollow limbs and dense vegetation before clearing or earthworks.
  • Retain a connected buffer of vegetation around den features where the project design allows.

Sheltering habitat: Daytime site checks

Search for active burrows, tracks, scats, fresh disturbance and other signs around potential refuges during the day. Burrows may be identified by footprints, scats or freshly moved earth.

A Western Quoll may leave a den to forage after dark, so an empty refuge during a daytime check does not demonstrate that it is unused. Remote cameras, cage trapping and radio-tracking are established methods for confirming use and monitoring den sites.

  • Record each potential refuge with a photograph, location, structure type and condition.
  • Use remote cameras or other approved survey methods where a den feature cannot be safely inspected.
  • Stop work and obtain ecological advice if a quoll, dependent young or occupied den is found.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss of intact habitat and den sites, fragmentation, vehicle strike and increased exposure to foxes and feral cats. Poisoning, trapping, shooting and high-intensity fire can also cause mortality or remove food and shelter.

Clearing removes den sites, protective cover and prey biomass. It is particularly damaging in riparian vegetation, where it creates new gaps in otherwise continuous habitat, progressively fragments habitat or requires roads through or beside uncleared vegetation.

Western Quolls are rarely persistent in severely fragmented habitat, although transient animals may pass through. Connected habitat corridors support movement and genetic flow between smaller reserves.

  • Avoid clearing riparian vegetation, den logs, burrows, rock refuges and connected strips of native vegetation.
  • Map potential den and refuge features before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Design crossings and access tracks to minimise gaps between habitat patches and avoid roads beside high-quality uncleared habitat where practicable.

Threats: Roads and vehicles

Western Quolls scavenge roadkill and may be struck by vehicles. New sealed roads through or beside habitat can also increase fragmentation and access for predators.

Road mortality is a recognised threat in south-western Western Australia, particularly where roads intersect habitat used for movement and foraging.

  • Control project vehicle speeds and night driving in occupied or potentially occupied habitat.
  • Secure food waste and do not leave carcasses or bait near roads or work areas.
  • Record and report road-killed animals and review vehicle controls if mortality occurs.

Threats: Foxes and feral cats

Foxes and feral cats prey on Western Quolls and compete with them for food. Juveniles and adults, especially females, are vulnerable to feral cat predation.

Fox baiting and feral cat control have been associated with increased quoll abundance or trapping success at monitored sites. Control methods must be planned to reduce risks to quolls and other non-target animals.

  • Do not allow construction activities to create unmanaged food sources or shelter for foxes and cats.
  • Coordinate predator control with the relevant land manager and threatened species specialists.
  • Inspect work compounds, waste areas and temporary buildings for opportunities that could attract introduced predators.

Threats: Fire, poisoning and other mortality

Broad-scale, high-intensity fire can destroy den logs and protective cover, reduce large invertebrate prey and make habitat more uniform. Fire can therefore have a medium-term effect similar to clearing.

Other reported causes of death include poisoning, trapping, illegal shooting and eating rodents that have consumed rodenticide. Conflict can occur where quolls prey on poultry or scavenge around human activity.

  • Keep quoll habitat, den logs and known refuge sites out of unnecessary high-intensity burns.
  • Do not use rodenticides, poisons or traps in or beside occupied habitat without an approved non-target risk assessment.
  • Manage poultry, food waste and other attractants so quolls are not drawn into conflict areas.

Threats: Hydrology and habitat condition

The documents identify riparian vegetation as particularly important habitat and report higher densities in riparian jarrah forest. Clearing, drainage, altered water movement or loss of creek-line vegetation can therefore remove shelter and prey habitat.

The cited documents do not quantify a species-specific hydrology threshold. Project assessment should focus on retaining riparian structure, den features, ground cover and prey resources.

  • Avoid unnecessary removal of creek-line vegetation and large woody debris.
  • Assess whether drainage, dewatering or altered overland flow could dry or disturb riparian refuge areas.
  • Maintain habitat connections along waterways and around known denning areas.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat and sign searches

Survey the Western Quoll, or Chuditch, as a nocturnal, mostly solitary ground-dwelling mammal that uses large home ranges, den sites and connected habitat. Use more than one method where the project may remove habitat, fragment movement routes or affect predator control areas.

Search the entire disturbance area and representative retained habitat for hollow logs, tree hollows, burrows, rock crevices, dense cover, riparian vegetation, tracks and scats before selecting trapping or camera locations.

Plan searches across all relevant habitat types using vegetation maps, aerial imagery and topographic mapping, then ground-truth the locations.

For small sites, use systematically spaced transects at 50 to 100 metre intervals, or search representative quadrats.

Search during the day for dens and other shelter features, then use targeted night surveys or trapping near features that show recent activity.

Record habitat condition, den features, prey resources, fox and cat signs, roads and likely movement routes.

Known shelter features: Hollow logs, tree hollows, rocky outcrops, rock crevices and burrows

Typical activity: Primarily nocturnal, with occasional daylight activity during breeding or cold, wet weather

Survey methodology: 2. Cage trapping

Use cage trapping as the primary method for estimating presence, distribution and relative abundance where access and animal welfare controls allow.

Use small cage traps with meat bait and check them in accordance with the relevant state standard operating procedure and project animal ethics requirements.

A commonly used Western Australian design has 50 traps spaced at 200 metres along a 10 kilometre transect, operated for at least four consecutive nights; five nights is commonly used in Western Australia and South Australia.

Adjust trap spacing to the habitat and expected home ranges, and state the spacing used in the report; published studies have used 200 to 500 metre spacing.

Avoid trapping during extreme heat, cold or wet weather, and do not leave traps set when they cannot be checked at the required frequency.

Record trap nights, captures, recaptures, sex, age class, body condition, location, bait, bycatch and any injuries.

Use a quoll-specific bait where bettongs or other non-target animals fill traps and reduce detection of quolls.

Reference index: One quoll per 100 trap nights, or 1 percent trap success, has been used as a population recovery measure

Published survey periods: January to June, outside the breeding period, and March and December have been used

Published capture effort: Four to five nights

Survey methodology: 3. Camera trapping

Use infrared motion-activated cameras to assess occupancy, presence or absence, movement routes and associations with habitat and pest animal activity.

Deploy cameras passively where disturbance is low, or use an approved lure where active detection is needed and the lure will not create an unacceptable predator or disease risk.

A published reintroduction design used 30 cameras in the release area, spaced at least 1 kilometre apart, with 14 additional cameras 1 to 10 kilometres away in a buffer area.

Place cameras at about 50 centimetres high and angle them towards tracks, creek lines, vehicle tracks or a lure positioned to show the quoll's spot pattern.

Run cameras for at least 2 to 4 weeks where possible, and use 30 days when a stronger basis for presence or absence is needed.

Record camera model, height, angle, lure, spacing, operational dates, effort, false triggers, quoll detections and individual identification where possible.

Published continuous monitoring period: Four to 4.5 years at a release site and almost three years in a buffer area

Individual identification: Quolls may be identified from their spot patterns

Survey methodology: 4. Radio-tracking and supplementary evidence

Use radio-tracking only under an approved wildlife research or translocation programme with appropriately trained personnel and animal ethics approval.

Use telemetry to locate den sites, measure movements and home ranges, assess dispersal and survival, and identify causes of mortality after clearing, fire or predator control.

Cage-capture animals for collaring only where the programme has the required approvals, equipment, veterinary support and planned monitoring effort.

Use scats, tracks, road-killed animals, hair samples and direct observations as supplementary evidence, not as the sole basis for clearing decisions where detectability is low.

Use scat analysis to investigate diet where required; DNA analysis provides greater resolution but costs more than microscopic analysis.

Published home-range examples: Female home ranges averaged 2.45 square kilometres and male home ranges averaged 27.78 square kilometres in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park

Published collaring effort: Studies have collared 17 to 100 percent of released animals, depending on the programme

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a diurnal habitat and sign search on every project site before disturbance, with transects at 50 to 100 metre intervals on small sites or an equivalent systematic design on larger sites.
  • Where suitable habitat is present, use either at least four consecutive nights of cage trapping or a camera survey of at least 2 to 4 weeks, extending camera deployment to 30 days where practicable.
  • Increase survey effort when habitat is connected to known populations, when predator control is operating nearby, when the site contains den features, or when initial results indicate presence.
  • Do not treat a negative survey as proof that Western Quolls are absent, because they are solitary, nomadic and difficult to estimate at low density.
  • Report survey dates, weather, effort, trap and camera spacing, bait or lure, habitat features, detections, non-detections, bycatch, animal welfare events and limitations.
  • Submit reliable records, including photographs, coordinates and supporting evidence, to the relevant state wildlife database or fauna records system and provide records required by the project approval.
  • Escalate a confirmed record or suspected den to the project ecologist and relevant state wildlife authority before disturbance proceeds.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat intact habitat, den sites and connected vegetation as constraints to be retained wherever practicable. The species is nationally Vulnerable and is listed as Endangered in South Australia and Vulnerable in Western Australia, so confirm Commonwealth and state requirements before works begin.

  • Retain large areas of uncleared vegetation, particularly riparian vegetation, because Western Quolls need extensive habitat, prey resources, cover and den sites.
  • Retain hollow logs, tree hollows, rock crevices, rocky outcrops, burrows, dense cover and habitat corridors between retained areas.
  • Avoid creating new gaps in otherwise connected habitat and avoid placing roads or other linear infrastructure through or beside retained quoll habitat where practicable.
  • Do not remove den logs or clear vegetation along waterways unless the impact has been assessed and approved.
  • Design the disturbance footprint around known detections, den features, movement routes and connected habitat rather than relying on a fixed generic buffer.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Breeding and young: Mating occurs between April and July, and young are born between May and September

State status: South Australia, Endangered; Western Australia, Vulnerable

  • Check whether the action requires referral or approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 because the Western Quoll is nationally listed as Vulnerable.
  • Check South Australian, Western Australian and other relevant state or territory legislation, permits, fauna handling requirements and clearing controls before work starts.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that defines survey effort, exclusion areas, clearing sequence, spotter catcher authority, handling procedures, stop-work triggers, release sites, injury response and reporting.
  • Schedule clearing outside the main breeding period where practicable; breeding and births occur mainly from April to July and May to September respectively.
  • Stage clearing so animals can move towards retained habitat, while preventing movement into active work areas, roads or predator-risk areas.
  • Consult the relevant wildlife authority and Traditional Custodians where required by approval conditions or local arrangements.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete the approved pre-clearance survey shortly before works, using the habitat search and detection methods specified for the site.
  • Mark all retained habitat, known dens, hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, rock features, burrows, riparian vegetation, exclusion areas and fauna movement routes before machinery arrives.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it will guide animals safely towards retained habitat and will not trap animals, block natural movement or create a road hazard.
  • Brief machinery operators on the site map, daily exclusion areas, spotter catcher signals, stop-work triggers and the location of release and veterinary facilities.
  • Inspect machinery, stockpiles, pipes, trenches and other artificial shelters before use or at the frequency required by the fauna management plan.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Use a controlled clearing sequence with a fauna spotter catcher present for all high-risk activities. Western Quolls can shelter in logs, hollows, rocky features and burrows, and may move through works areas at night or during dispersal.

  • Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the approved work area, habitat exclusions, weather, fauna observations, machinery movements and the spotter catcher's authority.
  • Use a qualified and authorised fauna spotter catcher to inspect the work area immediately before clearing and to remain in a position where they can see the clearing face and machinery interface.
  • Clear progressively from the least disturbed edge towards retained habitat, only where the fauna management plan and local conditions support that direction of movement.
  • Keep machinery stopped whenever the spotter catcher signals, enters the exclusion zone, investigates a habitat feature or reports an animal, injury or unsafe condition.
  • Use low-speed, controlled clearing near logs, hollows, rocks, burrows, dense vegetation and waterways, and do not crush or drag habitat features before inspection.
  • Do not allow night clearing unless it is specifically assessed, approved and supported by a species-appropriate fauna management procedure.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees, hollow logs, rock piles, rocky outcrops, burrows and dense refuge vegetation before removal or relocation.
  • Retain habitat features in place wherever practicable; if an approved removal is unavoidable, lower or move them carefully under the spotter catcher's direction and place them in nearby retained habitat.
  • Keep hollow logs and other refuge features on the ground in a stable position, with access openings clear and oriented to provide shelter.
  • Inspect felled trees, logs, rock piles, trenches, pipes, machinery cavities and stockpiles for animals before they are moved, buried or removed from site.
  • Prevent excavations, temporary fencing and materials from creating pits or barriers that restrict movement between retained habitat patches.
  • Protect riparian vegetation and drainage lines from unnecessary clearing, sediment, spoil placement and vehicle movement.

During habitat disturbance: Animal response, stop-work and records

  • Stop work immediately if a Western Quoll is found, if a suspected den is identified, if an animal is injured, or if the approved clearing conditions cannot be maintained.
  • Do not handle a quoll unless the person is authorised, trained and acting under the approved fauna management plan and relevant permit.
  • Keep people, dogs and machinery away from the animal, and allow the authorised fauna handler to assess whether it can move safely to nearby retained habitat.
  • If capture is required, use approved equipment and minimise restraint, heat exposure, noise and handling time.
  • Release a healthy animal into suitable nearby retained habitat only at a location and time approved by the project ecologist and relevant authority.
  • Take an injured or sick animal to the nominated veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer as soon as practicable, with the event recorded and reported as required.
  • Record the date, time, coordinates, habitat feature, animal condition, photographs, handler, action taken, release or treatment location and approval or permit reference.
  • Report any death, road strike, suspected poisoning, predation, trapping incident or unauthorised disturbance to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection and monitoring

Post-clearance work must confirm that no animal or den feature was missed and that retained habitat remains usable and connected. Continue controls until the site is stable and approval conditions are met.

  • Inspect the cleared area, retained edges, felled material, stockpiles, trenches, drainage structures and access tracks after each clearing stage.
  • Repeat targeted camera trapping or cage trapping where the pre-clearance survey detected a quoll, den, movement route or suitable refuge that was close to the disturbance footprint.
  • Use radio-tracking only where an approved programme has collared animals and requires post-work survival, movement or mortality information.
  • Check retained habitat for new barriers, vehicle strikes, exposed dens, loss of cover, erosion, fire impacts and increased fox or cat activity.
  • Maintain monitoring for the period specified by the approval or fauna management plan, and extend it if detections, injuries or mortality indicate an ongoing risk.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and ongoing controls

  • Provide the regulator, project owner and relevant state wildlife database with the required survey, clearing, handling, mortality and monitoring records.
  • Map the final disturbance footprint, retained habitat, relocated habitat features, release sites, exclusion areas and any new records.
  • Keep fauna exclusion fencing, speed controls, fauna crossings, trench checks and machinery inspection procedures in place until the project ecologist confirms they are no longer needed.
  • Investigate every quoll death or injury to identify whether vehicles, predators, poisoning, trapping, fire, clearing or another project activity contributed.
  • Apply approved offsets or conservation contributions where residual impacts cannot be avoided or minimised and an approval requires them.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and connectivity

Rehabilitation should restore shelter, prey resources and movement connections, not just ground cover. Prioritise habitat that can support dens and large home ranges, then measure whether the restored area is being used safely by Western Quolls.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate woodland, mallee, heath or riparian vegetation that matches the pre-disturbance community and the surrounding habitat.
  • Reconnect retained habitat patches with continuous native vegetation wherever practicable, because connected habitat supports movement and genetic flow.
  • Reinstate suitable hollow logs, large woody debris, rocks and stable refuge features from salvaged material where they are safe and approved for use.
  • Retain or install artificial hollows or nest boxes only where an ecologist confirms they are suitable for the site and can be maintained; natural hollow logs and burrows remain important refuge types.
  • Design drainage and wet areas to protect riparian vegetation, maintain natural movement routes and avoid creating open hazards or predator access points.
  • Control weeds and prevent rehabilitation areas from becoming heavily fragmented, overgrazed or dominated by bare ground.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire and introduced predator management

  • Plan fire management to avoid broad-scale, high-intensity fire that removes den logs, protective cover and prey biomass.
  • Use approved fuel reduction burning, firebreaks and back-burning only after assessing the location of dens, retained habitat and any collared animals.
  • Maintain fox and feral cat control around occupied and reintroduced populations in accordance with the relevant conservation programme and non-target animal requirements.
  • Monitor for foxes, feral cats, dogs, poisoned baits, traps and road-kill risk during rehabilitation and address project-related hazards promptly.
  • Do not use poison baits, traps or other control methods near quoll habitat without the required authority, risk assessment and non-target safeguards.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Recovery monitoring index: One quoll per 100 trap nights, or 1 percent trap success, has been used as a population recovery measure

Monitoring methods: Cage trapping, camera trapping, radio-tracking and scat analysis are established methods for this species

  • Set rehabilitation monitoring points in restored habitat, retained habitat and connected reference areas so results can be compared over time.
  • Use cameras to measure occupancy and movement, cage trapping to measure trap success where authorised, and scat, track and habitat checks as supplementary evidence.
  • Use a target of maintaining cage-trap success above 1 percent only where the same trapping method, effort and season are used consistently and the project approval adopts that measure.
  • Assess whether den features, native cover, prey resources, predator control and movement connections are present and functioning, rather than relying only on planting survival.
  • Inspect rehabilitation after heavy rain, fire, construction changes and predator-control operations, and repair barriers, erosion, failed plantings or lost refuge features.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval and report methods, effort, detections, mortality, habitat condition and corrective actions.

Sources