Mammals
Western Quoll
Dasyurus geoffroii · also called chuditch
Known locally as the chuditch, a western quoll slips out of a hollow log at dusk to begin hunting, a species that once ranged across the vast majority of the Australian continent before contracting to a small corner of the southwest.
Overview
The western quoll, Dasyurus geoffroii, also known as the chuditch, is a spotted carnivorous marsupial native to forest and desert-fringe habitat restricted to southwestern Australia. Its dramatic historical range collapse from roughly 70 percent of the continent down to a single natural stronghold, cultural significance reflected in its Aboriginal name, and ongoing reintroduction success make it one of the more striking conservation recovery stories among Australia’s carnivorous marsupials.
From nearly everywhere to almost nowhere
Few Australian mammals illustrate the scale of historical mammal decline as clearly as the western quoll, a species that once ranged across most of the continent before predation and habitat change confined it to a fraction of its former range.
Status
Near Threatened, with active reintroduction programmes to fenced and predator-managed reserves cautiously expanding the species’ range and numbers beyond its restricted natural stronghold.
Western Quoll: common questions
How much has the western quoll's range shrunk?
This species once occupied roughly 70 percent of the Australian continent, but has since contracted dramatically to a small natural population confined to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, one of the more severe range collapses documented among Australian mammals.
What does chuditch mean?
Chuditch is the Noongar Aboriginal name for this species, widely used in Western Australia alongside its English common name, western quoll, reflecting the animal's long cultural significance to the region's Traditional Owners.
Is the western quoll being reintroduced elsewhere?
Yes, this species has been the focus of active reintroduction efforts to fenced and predator-managed reserves across parts of its former range, aiming to re-establish populations beyond its now-restricted natural stronghold in southwestern Australia.
What caused the western quoll's range to collapse so severely?
The species' dramatic historical decline is generally attributed to predation by introduced foxes and cats, combined with habitat loss and changed fire regimes across the vast area it once occupied, factors that reintroduction programmes now actively work to manage at release sites.