Head to head
Eastern Quoll vs Western Quoll
The eastern quoll and western quoll are both spotted carnivorous marsupials that suffered dramatic historical declines on opposite sides of Australia, and both are now the focus of active reintroduction efforts.
| Eastern Quoll | Western Quoll | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Dasyurus viverrinus | Dasyurus geoffroii |
| Historical range lost | Entire Australian mainland | Roughly 70% of the continent |
| Natural stronghold today | Tasmania | Southwestern Western Australia |
| Coat pattern | Spotted body, no tail spots, two colour forms | Spotted body over reddish-brown fur |
| Reintroduction status | Reintroduced to mainland sanctuaries and reserves | Reintroduced to fenced and managed reserves |
| Conservation status | Endangered | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Increasing | Increasing |
| Habitat | Forest, grassland | Forest, desert |
Eastern Quoll vs Western Quoll: common questions
Which quoll suffered a bigger range collapse, the eastern or western quoll?
The western quoll's collapse covered more ground in absolute terms, having once ranged across roughly 70 percent of the Australian continent before contracting to a small corner of Western Australia, while the eastern quoll's decline was total but confined to disappearing entirely from the mainland alone, since it survived throughout in Tasmania.
Are both quolls being reintroduced to the wild?
Yes, both species are the focus of active reintroduction programmes: the eastern quoll has been returned to fenced and, more recently, unfenced mainland sites after over 50 years of complete mainland absence, while the western quoll is being reintroduced to predator-managed reserves across parts of its former range in Western Australia.
How can you tell an eastern quoll from a western quoll?
Range is the clearest indicator, since the two species occupy opposite sides of the continent, but the eastern quoll also comes in a fawn or nearly black colour form with no tail spots, while the western quoll typically shows a more uniformly reddish-brown spotted coat.