Diet of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) in eastern Australia:: effects of season, sex and size

The diet of spotted-tailed quolls Dasyurus maculatus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in the north-eastern tablelands of New South Wales was investigated by faecal analysis. Medium-sized mammals (500-6999 g) formed the bulk of the faecal content, in terms of both volume and frequency of occurrence. The most frequently consumed vertebrates were the greater glider Petauroides volans, rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, bandicoots Perameles nasuta and/or Isoodon macrourus, red-necked pademelon Thylogale thetis, ringtail possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus, and brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula and/or T. caninus. Insects were also eaten frequently, but birds and reptiles occurred relatively infrequently in the diet. The seasonal variation in diet was marked, with insects and reptiles being consumed more frequently, and mammals less frequently, in summer than in winter. This seasonal pattern was also mirrored by the relative volumes of mammals and insects consumed. The results obtained here indicate that the spotted-tailed quoll is an opportunistic predator, consuming a wide variety of taxa and apparently varying its diet to take advantage of short-term fluctuations in prey abundance. The extremely high proportion of mammals in the diet identifies D. maculatus as a hypercarnivore, or meat specialist. The importance of tree hollow-nesting mammals in the diet indicates that the preservation of hollow-bearing trees should aid the conservation of D. maculatus. Future dietary studies of the species should sample over extensive time periods and involve concurrent monitoring of prey populations.