Quoll is a small, spotted mammal that lives in the forests of New Guinea and Australia, including Tasmania. Quolls are marsupials—that is, the females give birth to extremely immature young that complete their development attached to the mother’s nipples. There are several species (kinds) of quolls.
Quolls have brown or black fur with white spots. The tiger quoll, the largest meat-eating marsupial on the Australian continent, grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, including the tail. The animal may weigh more than 13 pounds (6 kilograms). Quolls eat chiefly insects but also feed on birds, mice, and small lizards.
The female quoll normally has five to eight young, which attach themselves firmly to nipples within a pouch on her belly. The young leave the pouch after about three or four months. However, they may cling to the mother’s fur for a few more weeks. Quolls are threatened by destruction of their habitat and by introduced species, such as the cane toad.
