Animal Not Seen For Over a Hundred Years Shows Up To Attack Chickens

A trout farmer from Beachport, on the southeast coast of South Australia, has made an extraordinary discovery. Something had been stealing his chickens! So, he had set up some traps to catch what he thought would probably be a domestic cat. However, he was very shocked when he trapped an animal (a small mammal) that he had never seen before. The original animal escaped from the trap, but he alerted the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). They arrived with another trap and caught what was probably the same animal. It has now been identified as a spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus).

What makes this discovery so remarkable, is that this species was considered extinct in South Australia. They have not been seen here for over 100 years. The closest known populations are in southeastern Australia and Queensland. There is also a large population in Tasmania. The farmer now thinks that he has captured some video footage of other spotted tail quolls taking fish bait from around his farm and has spoken to a local news station about his remarkable find. NPWS will now carry out genetic tests on the animal to try to determine where it has come from. They are also setting up some night vision cameras to try to find out if there are more quolls in the Beachport area.

Where Do Spotted Tail Quolls Normally Live?

According to the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, the spotted tail quoll is found along both sides of the Great Dividing Range. The location is from the Victoria to the Queensland borders. However, there are some unconfirmed reports that they have also been spotted in the western part of New South Wales.

In terms of habitat, they can be found in forests and woodlands, however, they are also found in coastal heathlands and even in rainforests. Some have been spotted in open country and on grazed areas as well as on rocky outcrops. They usually live a solitary life and construct dens between rocks or logs or in small caves and tree hollows.

What Do Spotted Tail Quolls Normally Eat?

This individual was attracted to the chicken coop. This is not surprising because quolls are opportunistic scavengers. They will eat just about anything that they can find. Commonly, their diet is made up of insects, mice, rats, lizards, and frogs, and they will certainly eat birds if they come across them. Spotted-tailed quolls have been spotted eating gliders, possums, and small wallabies. It is not uncommon for them to take domestic fowl!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Andreas Ruhz/Shutterstock.com