A Northern quoll, or a Northern native cat, is a carnivorous animal seen in Australia. It is the smallest of the Australian quoll species, with a body length of around 300 mm, and weight up to 1120 gm.
They are predators that hunt mainly at night, eating small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fruits. Historically, the Northern quoll was common across the country, seen in open forests, or woodlands, or rocky areas. However, in the 1990s their population saw a sharp decline.
Over the years, the numbers of Northern quolls have come down significantly, and this is likely to continue in the immediate future too.
Many factors are attributed to the decline in quoll population. This includes wild fire, attack by wild cats, and poaching. And like in all other cases, destruction of habitat is yet another major problem. Then there is the threat caused by the spread of cane toads. Eating them leads to poisoning, and this has killed a large number of quolls, and other native species.
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