Marsupial Spotlight: Quoll

About a year ago, I had a friend that I met on a rather silly website who liked to talk about quolls. "What is a Quoll?" I asked him, for I had never heard of one prior. He explained to me that it was a very large and cute rodent. My friend just about identified with these quolls, and I enjoyed his enthusiasm as well as the pictures he showed me. After talking about this quoll for at least an hour, I informed him that I was currently writing blogs about rodents called the "Rodent Spotlight" and also that I wanted to write one about this lovable creature. He expressed to me that he would enjoy a good blog about his favorite animal, and so I set off to do my research. Imagine my surprise and dismay when I find out that this animal was not a rodent at all! I couldn't possibly write my rodent spotlight about a marsupial, and so the blog was scrapped and my friend was told the horrid truth that his favorite animal was not what he thought it was.

And so my blog begins with this sad story.

The quoll is a rodent-like marsupial native to mainland Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. The adults have a body length of up to 29.5 inches with tails that can be as long as 13.8 inches. These tails are also quite hairy. Like many marsupials (and entirely unlike rodents), the quoll has a pouch for keeping its young; however, they are not macropods.

Quolls come in a wide array of colors and patterns. The most common usually have a sort of polka-dot appearance. These make the creature look very cute, and they are likely one of the reasons my friend took so sharply to them. Remember that human beings can be very shallow. We tend to appreciate pretty things when we see them rather then trying to learn more about them. In this matter, I am sure my friend's faux pas is entirely forgivable.

The quoll is mostly carnivorous. He loves meat of all kinda. Insects are the easiest to kill, but he will also go after various amphibians, lizards, and an occasional bird. One of the major problems for the Quoll comes in the form of an amphibian called the cane toad. Where it is true the quoll loves to eat these cane toads, it always--without exception--leads to their death by way of poisoning. The cane toad shares his habitat with the hungry quoll, and unfortunately, they regularly end up killing each other. As an act of conservation, the University of Sydney has been attempting to teach the quolls about the dangers of these cane toads. We should wish them the best of luck.

Quolls are mainly solitary creatures. They do not mind the company of other quolls; however, there is nothing social about it. They simply go about their business while ignoring one another. The only real social interactions occur during mating season. A female will bear up to 18 offspring in one litter; however, only 6 will survive the first two weeks. When a female quoll prepares to have children, her pouch will form and become usable. This is not something I read about a lot with marsupials. Usually the pouch is already there. In the case of the quoll, there are closed folds of skin that split apart to make room for the offspring when they are ready.

I could not find any major works of fiction involving the quoll. I get really peaceful vibes from them. Although loners, they live with with the land and are polite to those they meet. Non-social does not necessarily mean socially awkward. Some people are simply the type who wish to be left alone but mean no ill-will to others around them. This is how I saw the quoll.

Returning to my friend who thought he fell in love with a rodent: he is doing quite well now that he has come to accept that his one joy in life is in fact a marsupial. He still goes about singing the creature's praises. It pleases me to no end when someone proudly finds something he loves and will tell the world of its virtues. I too am a quoll fan, and that is why I am writing this blog. When you love something, you should be quite vocal about it. Let people see your joy, and perhaps, they will find joy in it themselves.

Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Peace.