Evidence For An Extended Reproductive Season In The Spotted-Tailed Quoll 'Dasyurus Maculatus'

Abstract

Spotted-Tailed quolls ('Dasyurus maculatus') raise only one litter with a maximum of six young per year. For quolls the breeding season starts in winter with mating usually occurring in June / July. Young are born about three weeks later (Jones et al. 2001) and available records indicate that generally young are born not later than August. Pouch young remain permanently attached to the teats for about seven weeks (Fleay 1940; Troughton 1954; Settle 1978) and have been observed between July and mid October (Jones et al. 2001; Belcher 2003; Körtner et al. 2004). In captivity, young are weaned between 120-150 days after birth and in the wild lactating females have not been observed after December (Fleay 1940; Settle 1978; Jones et al. 2001). At weaning young have reached a body mass between 300-600 g, about one third of their mother’s size (Fleay 1940; Settle 1978; Belcher 2003).