Bill wrote a great article about the collaboration on the San Diego Zoo blog - which you can
check out here.
Basically, we'll be studying the population dynamics of the northern quolls (Dasyurus hallicatus) on the island. Quolls are small, predatory marsupials that have been on the decline in some areas due to the invasive cane toad (Bufo marinus). These toads create a lot of problems for Australian ecosystems - but in this instance, it's their toxic nature that affects quoll populations. Quolls like to eat toads - but ingestion of the toxic cane toad is fatal.
In areas where cane toads have already invaded, quoll populations have declined. On Groote Eylandt, however, we have the unique opportunity to study a quoll population that hasn't been affected by cane toads - because the island is cane toad-free.
We'll keep you updated with more posts about quolls, as we continue with the project.
Written by Amanda Niehaus, PhD
