| Bronze quoll[1] | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | Dasyuridae |
| Genus: | Dasyurus |
| Species: | D. spartacus |
| Binomial name | |
| Dasyurus spartacus Van Dyck, 1987 | |
 | |
| Bronze quoll range | |
[3] Thebronze quoll (Dasyurus spartacus) is a species ofquoll found only in theTrans-Fly savanna and grasslands ofPapua New Guinea andSouth Papua inIndonesia.[2]
It was discovered in the early 1970s when five specimens were collected, but only described in 1987 when Dr. Stephen Van Dyck of theQueensland Museum examined them and recognised their distinctness.[4] As of February 2013[update] there are twelve public museum specimens, 8 from traps and 4 from local hunters.[2] It is the largest survivingmarsupialcarnivore of New Guinea, after thethylacine's extirpation fromNew Guinea thousands of years ago.
Very little is known of it; it was previously thought to be an outlying population of thewestern quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii).[5]
As of February 2013[update], there was an estimated population of less than 10,000 and was listed asNear Threatened on theIUCN Red List. Anocturnalpredator, it inhabitssavanna woodlands. It is threatened by introduced predators like domesticated andferal dogs, andferal cats. It has been observed inWasur National Park andTonda Wildlife Management Area.[2]
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