Dasyurus albopunctatus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Infraordo: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohort: Metatheria
Cohors: Marsupialia
Cladus: Australidelphia
Cladus: Eomarsupialia
Ordo: Dasyuromorphia

Familia: Dasyuridae
Subfamilia: Dasyurinae
Tribus: Dasyurini
Genus: Dasyurus
Species: Dasyurus albopunctatus
Name

Dasyurus albopunctatus Schlegel, 1880

Type locality: Indonesia, Prov. of Papua, Vogelkop, Manokwari Div., Arfak Mtns, Sapoea
References

Dasyurus albopunctatus in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Notes Leyden Mus. 2: 51.
Wilson, D.E. & Reeder, D.M. (eds.) 2005. Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore. 2 volumes. 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. Reference page.

Vernacular names
español: Cuol
Satanelo de Nueva Guinea
Gato marsupial de Nueva Guinea
русский: Новогвинейская сумчатая куница

The New Guinean quoll (Dasyurus albopunctatus), also known as the New Guinea quoll or New Guinea native cat, is a carnivorous marsupial mammal native to New Guinea. It is the second-largest surviving marsupial carnivore of New Guinea.[note 1] It is known as suatg in the Kalam language of Papua New Guinea.[3]
Taxonomy

The New Guinean quoll belongs to Dasyuridae, a family of carnivorous marsupials, which includes other species of quolls, the extinct thylacine, the Tasmanian devil, and many smaller carnivores. It is one of six extant species of quolls, four of which are found in only in Australia and two of which are restricted to New Guinea (the bronze quoll is the other New Guinean species). Both the quolls found in New Guinea seem to be most closely related to the Australian western quoll.
Description

The New Guinean quoll is small, usually weighing just over 1 lb (0.45 kg). Its body is brown and the back spotted with white; the spots do not extend onto the lightly haired tail. It resembles a cat-like opossum; the quolls are also referred to as "native cats" and occasionally "marsupial cats" or "tiger cats". Its feet have transversely striated pads, which is likely to be an adaptation for grip and is indicative of a life spent in the trees. It lives throughout the forests of New Guinea at elevations up to 11,000 ft (3300 m) but usually closer to 3,000 ft (900 m). The population appears to be centered in the highlands of New Guinea.
Behaviour and diet

Quolls feed on a large range of prey, including birds, rats, other marsupials, small reptiles, and insects. They are reported to feed on prey larger than themselves. They are good climbers, but also spend time on the forest floor. Although nocturnal, they spend the daylight hours basking in the sun. They nest in rocky banks, hollow logs, or small caves. In captivity, the longest recorded survival is three years, but their lifespan in the wild is unknown.
Threats

The number of New Guinean quolls is believed to be decreasing as a result of human encroachment into their habitat and the associated loss of cover. Because they are known to scavenge, persecution by humans may be putting pressure on the population. They also face predation and competition from introduced species such as dogs and cats.

Another threat, though less severe than with the four Australian species of Dasyurus, is poisoning by bufotoxins from the introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina, formerly Bufo marinus).[4] Because they have evolved consistently isolated from toads since the Jurassic, all dasyurids possess extremely low resistance to toad toxins,[5] and whilst smaller dasyurids usually do develop conditioned taste aversion to toads,[6] there is little evidence for this in quolls.
Notes

Only the bronze quoll (Dasyurus spartacus) is larger.

References

Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 25. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
Woolley, P.; Leary, T.; Seri, L.; Flannery, T.; Wright, D.; Hamilton, S.; Helgen, K.; Singadan, R.; Menzies, J.; Allison, A.; James, R. (2016). "Dasyurus albopunctatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T6299A21946965. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T6299A21946965.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
Pawley, Andrew and Ralph Bulmer. 2011. A Dictionary of Kalam with Ethnographic Notes. Canberra. Pacific Linguistics.
Government of Queensland (2009); Invasive Animal Risk Assessment: Cane toad (Bufo marinus)
Covacevich, Jeanette, and Archer, Mike; ‘The distribution of the cane toad, Bufo marinus in Australia and its effects on indigenous vertebrates’; Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, volume 17 (1975), pp. 305–310.

Webb, Jonathan K.; Pearson, David and Shine, Richard; ‘A small dasyurid predator (Sminthopsis virginiae) rapidly learns to avoid a toxic invader’; Wildlife Research, issue 38 (2011), pp. 726–731

"What lives there?". Worldwide Fund for Nature. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2006.
"Longevity Records Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish". Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 23 November 2006.
"Dasyure" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 845.