of southeastern mainland Australia, from the eastern coasts of South Australia, through most of Victoria, to the mid-north coast of New South Wales. The species was formerly abundant around Adelaide, particularly the Adelaide Hills, with a 1923 newspaper article noting its rapid decline and presumed extinction in the area during the preceding ten years. It likely became functionally extinct across its entire mainland range by the early 1960s, but remains widespread but patchy in Tasmania and Bruny Island. Within Tasmania, eastern quolls inhabit rainforest, heathland, alpine areas, and scrub below . However, they prefer dry grassland and forest mosaics, bounded by agricultural land, particularly where pasture grubs are common. Behaviour The eastern quoll is a solitary predator, hunting at night for its prey of insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles. They have been known to scavenge food from the much larger Tasmanian devil. Although the majority of their diet consists of meat, they also eat some vegetable matter, including fruit during the summer, and grass year-round. The eastern quoll is itself prey for Tasmanian devils and masked owls. Eastern quolls are nocturnal, and spend the day resting in dens, although they may also use natural rock crevices or hollow tree trunks. The dens often consist of no more than a simple, blind-ending tunnel, but are sometimes more complex, including one or more nesting chambers lined with grass. Each individual uses a number of dens, usually no more than five, which it alternates between on different days. Eastern quolls are solitary, and tend to avoid one another, but can form loose 'neighbourhoods'. Home ranges are typically around for females, and for males, with the latter increasing dramatically during the breeding season. Territories are scent marked, although scats are distributed randomly, rather than placed at specific latrines. Adults also ward off intruders by hissing and making coughing sounds, and also make a sharp shriek that may be an alarm call. If intruders fail to leave quickly, then aggressive action escalates to chasing and wrestling with jaws while standing on their hind legs. Mothers and young have softer calls they use to maintain contact. Reproduction The breeding season begins in early winter. The oestrus cycle lasts 34 days, although most individuals mate during their first cycle of the year. The female gives birth up to thirty young after a gestation period of 19 to 24 days. Of these, the first to attach themselves