The Quenda, or Isoodon fusciventer, occurs only in the south west of Western Australia. In the past it was thought that the bandicoot in the southwest was Isoodon obesulus, the southern brown bandicoot, but research at the Western Australian Museum showed that quenda was a separate species and Isoodon obesulus is now known to be restricted to eastern Australia. Like all indigenous vertebrate animals, quenda are legally protected.

Fast facts

• They're marsupials and have a pouch.
• Quenda is a Noongar name from the Perth area, although other First Nations’ names have been recorded.
• Adult body length is approx. 245 mm. Tail is short, approx. 100mm with dark brown fur. Weight: up to 2kg. Nose is long and pointed, ears are short and rounded. Fur is short, coarse and often dark grey-brown with rusty brown highlights. Belly is creamy white. 
• Omnivorous, feeding on invertebrates including spiders and insects, plant material including bulbs and tubers, and underground fungi.  Scats have been found to contain an average of 45 and up to 100 different fungi species.
• Their distinct digging patterns indicate their presence (they are different from rabbits).
• Contrary to popular opinion, they are not nocturnal.  They are active day and night, particularly around dawn and dusk. and are less active during daylight in hot weather. 
• Can become quite tame in urban areas.

Habitat

• Ground-dwelling indigenous mammal still found in Perth metro area, and a recent arrival in Perry Lakes Reserve and Bold Park, possibly self-introduced from a translocation to Shenton Bushland in 2019 or a translocation to Lake Claremont.
• Friends of Perry Lakes' and Town of Cambridge planting program will help quenda establish their population.
• Widespread in higher rainfall parts of south-west of WA, having disappeared from drier northern and eastern parts resulting in smaller geographic range than in the past.
• Fox baiting under Western Shield has led to larger populations and quenda moving into areas not previously occupied. 

Ecological role

• Their propensity for digging when foraging enhances plant seed dispersal and germination. Soil and litter turnover reduces risks of high severity fire. About 45 foraging excavations in a day, turning over nearly 4 tonnes of soil annually, can      lead to significant ecological benefits.
• Spores from the scats contain mycorrhizal fungi that can colonise plant roots, including eucalypts, helping them absorb water and nutrients.

Reproduction

• Peak breeding season is August and September but can reproduce all year round.
• Litter size:  one to five with two most common.
• Young leave pouch fully furred at about 70mm in body length.
• Nests typically made of grass and leaf litter in mound-like structure within dense vegetation but can dig short burrows as heat refuge in hot weather.

Threats

• Predators include red foxes (introduced species), dogs and cats, both feral and domestic.  It is important that pet dogs be kept on leash in the Perry Lakes reserve.  

Image by David Spearman, 2024

References

Abbott, I. (2001). Aboriginal names for mammal species in south-west Western Australia. CALMScience 3, 433-486.

Hopkins, A.J.M., Tay, N.E., Bryant, G.L., Ruthrof, K.X., Valentine, L.E., Kobryn, H., Burgess, T. I., Richardson, B.B., Hardy, G. E.StJ and Fleming, P.A. (2021). Urban remnant size alters fungal functional groups dispersed by a digging mammal. Biodiversity and Conservation 30, 3983–4003.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-021-02287-4

Travouillon, K.J. and Warburton N.M. (2023). Quenda. In: Strahan’s Mammals of Australia. Fourth Edition, pp. 175-176. Reed New Holland Publishers, Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.

Valentine, L., Campbell, R., Moore, H., Beca, G., Bohórquez Fandiño, D., Palmer, B., Reaveley, A., Ryan, C., Hobbs, R., (2021). Translocation of quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) alters microhabitat of urban bushland reserve. NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Brisbane.