The solitary spotted-tail quoll, a marsupial native to the wilds of Australia, often visits outdoor toilets and leaves behind its “waste” as a means of communication with other individuals.
Researcher Monica Ruibal from the Australian National University notes that this species, known as the quoll, increases its waste output during the breeding season, indicating that their feces play a role in reproduction.
The quoll is a solitary carnivorous marsupial about the size of a domestic cat. Since they do not gather in groups, they need a way to delineate territory and communicate during the breeding season. Ruibal’s study shows that they accomplish this by leaving feces at prominent locations.
In the case of the spotted-tail quoll residing in Kosciuszko National Park, they mark their territory on rocky hills along riverbanks with large stone platforms.
In her year-long study, Ruibal visited over 100 “waste sites” each year, collecting feces and analyzing DNA.
During the breeding season of the quoll, from March to June, Ruibal observed a significant increase in feces on the stone platforms along the river, while the amount on rocky ground decreased. This suggests that the stone platforms serve as their primary socializing spots. However, Ruibal is still uncertain if the stone platforms are also mating sites for the quolls.
Ruibal believes the findings also demonstrate that the scent left at waste sites plays an important role in reproduction. “Perhaps the animals are trying to say: ‘I am here and I am ready to mate’.”
M.T. (according to ABC Online)