This is the second recovery plan prepared for the chuditch, The first was Dasyurus geoffroii. prepared in 1994 (Orell and Morris 1994), based on a management program prepared in 1991 (Serena 1991). A recovery team was established in 1992 and assisted in the et al. development of the first recovery plan. Significant progress has been made on the recovery actions identified in the first recovery plan and a summary of these is presented in this plan. However a recent review of the chuditch conservation status (DEC 2007) determined that, despite some successful translocations and increases in natural populations, the chuditch still did not meet the IUCN criteria for downlisting in Western Australia, and its status remains as vulnerable under the and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. History and taxonomic relationships The chuditch (Dasyurus is one of six species native to Australia and New geoffroii) Guinea. Four of these, and occur in D. geoffroii, D. hallucatus, D. viverrinus D. maculatus, Australia; and occur in New Guinea. All quoll species in D. albopunctatus D. spartacus Australia are now listed as threatened species. Both and occur in D. geoffroii D. hallucatus WA however their current distributions do not overlap (van Dyck and Strahan 2008). The chuditch was described by John Gould in 1840 (Gould 1840). Other common names for this species include western quoll or native cat; however the latter is misleading as the chuditch is a dasyurid marsupial unrelated to cats. Abbott (2001) lists a number of different names recorded being used by Noongar people of south-west WA. From words like and early settlers and collectors derived the name Chuditch. These “djooditj” “dju-tytch”, names may mimic the sharp, guttural cry of the animal when threatened (Smith 2004; et al. Serena 1987). Two have been recognised based on skull size, skin and fur colour. Dasyurus geoffroii from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia is represented by the specimen geoffroii collected by Gould in 1841, and from Western Australia later recognised by D. g. fortis,
This is the second recovery plan prepared for the chuditch, Dasyurus geoffroii. The first was prepared in 1994 (Orell and Morris 1994), based on a management program prepared in 1991 (Serena et al. 1991). A recovery team was established in 1992 and assisted in the development of the first recovery plan. Significant progress has been made on the recovery actions identified in the first recovery plan and a summary of these is presented in this plan. However a recent review of the chuditch conservation status (DEC 2007) determined that, despite some successful translocations and increases in natural populations, the chuditch still did not meet the IUCN criteria for downlisting in Western Australia, and its status remains as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. History and taxonomic relationships The chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) is one of six species native to Australia and New Guinea. Four of these, D. geoffroii, D. hallucatus, D. viverrinus and D. maculatus, occur in Australia; D. albopunctatus and D. spartacus occur in New Guinea. All quoll species in Australia are now listed as threatened species. Both D. geoffroii and D. hallucatus occur in WA however their current distributions do not overlap (van Dyck and Strahan 2008). The chuditch was described by John Gould in 1840 (Gould 1840). Other common names for this species include western quoll or native cat; however the latter is misleading as the chuditch is a dasyurid marsupial unrelated to cats. Abbott (2001) lists a number of different names recorded being used by Noongar people of south-west WA. From words like “djooditj” and “dju-tytch”, early settlers and collectors derived the name Chuditch. These names may mimic the sharp, guttural cry of the animal when threatened (Smith et al. 2004; Serena 1987). Two have been recognised based on skull size, skin and fur colour. Dasyurus geoffroii geoffroii from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia is represented by the specimen collected by Gould in 1841, and D. g. fortis, from Western Australia later recognised by