Dr David Hamilton
Conservation Equollogist | Lutruwita, Tasmania | Tasmanian devil advocate & accidental quoll scientist, posting mainly science & quoll puns
- Random Delightful Fact of the Day - Eastern quolls go grey as they get older! A juvenile (~6 mths old) on the L, & a 4 yr old on the R (Worth noting that 4 yrs old is oooooold for an eastern quoll)
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonIt's bizarre. I can think of at least 3 scientific publications that predict (i.e., model) the uncontrolled explosion of deer across Tas. None of them were referred to in the report. weirdddd
- Reposted by Dr David Hamilton“No anticipated” except by all of us that have been saying for ever that the #feral #deer management plan is pathetic. 🌎 #wildoz www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
- “Not anticipated”, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past 5 years… www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10... Feral deer are a huuuuge problem in Tasmania that’s only getting worse. Legislation catching up with reality would be a good start - incredibly, they’re still a partly protected species…
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonThe measure for how excellent a city is should be how quickly you can see something wonderful. It took less than an hour after arriving in #Hobart for @drdevildave.bsky.social and me to see a #platypus, which is of course the most wonderful thing there is. #Tasmania #MammalWatching #WildOz
- A dangerous(ly adorable) predator approaches…
- As part of eastern quoll translocation work, we use supplementary feeding stations that are meant to exclude Tasmanian devils. The devils disagree…
- Should note that the devils can, & do, extract themselves from this situation perfectly well. There’s no denying them food…
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonI'm guessing this is probably very well worth the read! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
- Quoll beans!! These tiny eastern quolls are only around 5 weeks old, & just starting to get their spots
- Reposted by Dr David Hamilton#GardensforWildlife members, here is a survey just for you! Your garden is the missing link in a new @utas.edu.au Honours research project. Honours student Millicent Biggs is studying how backyard gardens support #Tasmanian #wildlife. Start the survey here: lnkd.in/gChGeTAa
- Please enjoy this antechinus sproinging* away * technical term
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonThe kultarr is officially three species! So proud of this work and a big thanks to Australia's amazing museum network and my great supervisor team @kennytravouillon.bsky.social @reneecatullo.bsky.social @planigale.bsky.social bakerecologylab.wordpress.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonEchidnas! Everyone loves echidnas. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonYou can date a display of Australian mammals by whether the distribution maps recognise recent extinctions. Eastern #quolls went extinct in mainland Australia in the 1960s, but they're still on this historic display at @hunterianglasgow.bsky.social Zoology Museum. #taxidermy #extinction
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonBusy start to #ICCB2025 - sharing @tasland.bsky.social ten year fauna camera data set - pre & post-fire at Five Rivers. Huge shout out to coauthors including @drdevildave.bsky.social & Jo Potts
- 📣 New quoll science, looking at the genetic outcomes of a translocation of eastern quolls in Tasmania! 🧪🧬 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🧵Thread below ⬇️
- A population supplementation of eastern quolls occurred @tasland.bsky.social's Silver Plains property, to boost a flagging population of this threatened species. Results were encouraging, w/ high survival & low dispersal of captive-bred quolls. Read about it here - www.publish.csiro.au/AM/AM22011
- We also wanted to examine the genetic effects of the supplementation, so sampled the next generation of quolls post-release. This was a key part of an Honour's project by Jessica Morrison, who's the lead author on the study
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View full threadThis work was the result of a great collaboration between @tasland.bsky.social, @utas.edu.au, WWF Australia and the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program (made up in part by Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Devils@Cradle, East Coast Nature World & Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary)
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonCome chat about quolls, puns, and finding any excuse to draw animals for science at my poster at #ICCB2025 Monday at 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM in Great Hall 3 & 4 See you there!
- Who else is presenting at #ICCB2025 ? So many exciting talks and posters in the program! Repost this slide and let us know when / where to find you!
- Dasyurid feet of various sizes! 👣 Tasmanian devil Spotted-tailed quoll Swamp antechinus
- #WhereWhereWedgie 🦅 surveys near Hamilton today - - 6 (!!) x wedge-tailed eagles - 1 x white-bellied sea-eagle - 1 x brown falcon - 200 cockatoos!! An excellent day for science! @catmyoung.bsky.social @clawkins.bsky.social #citizenscience 🌿🪶🧪 #Tasmania #conservationscience
- That awkward moment when you catch a devil pooping on camera… In all seriousness, Tasmanian devils make latrines, where lots of individuals will poo in the same area. Then any devil wandering along can have a sniff, & know who’s around 💩 @tasland.bsky.social
- On the trail of the Manumea (tooth-billed pigeon) in Samoa! @catmyoung.bsky.social
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonChat GPT tells me - If an echidna were casting a vote in the 2025 Australian election—motivated by instincts to protect its habitat, ensure clean air and water, and avoid human-caused extinction—it would most likely lean toward the Greens. Make good choices today Australia! #auspol
- Has anyone asked the echidnas their views on this election? 🎤
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonAn exciting adventure in the forest with First Dog on the Moon. Moss! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- There’s antechinus, & there’s ANTECHINUS!! Antechinus are small (usually…) relatives of the Tasmanian devil. This chonk of a male was caught at Inala Jurassic Garden, for quick samples to help out with vaccine research for Devil Facial Tumour @wildimmunity.bsky.social Pic- @catmyoung.bsky.social
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonQuoll AND devil alert! I’ve got better phone reception so can upload #CameraTrap videos. Video 1/6 is a spotted tailed quoll. Dasyurus maculatus is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN Red list and in Australia the population in #Tasmania #Lutruwita is Vulnerable #marsupial #WildOz #quollity
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonScience & knowledge advance by collecting evidence to challenge ideas. Conservation may improve, in turn. Challenges to key ideas are crucial, but if not done in a robust way they can be reckless, promote nonsense, & have real world consequences. Example 👉 theconversation.com/extinctions-...
- A ptunarra brown butterfly from March surveys at @tasland.bsky.social’s Vale of Belvoir These endangered endemic butterflies rely on native Poa grasslands & only fly for a few weeks in March
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonTurbo chooks! Everyone loves turbo chooks! Especially the BABY ONES!!! omg so cute www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonWe just published some new #science on forest habitat loss in Tasmania! here's a quick thread! Swift parrots are Critically Endangered because of habitat loss. Until now, nobody has quantified the amount and trends of forest loss and degradation! 1/8 🧵 🦜🧪
- Stumbled across a flock of migrating swift parrots at @tasland.bsky.social’s Five Rivers Reserve in the Central Highlands of Tasmania These critically endangered parrots breed in Tassie over summer, then head north for winter - a very sensible approach!
- Happy Tasmanian Devil Average Birthday! 🥳 Tasmanian devils breed annually during late Feb/Mar, & have a very short gestation (~21 days). This means the average birth date for devils is 1st April So wish any devils you know a Happy Birthday! &, on average, you’ll be right on the money 🥳
- Thoughts on ecological restoration by Jane Rawson - www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonThis gorgeous video was shared by our new #LandforWildlife members, Laurie Goldsworthy & Kristina Nicklason at Western Creek. Our Dr Dave Hamilton believes this is likely a litter of #easternquolls playing together. Eastern quolls can have up to 6 in a litter, so their #mum has done brilliantly!
- Quoll feet are the best feet! 👣 These are the hind feet of a spotted-tailed quoll - those striated pads provide extra grip when they’re climbing
- Quick as a quoll! ⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️ 💨💨💨
- Nothing better than a box of quolls! Spent yesterday at one of the sanctuaries that make up the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program, helping conserve both eastern & spotted-tailed quolls in the wild @utas.edu.au @tasland.bsky.social
- Nice ABC article covering our eastern quoll research - amp.abc.net.au/article/1050...
- Reposted by Dr David HamiltonCelebrating a wildlife win on World Wildlife Day, with quoll-ity conservation outcomes 🤩 Our scientists joined with several partners to kick off one of the biggest eastern quoll conservation efforts ever seen in Tasmania! More: brnw.ch/quoll (Follow @drdevildave.bsky.social for more quoll BEANS)
- A quollity piece of news for your Monday morning! www.utas.edu.au/about/news-a... Slow-mo eastern quoll for tax
- DYK that quolls can go grey too? This is the tail of a 4 year old eastern quoll - 4 is a good innings for this species, & her tail looks magnificent!
- Nothing better than coming across a big ol’ Tasmanian devil poo! 💩
