dasyure
/ˈdasɪjʊə
/noun
Another term for quoll.In Australia the dasyures, small weasellike marsupials, are called ‘native cats’...
- Dasyures have often been compared to cats. They are about the same size, nocturnal, look slightly similar, and prey on many of the same creatures
- As I'm sure you know, marsupials and higher mammals have parallel evolutionary branches that mirror each other: cats and dasyures, hyenas and Tasmanian devils, wolves and Tasmanian wolves.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from French, from modern Latin dasyurus, from Greek dasus 'rough, hairy' + oura 'tail'.