New research has found breeding threatened native animals like quolls as pets could become a lucrative industry that would help prevent their extinction.

A team of biodiversity researchers has released the study examining the feasibility of a breeding industry for native mammals, focusing on the eastern quoll and mitchell's hopping mouse.

Like the northern quoll, which is threatened by the spread of cane toads, the eastern quoll has been all but eradicated on the mainland by predators such as foxes.

The study found that breeding native mammals as pets could lead to them replacing domestic cats, which threaten small native animals.

A pet breeding program could also help build a greater understanding of the animals' needs.

The study recognises that a breeding industry would have to be regulated but as long as keepers are well trained, there should not be any major welfare issues.

One of the report's authors, Rosalie Chapple, says she hopes the research leads to more captive breeding programs.

"I do have a fair bit of scepticism about it," she said.

"I think to have the debate is really good because that in itself has the chance of raising public awareness of the problems of extinction, but to the extent to which a small initiative like this can make a difference to conservation is very questionable."