Quokka

Setonix brachyurus

CONSERVATION STATUS

Vulnerable

Quokkas are one of Australia’s smallest species of wallaby, easily recognized by their thick, coarse grey-brown fur and short, rounded ears. Their tails measure between 24 and 31 cm, and they have shorter hind legs compared to other macropods. Remarkably, quokkas can survive in environments with very little freshwater and even have the ability to climb trees!
The quokka’s friendly and curious nature is only rivalled by its iconic “smile,” which is actually a result of its facial muscles and protruding front teeth.

Habitat

While still extant on the south-west coast of the mainland, quokkas are mostly found on Rottnest Island in Western Australia. Often called a ‘specialist’ in their field, Quokkas love swampland and riparian habitats that also have a thick understory that provides plenty of places to hide.

Diet

Quokkas are a herbivorous species with over 96% of their diet being made up of mostly the stems and leaves of plants. The rest of their diet is all based on each quokka’s individual choices! Some enjoy fungi and seeds, some enjoy flowers and fruits, some have even been found to eat the outer shell, called the elytra, of insects.

Breeding

As a marsupial, quokkas have a short gestation period of 27 days, before the joeys are born as a tiny hairless baby that crawls its way into its mother’s pouch. It will then spend 6 months in the pouch growing before it first emerges and fully leaving the pouch only 2 short months later.

Our quokka can be viewed on Night Tours.

All Mammals

  • Location

    Dark green indicates where the quokka can be found.

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