Quokka Diet

What does a quokka eat?

The quokka is an herbivore. Native grasses, leaves, stems, fruits, berries and the bark off of trees. A main component of their diet is the grasses through which they carve tracks. They also like young shoots which grow following fires.

When feeding they begin by swallowing the food and not chewing it. At a later time they regurgitate the food as cud and then chew it. They have a ruminant like digestive system which is similar to that of a sheep.

Quokkas need low amounts of water to function and at times will go for months without a drink.

Learn more about the quokka in this video from Great Big Story on YouTube

Quokka Range

Where do you find quokkas?

Quokkas have a very limited distribution in Australia. Most of the population exists on Bald and Rottnest islands off the coast of Western Australia. There is also a mainland colony in the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve.

Quokka Habitat

Where can quokkas survive?

Scrub, open woodlands, wetlands, thick forests, semi-arid heath and swamps provided the most common homes of the quokka. They pick a habitat situated near a water source.

Their is a habitat preference towards areas which have burned in the last 10 years. They will still persist in areas of suitable habitat that have not burned recently if their is a low presence of predators here.

Some parts of their range have been degraded through logging but quokkas appear to persist here.

Credit: Under License

Quokka Reproduction

How do quokkas care for their babies?

Breeding in quokka populations occurs from January through to March. In zoos they can breed year round.

Females select their mate. She will show rejection to males by running away from them. When she is accepting she will begin to groom the male. Following a successful mating the male may stay with her and prevent her from breeding. Despite this males and females may mate with multiple partners each season.

Dominant male quokkas are able to stop the subordinate males from breeding.

It takes 27 days for a single joey to be born. Once it is born it crawls along the mother’s fur up to the pouch and attaches to a teat. Young spend the first 6 months of their life in the pouch. Once this time is up they begin to emerge. They still require milk for at least another six months.

Once the joey is born the female will mate once again. This new embryo enters a state of diapause. If the current joey does not survive this embryo will begin development while if it is successfully raised it will not develop further.

Mating can take place at any time of the year in quokka populations. Due to predation and other factors they generally only have one each year so they can focus on protecting that one.

At 1 year of age the young quokka becomes sexually mature.

Quokka Behavior

What do quokkas do during their day?

Quokkas are highly social. Up to 150 individuals may have overlapping home ranges. Only occasional tiffs are seen between males who may compete for the most shaded spot on a hot day.

The quokka is a nocturnal species. They spend their day sheltering under trees. At night they go out into the grass hunting. This is done by moving through the tunnels which they create by moving through similar walkways each night. These walkways also assist them to quickly evade predators.

Their days are spent hidden in a cool, shady spot. They typically use the same shelter each day but may change its location each year.

A unique ability of the quokka is that they can climb trees so they can reach their food sources.

Credit: Under License

Predators and Threats

What stops quokkas from surviving and thriving in nature?

Natural predators of the quokka include dingoes and birds of prey.

Introduced species such as cats, dogs and foxes have led to large decreases in the quokka population. Introduced feral pigs contribute to habitat destruction affecting the survival of the quokka.

How has their population been affected by humans?

Their total population size has been in decline. The total mature population is estimated at 7,500-15,000.

On the mainland the population is highly fragmented and occurs in small numbers.

In areas where population control has been undertaken on the red fox their numbers have increased. Islands provide protection from the majority of these threats creating larger populations there.

Humans contribute to the demise of the quokka through habitat destruction (mainly logging), climate change and an increase in fire frequency.

Their small range is a major threat to their survival as one significant event could lead to the extinction of the species. In recent years major bushfires have impacted the mainland population and almost wiped them out.

Credit: Copyright. The Animal Facts.

Quokka Q & A

Is the quokka only found on Rottnest Island?

Rottnest Island is home to the main population of the quokka which survives. They were previously found across the mainland but now this has been reduced to just a few small areas most notably in the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve. Another island population occurs on Bald Island.

Why is the quokka always smiling?

The quokka is not smiling in the same sense that a human would. Their unique facial expression comes from the placement of the facial muscles and the way in which their two front teeth protrude.

Are quokkas related to kangaroos and wallabies?

The quokka is a marsupial and a close relative of the better known kangaroos and wallabies. These animals are all part of the same family, Macropodidae. This word roughly translates as large foot and refers to the large back feet which allow them to hop across the ground. Like kangaroos their young is carried in a pouch.

Are quokkas aggressive?

Quokka have become known for their friendly disposition. They will regularly approach visitors to their range. Despite this like all animals they are able to bite and have strong teeth to consume their food.

Is the quokka known by another name?

They may also be known as the short-tailed scrub wallaby.

Credit: Copyright. The Animal Facts.

Quick facts about the Quokka

On Rottnest Island the quokkas are so friendly they will regularly approach guests. It is illegal for guests to touch the quokkas though. Occasionally people feed the quokkas human food and this causes them to become malnourished or dehydrated.

Some researchers studying muscular dystrophy have used quokkas in experiments as they too can succumb to this disease.

Quokkas are the only members of their genus, setonix.

When European explorers first discovered the quokka they believed it was a large rat with brown fur. Rottnest island was even named for this.

Quokkas have become famous worldwide for the quokka selfie. Populations of quokkas around the tourist areas of Rottnest island have become familiar with humans and will allow them to get up close for photos. This has inspired the Instagram trend.

Unlike other wallabies the quokka is equipped with color vision. It is believed this helps with spotting predators.

The quokka was first described for western science in 1830.

Credit: Under License