Quokka Facts
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Vulnerable
Fun Facts!
*They hop like kangaroos.
*They can also climb trees!.
*Quokkas are as big as a cat.
*They swallow food whole, then regurgitate it and eat it all over again.
Quokkas are more active at night.
Quokkas can store fat in their tail and go long periods without food or water.
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Setonix brachyurus
LIFE SPAN:
Average of 10 years
SIZE:
WEIGHT:
6.7 pounds
DIET:
Quokkas eat many types of vegetation like many marsupials. They eat many kinds of grass, sedges, and leaves. They particularly love the small shrubs of the Malvaceae family. If encountering a quokka, people are advised not to feed them human food. They cannot process this food, and it can lead to malnourishment and dehydration. They satisfy most of their hydration through the eating of the shrubs and grasses.
PReDATORS:
Quokkas have a few natural predators. Dingoes are their main predators, but any birds of prey will occasionally hunt them. Further, dogs, cats, and foxes have been introduced onto the mainland and have led to a significant decline in the quokka population.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
A quokka is a very small macropod. This is a family of marsupials; the quokka is related to kangaroos and wallabies. The term macropod means “big foot” and refers to their large hind feet. Although it looks like a miniature wallaby, it can also climb short trees and shrubs up to around 5 feet tall. They have very coarse fur that is grey to brown color. Quokkas have hairless noses, big, round ears, relatively long tails, and tiny hands. They have been described to look like a teddy bear. Their adaptations help them to jump quickly through the tall grasses where they live.
BEHAVIOR:
Quokkas are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are active during the night. They can survive for very long times without food or water. They mostly roam for food and interact with other quokkas. The males are larger than the females, and the males get very aggressive trying to defend its territory. The quokkas also have been found in groups of 25 to 100 near watering holes. Baby quokkas, called a joey, will stay with their mother in the pouch for 6 months and then will continue to nurse from their mother for two to three more months after that.
THREATS:
The quokka has been listed as vulnerable due to many factors. On top of the predators that limit the population of the quokkas, humans have also led to population decline through deforestation and habitat loss. Humans have used the quokka habitat for logging and development. Quokkas have also been found to develop muscular dystrophy, a disease that damages muscles.
How can you Help?
Learn all you can about the Quokkas and spread the word to others.
Don’t feed quokkas as this can make them sick. Also don’t touch them as they are vulnerable to human diseases.
Help fight wildfires by using responsible fire techniques.
