Quokka
Scientific Name: Setonix brachyurus
Size: Total Length 680–850 mm, including tail 245–310 mm
What does it look like?
The Quokka is uniformly brown, heavily flecked with grey and tinged with reddish-brown. Short, sparsely furred tail (about 60 per cent head-body length). Head has angled snout, short, rounded ears and naked, greyish-black nose.
Where is it found?
Quokka are found in south-western WA, including Bald and Rottnest Islands, although subpopulation area is small and heavily fragmented.
What are its habitats & habits?
The Quokka inhabits forests, woodland, heathland, swamps and wetlands. It can be active day or night, feeding on variety of plant matter, but eats more succulent plants when surface water is scarce, and shelters at other times under vegetation.
Interesting facts
The species has been greatly impacted by predation by introduced Red Fox, loss of suitable habitat from clearing and lower rainfall.
Also known as: Ban-gup
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Mammals of Australia
