The Quokka is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and
mainly nocturnal. It can be found on some smaller islands off the coast
of Western Australia, in particular on Rottnest Island just off Perth
and Bald Island near Albany. Quokkas resemble a small wallaby, with
small rounded ears, and brown or greyish fur.
In the wild, its roaming is
restricted to a very small range in the South-West of Western Australia,
with a number of small scattered populations on the mainland, one large
population on Rottnest Island and a smaller population on Bald Island
near Albany. The islands are free of foxes and cats. On Rottnest, it is
common and occupies a variety of habitats ranging from semi-arid scrub
to cultivated gardens.
Quokka weighs 2.5 to 5 kg
and is 40 to 90 cm long with a 25 to 30 cm tail which is rather short
for a macropod. It has a stocky build, rounded ears, and a short, broad
head. Although looking rather like a very small, dumpy kangaroo, it can
climb small trees and shrubs. Its coarse fur is a grizzled brown colour,
fading to buff underneath. Quokka feeds at night on native
grasses and the leaves of shrubs.
There were once a lot of Quokkas, but they are now in danger of extinction.
They are under threat from development that has destroyed the wetlands
where they live and are also threatened by other animals that have been
introduced by humans. Quokkas are preyed on by cats and foxes, who are
non-native animals in Australia. Their wetland habitat is also disturbed
by feral pigs. Source
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