QUOKKA

Setonix brachyurus

Quokkas are considered to be one of the cutest animals on the planet because they often appear as though they are smiling. They are in the kangaroo family, Macropodidae, or simply ‘Macropod’ meaning ‘big foot’. These are hopping marsupials are herbivorous and are mostly nocturnal.

Quokkas are endemic to Western Australia, inhabiting Rottnest and Bald Islands as well as on the mainland in parts the South West region. The mainland populations have greatly contracted since the arrival of Europeans.

cute-quokka-joey-adelaide
quokka-short-tail

Fun Facts

  • Rottnest Island literally translates to ‘Rat’s Nest Island’ as the early Dutch explorers thought that the Quokkas there were some kind of giant rat.

  • The quokka is the only member of the Genus ‘Setonix’.

  • Quokkas can, on occasion, climb trees to browse on leaves.

  • Quokkas can go for weeks without food, surviving on fat stores in their tails.

  • Quokkas have one joey (baby) at a time but can occasionally have two.

Quokka Joey

cute-quokka-rottnest-island

Quokkas have short, broad tails.

Here in South Australia you can have your very own quokka encounter with our friendly hand-raised quokkas. You can book a private wildlife encounter with our Quokkas at Animals Anonymous headquarters or have our mobile team come to you.