The Quokka is one of the smallest wallabies. This marsupial has the ability to climb trees.

Identification

The Quokka, Setonix brachyurus, was described by early Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh, 'as a kind of rat as big as a common cat'. His first sighting of the Quokka was on an island off the mouth of the Swan River. He named the island Rottenest ('rat nest') in honour of this sighting. The island is now known as Rottnest Island.

Essentially the Quokka looks very much like other wallabies.It has short, very coarse and thick grey-brown fur over most of the body with lighter parts underneath. Its facial features consist of a naked nose on a short, broad face with rounded furry ears.The tail is relatively short and mostly devoid of hair. In contrast, the hair on the feet extends to cover its claws.

Habitat

Mainland populations tend to be clustered around dense streamside vegetation but can also be found in shrubland and heath areas, particularly around swamps. Quokkas prefer a warm climate but are adapted to the seasonal variations on Rottnest Island. Here Quokkas occupy a wide range of semi-arid areas.

This tendency points to the Quokka being a habitat specialist with a preference for areas that have been burned in the last ten years.They are however, present on Bald Island even though there has been a low frequency of fires there. Their success on Bald Island is probably due to their finding suitable food sources and the lack of predators.

Distribution

Restricted to the south west region of Western Australia, Quokkas are found on the mainland as well as on Rottnest Island (near Perth) and Bald Island (near Albany). Their presence on the mainland has declined severely in the twentieth century to the extent that they are only found in small groups in bushland surrounding Perth including Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Torndirrup National Park, Mt Manypeaks National Park and the Stirling Range National Park.