The quokka (Setonix brachyurus) is a wallaby, a kind of small kangaroo, that lives in SW Australia

by Rini Kools

The quokka has a stocky build. Its body is round with a short snout and rounded ears. It has a dense shaggy coat, which is brown in colour. In the face and neck, the fur is redder. The quokka grows to be 40 to 54 centimetres long and weighs 1.5 to 4.5 kilograms.
The quokka lives in small family groups. Several family groups keep in touch with each other and have overlapping habitats. During the day they rest among the bushes. At night, they go out in search of food. They eat grass, leaves, fruits and young shoots of shrubs.
The quokka is found only in the coastal region of south-western Western Australia, in dry forests and thickets along swamps and rivers. Today, they are rare there due to predation by introduced foxes. However, they are still common on two fox-free islets off the coast, Rottnest Island and Balde Island. Especially on the first island, they are quite common. On Rottnest Island, the animals have lost their shyness and come quite close to people, making them a tourist attraction there.
Rottnest Island is named after the quokka. Around New Year 1696-1697, Dutch VOC captain Willem de Vlamingh visited the island and named it "Rottenest" after the quokkas that were common there and were referred to by his crew as "Bosch-rotten" (forest rats). Over the years, "Rottenest Island" has altered into the English "Rottnest Island".