Western & Northern Quoll

Rottnest Island Quokka's

Western Australia

Setonix brachyurus

Vulnerable

The EPBC lists this animal as vulnerable
The IUCN lists this animal as endangered but that could be referring to the mainland subspecies.

After gaining permission from the Rottnest Island Authority to film wildlife for this web site I headed out to 'Rotto' in search of Quokka's. I wanted to talk to people who worked with the Quokka's and find out what I could about the Quokka's personalities and behaviour. I met with the ranger SallyAnn Gudge who was a ranger on the island and was very helpful in answering my questions about these interesting and unique creatures.

These Quokka's are not genetically linked to the mainland Quokka's still found in the South-west of Western Australia. So this means these are the only quokka's left in the world. Its difficult to put a count on how many quokka's there are on Rottnest.

Quokka's are marsupials which means they give birth to a tiny pink furless joey who could not survive outside the pouch and who suckle on their mothers milk in the pouch until fully developed and furred.

I asked Sallyann What was the funniest thing she had seen the quokka's do? She said; "I have seen them climb trees for food and to get into peoples backyards".

Quokka's live up to 10years. They have a family unit sharing their shelter and feeding grounds. Often I saw mum, dad and joey all feeding together. But they can fight for food or a partner.
They are very territorial which means once a family has established an area as their 'turf ' then no other quokka's are permitted to enter and they will bite and scratch if the intruder wont leave.

The ranger Sallyann said she has seen two quokka's fighting where one jumped on another and bit it on the neck.

When a quokka rests they put their tail out in front of them between their hind legs and rest their heads down in a half sitting position.

I have seen other members of the macropod family such as Red kangaroo's and Rock Wallabies rest like this.

This is also how some female macropods sit when giving birth to the tiny embryo.

The tail is shorter than other wallabies and not as thick around the base.

This is last years joey, too big to enter the pouch now but staying close to mum and learning how to be a quokka.

A female quokka is mature at 1 1/2-2 years. Gestation is 27 days.

The joey depends on its mother for the life giving milk in the pouch for 2-3months, and then for protection and as a teacher of all that it needs to learn until it is 10 months old.

There is a close bond between the mother, father and joey. Males and females partner for life.

The joey sticks close to its mother when they are unsure or nervous.

The female quokka may mate a second time in one season but this is not after the joey has grown and left the pouch but earlier when the first joey has just been born and entered the pouch. The female then stores this second embryo where it wont grow through winter until maybe six months later. So she can put an embryo 'on hold' until the first joey has left the pouch or in case the first joey dies. She does not give birth to the second embryo until it is needed.

This was the last little quokka joey I saw before I left the Island. Isn't it cute! The problem is this little one probably should have had its mum near by and it didn't.

Go Here to see our video this young Quokka. I did not have a suitable video camera that allowed me to get good footage of the fast moving 'wild' quokka's at night.

Quokka's may look sluggish during the day but this is because they a nocturnal animal, when you see them take off at night they lower their body towards the ground and serge forward with speed in short bursts.

They are also excellent at ducking in and around bushes and plants where all you can see or hear is the low ground plants shaking and rustling as they take off.

What do they eat?

Quokka's are herbivores. Strictly plant eaters. Their favourite foods are Moonah or Rottnest tea-tree, a melaleuca, and acacia or wattle shrubs. But it is not always available.
In summer when the water is limited many quokka's may congregate near the remaining water around a soak or salt lake. This will also cause quokka's to fight for their position at the waters edge and for the limited shade.
Quokka's can also gain necessary moisture from the dew and from some plants like succulents. A succulent you may know is the "Pig Face"( the brightly coloured daisy looking ground plant).

This is another succulent plant commonly called a Berry Salty. The quokka's can eat this plant that grows around the salt lakes as the berries of this plant absorb the salt from the plant. The quokka's don't eat the berries. However these plants are low in the nutrients that the quokka needs and can also affect the health of the quokka in the following year and whether or not it may have a second joey that year.

I also saw a quokka eat a part of a puffball fungi.

The Moonah or Rottnest tea-tree was flowering when I visited in March

The Moonah or Rottnest tea-tree is a dense tree providing complete shade underneath it.

Where do they live?

According to the research done by Professors Main, Shield, Waring and Bradshaw and their students; Quokka's like to sit under wattles during the day or make shelters in the Melaleuca or sedges. In areas where these trees are absent quokka's may travel some distance before sunrise to return to an area that they can shelter in. I am not talking about the quokka's that live around the settlements and shelter on the shady side of a cottage waiting for a handout.

At first I didn't see this sleepy quokka as I was watching the Tree martins darting over a salt lake.

Here in the center of these sedges around a salt lake you can see a whole which is the entrance to a quokka's shelter.

It is thought that because they are so territorial that joey's born into a family will remain in that family and later find a partner in that family group which could have up to 150 quokka's. So it is likely that most quokka's are related to each other.

Why are quokka's so furry when they obviously don't like the heat and avoid it?
An Island can be a hot dry place to live in summer but in winter an Island can be battered by cold icy winds and storms.

Quokka's have had to face many difficulties, including the strong European influence of cattle grazing, extensive burning, introduced plants, disease, being hunted and now in recent years, tourists.

Most tourists just want to get a photograph and leave the quokka's alone but others tease, abuse or feed the quokka's.

What pressures or protection will they have in the future?