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Quokka

  • Length 40 โ€“ 54cm
  • Weight 2.7 โ€“ 4.2kg
  • Class Mammal
  • Gestation Approx 27 days
  • # of Young 1
  • Diet Herbivore, grasses and browse
  • Status Vulnerable
  • Features & Adaptations
  • Habitat & Environment
  • Diet
  • Lessen The Threat

The Famously 'Happy' Quokka

Quokkas are one of Western Australia's most recognisable native animals, known worldwide for their cheerful expression. But behind that smile, Quokkas are doing it tough. They're listed as vulnerable, with mainland populations hit hardest by habitat loss and introduced predators.

At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, we're a proud part of the Quokka Species Management Program, working with the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia's network of zoos, aquariums and wildlife parks across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea to help protect this iconic species.

See The Quokkas
A quokka with its head outstretched appearing to come towards the camera. In the background are green leafy plants

Quokka Facts

  • Common Names

    Quokka

  • Scientific Names

    Setonix brachyurus

  • First Nations Name

    Gwaga

  • Family

    Macropodidae

Do You Know?

Quokkas aren't actually smiling. Their permanent 'happy' expression comes down to their facial structure, not their mood!

Quokka Features & Adaptations

Quokkas are small, stocky macropods with coarse grey-brown fur, rounded ears and a short, thick tail. Like their Kangaroo and Wallaby relatives, they hop on strong hind legs and their tail doubles as a handy fat store for leaner times.

Quokka on a sandy beach with the ocean in the background on a clear day with blue skies.

Quokka Habitat & Environment

On the mainland, small, isolated colonies survive in damp forest undergrowth, jarrah forests and coastal heath between Perth and Albany in Western Australia. On Rottnest Island, Quokkas live among semi-arid limestone heath and woodland. Sometimes when they're moving around you might spot them on the beach.

Quokka Distribution

Quokkas are restricted to the south west corner of Western Australia. They're 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, and today they only survive in small, scattered populations around Perth.

Quokka's Diet

Quokkas are herbivores, grazing on grasses and browse. They'll even climb up to 2 metres into shrubs and trees to reach young leaf tips. Like other macropods, they also re-chew their food meaning they regurgitate and swallow it a second time to get the most out of every mouthful.

A Quokka with a joey in its pouch with its head peaking out, on brown grounds with mulch, dried woods and some grasses

Life Cycle of Quokkas

Female Quokkas can breed year-round, though their main breeding season runs from January to August. After a gestation of around 27 days, a single joey is born and spends roughly 6 months developing in the pouch, weaning at around 8 months old, when it becomes independent. Quokkas live up to 10 years in the wild.

A quokka with its mouth hanging wide open appearing to be smiling. In the background is a large green grass field and trees.

Threats to Quokkas

Mainland Quokka populations are the most vulnerable, threatened by habitat loss for agriculture and development, predation from introduced species such as foxes, feral cats and pigs, and the impacts of climate change.

A quokka mum and its grown up joey with their heads together, standing on concrete and both holding a wild rosemary branch.

Ways to lessen the threat to Quokkas

  • Keep cats indoors and dogs under control
  • Plant native trees and shrubs to support local habitat
  • Help protect and restore natural bushland
  • Make environmentally conscious choices every day

Gallery

A quokka with its head outstretched appearing to come towards the camera. In the background are green leafy plants
A quokka standing up right with its front paws grabbing a low hanging leafy branch from a tree.
A quokka looking at the camera straight on, appearing to wink. Its mouth is hanging wide open showing its pink tongue.
Two quokkas with their heads close together on dried grassy, mulch grounds.

Visit Quokkas at the Sanctuary

This Way

Jingeri โ€“ Hello

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the greater Yugambeh language region, the Country on which Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Hospital are situated today. We recognise their continuing connections to the land, sky, waters (waterways), and wildlife. We thank them for caring for this Country and its ecosystems.

We celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and we pay our respect to Elders past and present.

Birds
A vibrant red and orange bird