We know, it’s impossible to imagine these little angels annoying anyone – but there’s so many on Rottnest Island, they’ve been known to wander into restaurants and shops and have to be shooed away! Cheeky buggers!Īnd nope, you should definitely not give into those puppy dog eyes and give beer to a quokka! they are most active at night They reach maturity at about one and a half to two years of age, and the average lifespan is 10 years. Quokka mothers will have no more than two babies a year – though one is more common. Quokka mums have no more than two offspring a year Unlike their boxing kangaroo relatives, quokkas are not territorial and are very happy to share space, food and shelter! It sounds pretty gross, but this allows them to absorb the nutrients of their food better. They swallow food whole, then they regurgitate it and eat it again! Quokkas store fat in their chubby lil’ tails as a means of surviving when food supplies are low, and they can also go months without water. "Hey, get down from there!" They can survive a long time without food and water You mainly see quokkas on the ground, but unlike their bigger 'roo cousins, quokkas can climb trees if they need to – with heights of up to 2 metres! Mainly, they do it to get food. Like their kangaroo relatives, quokkas move around by hopping and bounding, or moving forward using their hands. Quokkas are such show-stealers, their entire home is named after them! Dutch captain Willem de Vlanmigh named the island ‘t Eylandt Rottenest (Rat’s Nest Island) in 1696, mistaking the quokkas for giant rats! they get around like kangaroos
Quokkas look teeny tiny in photos, but they’re actually roughly the size of a small cat – especially when they get on their hind legs and have a biiiig streeeetch!