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“Quokkas are the only living species in the genus Setonix.”
The quokka is a small herbivorous marsupial endemic to southwestern Australia. About the size of a house cat, it browses dense forest and island scrub and raises joeys in a pouch.
Setonix brachyurusDiprotodontiaMacropodidae
Browse photographs of quokka across habitat, behavior, anatomy, and life stages.
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Core article
A closer look at habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and conservation.
The quokka (Setonix brachyurus) is a compact marsupial about the size of a house cat. Endemic to southwestern Australia, it browses dense forest undergrowth and island scrub, hides by day, and raises a single joey in a forward-opening pouch. Tourists know its rounded face from Rottnest Island photos; biologists know it as a Vulnerable specialist of thick cover.
Quokkas belong to the kangaroo family Macropodidae and are the only living species in the genus Setonix. Like kangaroos, they hop on powerful hind legs, but they evolved for tangled vegetation rather than open plains. Fossils and genetics place them among the smaller wallaby-like macropods of Australia’s southwest biodiversity hotspot.
Their short thick tail, stocky body, and preference for moist thickets reflect long isolation on a drying continent. Island populations such as Rottnest later became ecological laboratories: fewer introduced predators and denser scrub allow groups that are easier to see than shy mainland animals.
Adults typically measure 16 to 21 inches (40 to 54 cm) in body length, with a short tail and a shoulder height near that of a crouching cat. Weight usually falls between about 5.5 and 11 pounds (2.5 to 5 kg). Coarse brown-gray fur helps them blend into leaf litter and sandy coastal scrub.
Hind legs provide the hop; forepaws grasp stems while browsing. Small rounded ears and a blunt muzzle create the famous “smile” look without any emotional grin. Like other marsupials, females grow a pouch that cradles the joey until it can hop beside its mother. Plant moisture and shaded dens help them cope when freshwater is scarce.
Quokkas are restricted to Oceania’s southwestern corner of Australia. Mainland animals use jarrah forests, heath, and dense thickets that stay cooler and damper than open ground. Island habitats on Rottnest and nearby Bald Island include coastal scrub and dune vegetation where tourists often encounter confident individuals near paths.
By day they rest in nests of flattened plants. At dusk they emerge to forage along edges of cover. Fragmented mainland forests force them into remaining pockets of understory, while islands without foxes support unusually high numbers — a reminder that habitat structure and predator pressure control where quokkas can persist.
Quokkas are herbivores. Their menu includes grasses, herbs, leaves, stems, succulent shrubs, and occasional bark. Selective browsing lets them follow seasonal flush after rain, taking tender growth when dry-season plants harden.
They chew thoroughly and spend long sessions cropping close to escape cover. Because much of their water comes from foliage, healthy plant communities matter as much as standing pools. Feeding near human areas on Rottnest can become a problem if visitors offer snacks; unnatural food harms digestion and changes natural foraging routes.
Quokkas are mostly solitary or loosely aggregated where food is rich. Several animals may share a feeding area without forming stable herds like plains kangaroos. Mothers keep a strong bond with the current joey; males may roam between patches of scrub during breeding periods.
When alarmed, a quokka hops into thick vegetation rather than racing across open ground. They are chiefly nocturnal and crepuscular, reducing daytime heat stress. On predator-free islands they may appear unusually tame — an artifact of safety and habituation, not proof that mainland animals should be approached.
After roughly a month of pregnancy, a tiny joey crawls into the pouch and attaches to a teat. Development continues for months inside; later the young leaves and re-enters the pouch while learning to browse. Usually only one joey is raised at a time.
Independence comes gradually as hopping strength and feeding skills improve. Wild lifespan is often around a decade when habitat and predators allow; individuals in human care may live longer. Low reproductive output means populations recover slowly after fire, drought, or predation spikes.
(Population and conservation trend data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The quokka is classified as Vulnerable, with an overall decreasing trend on parts of the mainland. Introduced foxes and cats, hot wildfires, habitat clearing, and disease all shrink or isolate groups. Island populations need careful tourism rules so food provisioning and trampling do not degrade scrub.
Protecting understory corridors, controlling invasive predators, managing fire frequency, and enforcing no-feed wildlife policies give the species the dense cover and quiet nights it needs.
Quokkas are the only living species in the genus Setonix.
Their resting face muscles can look like a smile in photos.
Rottnest Island holds one of the densest wild populations.
Mainland quokkas hide in thick forest undergrowth by day.
A joey may leave and re-enter the pouch for weeks during weaning.
They get much of their water from the plants they eat.
Select a question to reveal the answer.
A quokka is a small marsupial in the kangaroo family (Macropodidae). It lives only in southwestern Australia and is about the size of a domestic cat.
They live in dense forest, coastal scrub, and island thickets in Western Australia, including Rottnest Island and nearby mainland patches.
Quokkas are herbivores. They browse grasses, leaves, stems, herbs, and succulent shrubs, often feeding at dusk and night.
Quokkas do not smile for cameras. The shape of their snout and cheek muscles simply looks grin-like when they rest or chew.
A baby quokka is a joey. After a short pregnancy, the tiny joey climbs into the mother’s pouch and stays there for months.
The species is listed as Vulnerable. Predators, fire, and habitat loss reduce many mainland populations.
Yes. Quokkas are macropods, the same family as kangaroos. Other Australian marsupials on this site include koalas and wombats.
On Rottnest Island, touching or feeding wildlife is illegal and harmful. Photos from a respectful distance keep animals wild and safe.
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