# Quokka — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Setonix brachyurus*

> The quokka is a Vulnerable marsupial found only in south-western Western Australia, best known for its photogenic "smile" but facing serious threats from feral predators, habitat loss, and climate change.

**IUCN status:** Vulnerable  ·  **WARN range:** Western Australia, Rottnest Island, Bald Island, Southern Australia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Body length | 40–54 cm |
| Weight | 1.6–4.2 kg |
| Lifespan | ~10 years |
| Gestation | 27 days |
| Pouch time | ~6 months |
| Top speed | ~32 km/h |
| Activity pattern | Nocturnal |
| Diet | Herbivore (grasses, leaves, sedges) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Diprotodontia
- **Family:** Macropodidae
- **Genus:** Setonix
- **Species:** S. brachyurus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Vulnerable
- **Population:** 7,850–17,150 mature individuals
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Not listed
- Classified VU B1ab(ii,iii) due to restricted range (<20,000 km²), severely fragmented distribution, and continuing declines in area of occupancy. Largest colony on predator-free Rottnest Island (est. 4,000–8,000); mainland populations face severe pressure from introduced foxes and cats.

## Key facts: Quokka
- The quokka is the only species in the genus Setonix and is found nowhere else on Earth outside a small region of south-western Western Australia.
- Its global population is estimated at just 7,850 to 17,150 mature individuals, split between island refuges and fragmented mainland patches.
- Introduced predators — particularly red foxes and feral cats — are the primary threat to mainland quokka populations, which lack the predator-free protection that island colonies enjoy.
- The famous "quokka selfie" trend has boosted awareness but also brought tourism pressures, including illegal feeding and handling that can harm individual animals.
- Female quokkas practise embryonic diapause — holding a backup embryo in suspended development so a replacement joey can develop immediately if the current one is lost.
- A drying, warming south-western Australian climate is shrinking the dense vegetation quokkas need for shelter and food, adding long-term pressure on top of immediate predator threats.

## What is a quokka?
The quokka is a small macropod marsupial — meaning it belongs to the same family as kangaroos and wallabies — and is the sole species in the genus Setonix. It was first described scientifically by French naturalists Quoy and Gaimard in 1830, though European sailors encountered it much earlier; when the Dutch mariner Willem de Vlamingh landed on what is now Rottnest Island in 1696, he mistook quokkas for large rats and named the island "'t Eylandt 't Rottenest" (Rats' Nest Island) accordingly — a name that survives today in anglicised form as "Rottnest." The quokka has a stocky, compact build with powerful hind legs, rounded ears, a broad short head, and a relatively short tail of 25–30 cm. Males are slightly larger, reaching 4.2 kg, while females average 1.6–3.5 kg. The fur is coarse and greyish-brown, fading to buff underneath. Quokkas are primarily nocturnal, sleeping during the heat of the day in dense vegetation — often among the spiky fronds of Acanthocarpus preissii, which deter predators — and emerging at dusk to browse on grasses, sedges, leaves, and bark. Although they rarely drink standing water, they extract moisture efficiently from their food, an adaptation to the seasonally dry south-west Australian environment.

## Where do quokkas live?
Quokkas have one of the most restricted natural ranges of any Australian marsupial. Their entire global distribution fits within a small arc of south-western Western Australia, centred on the coastal and forested regions south of Perth. The largest and best-known population lives on Rottnest Island, a predator-free offshore island roughly 18–19 km west of Perth, where an estimated 4,000–8,000 individuals thrive in habitats ranging from semi-arid scrub and wetlands to resort gardens. A second significant island population, numbering 500–2,000 animals, occupies Bald Island near Albany. Mainland populations are more scattered and vulnerable: a small group persists in the Northern Jarrah Forest (around 150 individuals), with further clusters in southern forests (2,000–5,000) and along the south coast (1,200–2,000). On the mainland, quokkas seek out dense riparian thickets and tall heath for cover, particularly near watercourses. They do not occur on any other continent or island group and are entirely absent from the eastern states of Australia. The species' extent of occurrence is calculated at less than 20,000 km², a figure that directly contributes to its IUCN Vulnerable classification under criterion B1.

## Why is the quokka Vulnerable?
The IUCN lists the quokka as Vulnerable (VU B1ab[ii,iii]) with a declining population trend. The primary driver on the mainland is predation by introduced species. European settlement brought red foxes and feral cats, neither of which quokkas evolved defences against. Without the island refuge of Rottnest — where cats and foxes are controlled or absent — mainland quokkas are easy prey. Dogs from farms and residential areas add further pressure. Habitat loss compounds the threat: land clearing for agriculture and coastal development has reduced and fragmented the dense, low vegetation that quokkas depend on for shelter. Altered fire regimes — particularly the suppression of the low-intensity, mosaic burning that traditionally maintained open understorey — have degraded habitat quality in some areas. Climate change is now an accelerating concern. South-western Australia is one of the regions most affected by declining winter rainfall; ongoing drying trends reduce the succulent plants and water sources quokkas rely on and increase the frequency and severity of bushfires. In early 2015, a severe fire swept approximately 98,000 hectares of quokka habitat near Northcliffe, decimating a mainland sub-population by an estimated 90%. On Rottnest Island, population density itself creates risk: disease can spread rapidly through a geographically isolated colony, and extreme heat events — which are becoming more frequent — can cause mass mortality events among animals that have limited capacity to thermoregulate in the open.

## How do quokkas reproduce?
Quokka reproduction showcases some of the most remarkable adaptations found anywhere in the marsupial world. After mating — which occurs in a promiscuous system where females may mate with multiple males — gestation lasts only 27 days, one of the shortest among macropods. The single joey born is tiny and undeveloped, crawling unaided into the mother's forward-opening pouch, where it attaches to a teat and continues development for approximately six months. After leaving the pouch, the joey continues to suckle and remains close to its mother for a further two months, achieving full weaning at around eight months of age. Females reach sexual maturity at roughly 18 months. Perhaps most striking is the quokka's use of embryonic diapause: a fertilised egg can be held in a state of suspended development in the uterus while the current joey occupies the pouch. If the pouch joey dies — whether from predation, drought stress, or disease — the dormant embryo immediately resumes development, allowing the female to produce a replacement joey within weeks. This reproductive insurance policy is critical in an environment where juvenile mortality can be high. On Rottnest Island, breeding is seasonal (January to August), likely timed to cooler, wetter months; on the mainland, breeding can occur year-round. Over a lifetime, a female quokka may raise around 17 joeys.

## Can you take a selfie with a quokka?
Quokkas rose to global fame around 2013 after a Huffington Post article proclaimed them the world's happiest animal, and the "quokka selfie" became one of the most shared wildlife photo trends of the decade. High-profile images by celebrities including Roger Federer — whose December 2017 quokka selfie attracted more than 525,000 Instagram likes and an estimated global reach of hundreds of millions of people — drove a surge in visitation to Rottnest Island. The animals' naturally curious, fearless temperament and upturned mouth corners make them willing photographic subjects, and they will often approach visitors on their own. However, Australian law protects quokkas under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (which replaced the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 in January 2019). Feeding quokkas human food is illegal and genuinely harmful — their digestive systems cannot process bread, chips, or other processed foods, and dietary disruption can cause illness or death. Physical handling, picking up, or restraining a quokka is also prohibited and can attract significant fines under state and Commonwealth law. Ethical wildlife viewing means keeping a respectful distance and allowing the animal to approach on its own terms. Photography using flash should be avoided, as it can disorient nocturnal animals. Responsible tourism that respects these rules generates revenue that helps fund predator management, habitat restoration, and ongoing population monitoring — so a selfie taken ethically can, indirectly, contribute to the species' survival.

## What WARN does
WARN does not currently run projects for the quokka — our conservation partnerships are focused in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Brazil, and Colombia — and this guide is offered as free educational content. What public awareness achieves everywhere, however, is real: a better-informed global audience asks harder questions about wildlife tourism ethics, invasive species management, and the pace of climate change that is reshaping habitat for species like the quokka. Every step toward a more wildlife-literate world supports the broader mission of keeping animals where they belong — in the wild.

Species like the quokka remind us that charisma alone cannot save a species — it takes sustained, on-the-ground conservation work to tackle invasive predators and protect shrinking habitats. Supporting WARN helps fund that kind of practical wildlife protection in the regions where our partners operate.

## Frequently asked questions: Quokka
### Is the quokka endangered?
The quokka is classified as Vulnerable (not Endangered) on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated total population of 7,850 to 17,150 mature individuals. Its population trend is declining, primarily due to introduced predators, habitat loss, and the long-term effects of climate change on south-western Australia's vegetation and rainfall.

### Where can you see quokkas in the wild?
The best place to encounter wild quokkas is Rottnest Island, an easily accessible day-trip or overnight destination about 18–19 km west of Perth, Western Australia. The island's predator-free environment supports the largest single quokka colony, estimated at 4,000–8,000 individuals. Smaller populations exist on Bald Island near Albany and in scattered mainland forest patches, though these are far harder to find and observe.

### What do quokkas eat?
Quokkas are herbivores, browsing on grasses, sedges, leaves, bark, and stems. On Rottnest Island their diet leans heavily on succulent plants. They are adept at surviving periods without readily available water, extracting moisture from plant material — an important adaptation for the dry south-west Australian summers.

### How long do quokkas live?
Quokkas live for approximately 10 years in the wild. Females can produce around 17 joeys over their lifetime, aided by embryonic diapause — the ability to hold a fertilised egg in suspended development until conditions are right to continue the pregnancy.

### Are quokkas dangerous to humans?
Quokkas are gentle and generally curious rather than aggressive toward humans. They can scratch or nip if handled, which is why Australian law prohibits touching or picking them up. The main danger runs the other way: well-meaning tourists who feed or handle quokkas can inadvertently make them ill or habituate them to humans in ways that compromise their safety.

### Why is the quokka called the happiest animal in the world?
The nickname stems from the quokka's facial anatomy — the upturned corners of its mouth create a permanent expression that looks like a smile to human eyes. This is a structural feature, not an emotion, but combined with the animal's naturally bold and curious temperament it produces irresistibly photogenic encounters, launching the viral "quokka selfie" phenomenon that has made the species one of the most recognised Australian marsupials worldwide.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List – Setonix brachyurus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/20165/21952167)
- [Animal Diversity Web – Setonix brachyurus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Setonix_brachyurus/)
- [Australian Museum – Quokka](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/quokka/)
- [PBS Nature – Quokka Fact Sheet](https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/quokka-fact-sheet/)
- [Wikipedia – Quokka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quokka)
- [Britannica – Quokka](https://www.britannica.com/animal/quokka)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/quokka