(setonix brachurus)

By: Kiyah Legg

How Well has the Quokka Adapted to its Environment

Vocabulary 1. Marsupial- a mammal with a

pouch 2. Nocturnal- active at night3. Inhabit- live there

Appearance Short coarse brown-grey fur Size of a hare Small rounded ears A black nose at the end of its snout Related to the wallaby

This is a Quokka!

Behavior Nocturnal Gentle animals Can get sick if you feed them human

food A quokka baby is called a joey

Habitat Live in Australia on Rottnest Island, Bald

Island, and the mainland Often live in tall grass near a fresh

water source Defended by the dominate males About 10,000 quokkas inhabit Rottnest

Island

History of Habitat In 1969, a Dutch sailor, Willem de

Vlaming traveled to what is now Rottnest Island

Thought Quokkas were large rats Named the island Rattenest (Dutch for

rat’s nest) Eventually became Rottnest Island

Diet Are herbivoresLeaves, stems, bark, fruits,

berries, and grassFeed at night

ThreatsMan Made

Declining population, from human development

Visitors have killed quokkas out of cruelty Natural

On the mainland-foxes, dogs, and cats Developing muscular dystrophy, a disease

in which muscles get damaged and weakened

Adaptations Marsupial- have pouches They swallow their food without chewing Can store fat in their tails to live off of

so they can live without food or water for a little

Can climb trees

Conclusion Have adapted very well Can live without food or water for a

while They can climb trees to escape from

predatorsI Think

Quokkas will stay around for a while because of the above Continue to adapt to their environment