Quokka
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| Setonix brachyurus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830) |
The Quokka (Setonix brachyurus) is a small macropod, about the size of a large domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as the kangaroos and wallabies), the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.
In the wild, it is now restricted to a very small range in mainland south-western Western Australia, where it has become rare, and on two cat- and fox-free islands off the coast of that area, Bald Island and Rottnest Island, which are its stronghold. On Rottnest it is common and occupies a wide range of habitats, ranging from semi-arid scrub to cultivated gardens.
The Quokka is the only member of the genus Setonix. It weighs 2.5 to 5 kg and is 40 to 54 cm long with a 25 to 30 cm tail — which is rather short for a macropod. It has a stocky build, rounded ears, and a short, broad head. Although looking rather like a very small, dumpy kangaroo, it can climb small trees and shrubs. Its coarse fur is a grizzled brown colour, fading to buff underneath.
The Quokka is gregarious and gathers in large groups where food is available: primary items are grasses, sedges, succulents and foliage. The health of some animals has suffered significantly by the ingestion of inappropriate foods, such as bread, given by well meaning visitors to Rottnest Island. Visitors are now asked to refrain from feeding them. It breeds at any time on the mainland, but in late summer on Rottnest. The Quokka only produces a single joey in a year. Restricted availability of the trace element copper appears to be a major limiting factor of the ability of the Quokka to breed on Rottnest.
Although numerous on the small offshore islands, it has a very restricted range and is classified as vulnerable. On the mainland, where it is threatened by introduced predatory species such as foxes, it requires dense ground cover for refuge.
The Quokka was one of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans. The Dutch mariner Samuel Volckertzoon wrote of sighting "a wild cat" on Rottnest Island in 1658. In 1696 Willem de Vlamingh mistook them for rats and named the island "Rottenest", Dutch for "rat nest".
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 69. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Setonix brachyurus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 6 May 2006.
