Quokkas, small marsupials native to Western Australia, are known for their distinctive “smiling” facial expression. These cat-sized creatures are particularly prevalent on Rottnest Island. A common question is whether quokkas consume their young. While the direct answer is no, a specific survival behavior involving a female’s extreme response to threats contributes to this misconception.
Quokka Parental Behavior
Under extreme duress, such as when escaping a predator, a female quokka may expel her joey from her pouch. This behavior is a survival strategy for the mother. The ejected joey might create a distraction for the predator, allowing the female a greater chance to escape.
This abandonment represents a last-resort measure to ensure the mother’s survival. The joey’s cries or movements can draw the predator’s attention away from the fleeing mother. From an evolutionary standpoint, preserving the reproductive female allows for future offspring, even if it means sacrificing the current joey. Other macropods, like kangaroos and wallabies, may also exhibit similar behaviors when threatened.
The Life of a Joey
Quokkas are marsupials, with young born in an underdeveloped state that continue growth inside a maternal pouch. After a gestation of approximately 27 days, a single joey is born, tiny, blind, hairless, and weighing less than a gram. The newborn instinctively crawls from the birth canal into its mother’s pouch, attaching to one of four teats.
The joey remains inside the pouch for about six months, undergoing significant development, including growing fur and opening its eyes. Around four months, it may begin to peek out. After emerging, the young quokka nurses for an additional two to four months, gradually transitioning to solid foods like leaves and grasses. Joeys are typically weaned and independent by eight to ten months, reaching sexual maturity around 18 months to two years old.
Quokka Adaptations for Survival
Quokkas are primarily found on Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, with smaller populations on Bald Island and scattered pockets on the mainland. These herbivores consume grasses and leaves, storing fat in their tails as an energy reserve for food scarcity. Their diet on Rottnest Island also includes succulents and acacia leaves.
Quokkas are well-adapted to semi-arid environments, surviving extended periods with minimal water by obtaining moisture from plants. They are mostly nocturnal, resting in dense vegetation during the day to avoid heat and predators. On the mainland, quokkas face threats from introduced predators like foxes and feral cats, habitat loss, and altered fire patterns. Their adaptability to varying resources and predator avoidance supports their survival in native habitats.