Quokkas are a marsupial, which is similar to kangaroos, wallabies, and possums. This means that they are not related to squirrels, other than by their cute looks. Marsupials are known for raising their young in pouches around their bellies.
They are the only member of the genus Setonix and are about the size of a domestic cat. Quokkas are mainly nocturnal and eat an herbivore diet.
Quokkas are not a squirrel species. They are marsupials, which is like a kangaroo or a wallaby. The quokka sleeps in shrubs, as the camouflage protects them from predators. Squirrels can also use the paths the quokkas make. Quokkas are presumed to be one of the first mammals in Australia to be seen by Europeans, who described them as looking like cats.
Like squirrels, quokkas move around by climbing trees, crawling, and hopping. Quokkas are more like a cross between a marsupial and a domestic cat. Technically, they can also be called a short-tailed scrub wallaby.
