Quokkas are the only member of the genus Setonix brachyurus. They are a small marsupial mammal about the size of a domestic cat. Marsupials (macropodidae) are known to carry their young in pouches which allow for them to develop into viable animals.
These animals only occupy a small portion of Australia, specifically on Rottnest Island and Bald Island. They need very little water and can go for long periods without food because of the fat that is stored in their tails. Quokkas reproduce no more than 2 offspring per year and infants are called joeys, similar to baby kangaroos.
Quokkas are the one and only member of the genus Setonix. It is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. The Dutch mariner, Samuel Volckertzoon wrote of sighting "a wildcat" on Rottnest island in 1658. In 1696, William de Vlamingh mistook the quokkas for giant rats and named the island “Rottenest," which comes from the Dutch word, Rattennest, which means, “rat nest.” On the mainland, quokkas live in smaller colonies. The quokka resides in areas with 1000mm or more annual rainfall in Natural Reserves or National Parks.
