Quokka

Quokka ( Setonix brachyurus )

The Quokka or short-tailed kangaroo ( Setonix brachyurus ) is a species bag from the family of kangaroos ( Macropodidae ) and the only member of the genus Setonix.

Features

Quokka reach a body length 48-60 cm, the tail measures 25 to 35 cm. The weight of the animals is two to five kilograms. Their short, coarse fur is gray brown in color, sometimes with a reddish tint. The tail is relatively short and barely pubescent. The body is relatively compact, as with most kangaroos, the hind legs are long and strong, the front legs are short. Remarkable are the short, rounded ears.

Distribution and habitat

These kangaroos live in Australia, their range includes the south west of Western Australia and some offshore islands like Iceland and soon Rottnest Iceland. This island received its name in 1696 even ( " rat's nest ") because these animals, as the Quokka were initially held for large rats.

They inhabit different habitats, but they require tight lined with underbrush areas. On the mainland they are often found near swamps and other water bodies.

Way of life

Quokka are nocturnal, they sleep during the day hidden in thickets of plants. At night, they go looking for food, for locomotion they create trails. If you want to move fast, they jump with their hind legs, in the slow movement they use the tail as opposed to the kangaroos and wallabies as supports. On Rottnest Iceland they have partially changed the daily rhythm as they can during the day begging for food easier.

At least on Rottnest Iceland, the animals are gregarious and live in family groups, males dominate the group and establish among themselves a ranking. This ranking is usually stable, but it can come on hot summer days between the males in intense battles for the best hiding places. It is the number of hiding places and not the food supply, limit the a Quokkapopulation in an area.

They are hardly territorial, groups of 25 to 150 animals may have overlapping areas. In the summer, often many animals gather around the few water points.

Food

Quokka, like all kangaroos herbivores and feed on grasses, herbs and leaves. When foraging they climb up to 1.5 meters high. A multi-chamber stomach and special bacteria to help them in the recovery of indigestible food.

Reproduction

In captivity, mating can take place throughout the year, in the wild the births take place mostly between January and March. The gestation period is 26 to 28 days, usually comes a single young is born. As with many other kangaroos occurs in the Quokka for delayed birth: immediately after birth, the female mates again, the embryo begins neugezeugte but only grow when the old young animal dies or is weaned.

The newborn spends his first months of life in the mother's pouch. After 175-195 days, it comes out the first time, but still returns at risk or cold back there. With around nine to ten months it is finally weaned. Sexual maturity usually occurs at the beginning of the second year of life. The life expectancy can exceed 10 years.

Quokka and people

Until the 1930s, the Quokka was relatively common on the mainland and occupied a significantly larger area in southwestern Australia than it is today. Then began a drastic decline in populations. Reasons for this was the enactment by introduced foxes and cats, the destruction of their habitat and the food and habitat competition by also entrained wild boar.

A strict control of the fox stocks has led to the mainland to stabilize the populations. On Rottnest Iceland, where there was never foxes, today is the largest single population of Quokka. Here the animals are considered a tourist attraction, but threats to the animals poses: by the conversion of the daily rhythm and unsuitable food diseases are caused, enhanced development of the island could destroy the habitats of the Quokka.

The IUCN estimates that the total population of the Quokka on 8000-17000 animals, of which 4000 to 8000 on Rottnest Iceland. The species is 'at risk' ( vulnerable ) listed.