(setonix brachurus)
By: Kiyah Legg
How Well has the Quokka Adapted to its Environment
Vocabulary 1. Marsupial- a mammal with a
pouch 2. Nocturnal- active at night3. Inhabit- live there
Appearance Short coarse brown-grey fur Size of a hare Small rounded ears A black nose at the end of its snout Related to the wallaby
Behavior Nocturnal Gentle animals Can get sick if you feed them human
food A quokka baby is called a joey
Habitat Live in Australia on Rottnest Island, Bald
Island, and the mainland Often live in tall grass near a fresh
water source Defended by the dominate males About 10,000 quokkas inhabit Rottnest
Island
History of Habitat In 1969, a Dutch sailor, Willem de
Vlaming traveled to what is now Rottnest Island
Thought Quokkas were large rats Named the island Rattenest (Dutch for
rat’s nest) Eventually became Rottnest Island
Diet Are herbivoresLeaves, stems, bark, fruits,
berries, and grassFeed at night
ThreatsMan Made
Declining population, from human development
Visitors have killed quokkas out of cruelty Natural
On the mainland-foxes, dogs, and cats Developing muscular dystrophy, a disease
in which muscles get damaged and weakened
Adaptations Marsupial- have pouches They swallow their food without chewing Can store fat in their tails to live off of
so they can live without food or water for a little
Can climb trees
Conclusion Have adapted very well Can live without food or water for a
while They can climb trees to escape from
predatorsI Think
Quokkas will stay around for a while because of the above Continue to adapt to their environment
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