tiabunna's photos with the keyword: Quokka

When visiting Rottnest Island, near Perth in Western Australia, among the attractions are the little animals known as Quokas (or, occasionally, as a "short-tailed scrub wallaby"). The island was, in fact, named after them by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh who thought they were a type of rat and named the island Rottnest (Dutch for rat's nest), though they are actually macropods and related to kangaroos. Quokkas are not much larger than a domestic cat and once were much more widespread in Western Australia, but their population has been decimated by feral foxes and cats. It's another week, so I'll wish everyone a very Happy Bench Monday and a good week to follow.

Quokkas are small macropod animals, related to kangaroos and wallabies, and found in south-western Australia. Sadly, their numbers have been greatly depleted by land development and feral animals. Rottnest Island is where most are now found and they are quite relaxed about being around people - hence this portrait (and PiP). I'm heading away for a while and likely to be largely offline for about a week. Best wishes, everyone.