Australia Quokka: 11 Facts About Smiling Animal From Australia
The quokka is one of the cutest animals in Australia. It looks like a small kangaroo and has a cheeky smile and friendly personality. Find out 11 things about Australia’s cutest animal that you might not have known.
Australia Quokka: They live on the island of Rottnest.
There are a few small quokka communities in the south-east of Western Australia, but the healthiest population is on Rottnest Island, which is just a quick ferry ride from Perth or Fremantle. On “Rotto,” as the locals call it, there are about 10,000 of these furry little guys, while only about 4,000 live on the mainland.
Australia Quokka: They chose the name “Rotto.”
When Dutch explorers first saw the West Coast of Australia in the late 17th century, captain Willem de Vlamingh thought quokkas were big rats. He called the island “Rotte nest,” which is the Dutch word for “rat nest.” The word “quokka” comes from an Indigenous word called “gwaga,” which is spoken in the local Nyungar language.
People call them “the happiest animal in the world.”
Quokkas aren’t just the cutest animal in Australia; they’ve also been called the happiest animal in the world. From New Zealand to the UK, CNN to National Geographic, the tag fits well on the shoulders of such a cute animal that loves to get close to admirers. Scientists think quokkas are so friendly toward people because Rottnest has been separated from the mainland for 7,000 years.
Australia Quokka: They’re happy because they’re pretty.
Quokkas seem extra friendly because they always have a cheeky grin on their faces, and when they pose for a picture, it looks like they’re saying “cheese.” But all this smiling is an evolutionary trait that helps them cool off by making them pant. This is a big plus for furry animals who live on an island that is sunny all year round.
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Australia Quokka: They come out at night
Quokkas also stay cool by sleeping in the shade during the day and coming out at night to play. So, if you’re riding a bike around car-free Rottnest at dusk, you should be extra careful… Even though smart quokkas are pretty good at avoiding people.
Australia Quokka: They are kangaroos’ cousins.
Quokkas don’t just look like kangaroos that are the size of cats, but they are also related to Australia’s national animal. Kangaroos, quokkas, wallabies, wallaroos, pademelons, and a few other species are all part of the macropod family. This family is made up of herbivorous marsupials with pouches that are native to Australia.
Australia Quokka: Don’t give them food.
When a quokka comes up to you at a picnic, it’s hard not to want to give it a cracker or piece of bread, but giving them “human” food can make them sick, and you can get a $300 fine if you do. It’s also against the law to touch a quokka, and hurting an animal can get you a fine of up to $50,000 and five years in prison.
Australia Quokka: They are a big deal on Instagram.
Check out the #quokkaselfie hashtag on Instagram to see thousands of the cutest photos you’ll ever see. Want to take a picture of yourself with a quokka on Rottnest? At dusk, go to Thompson Bay or the main settlement. Don’t touch them, and you don’t even have to go near them because they’re so friendly that they’ll come to you.
Roger Federer loves them
The great Swiss tennis player Roger Federer took his own #quokkaselfie last December when he was in Perth for a tournament. Federer isn’t the only celebrity to post a #quokkaselfie. Aussie actors Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie, model Tash Oakley, and actors Martin Clunes and Teri Hatcher have all fallen for Rotto’s famous residents.
There’s a website with their name on it.
Need to buy, trade, or sell something in Western Australia? Then you don’t need to look any further than quokka.com.au, which is WA’s version of Gumtree or Craigslist. Since the 1990s, these online ads have helped buyers and sellers connect in the Wild West. Australia’s cutest animal is a good name for the website.
Chocolate Quokkas for Easter
Rabbits are considered pests in Australia, so around Easter, they are replaced by native animals like bilbies. Since 2017, the Margaret River Chocolate Company has sold “Chokka the Quokka” for $25 each. Part of the money made from these sales goes to helping protect the animal on Rottnest Island.
Topic: Australia Quokka: 11 Facts About Smiling Animal From Australia
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By: Travel Pixy
