Few Australian animals have mastered the art of posing for a photograph quite like the quokka.
With its round face, bright eyes and mouth that appears to curve into a permanent smile, this small marsupial has become one of Australia’s most recognisable animals.
Visitors travel from around the world hoping to meet one on Wadjemup, better known as Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia.
The quokka may look friendly and cheerful, but there is much more to this little Australian than its famous smile.
A Small Member of the Kangaroo Family
Quokkas are marsupials and belong to the same animal family as kangaroos and wallabies.
They are much smaller than most kangaroos, generally growing to around the size of a domestic cat.
Their compact bodies are covered in coarse brown-grey fur. They have rounded ears, strong hind legs and a relatively short tail.
Like other marsupials, female quokkas carry their developing young in a pouch.
The babies, known as joeys, remain protected in the pouch during their early development before beginning to explore the outside world.
The Animal Mistaken for a Giant Rat
The name Rottnest has an unusual connection to the quokka.
In 1696, Dutch sea captain Willem de Vlamingh explored the island and saw animals he believed were large rats.
He called the island Rattennest, meaning “rat’s nest.”
The animals were not rats at all.
They were quokkas, and the name gradually became Rottnest.
The island’s traditional name is Wadjemup, and the animal is known as kwoka in the Noongar language.
Rottnest Island Is Their Best-Known Home
Wadjemup is home to the world’s largest quokka population.
The island provides plenty of vegetation, shelter and water, while the absence of introduced predators such as foxes has helped quokkas survive there in large numbers.
Although the island is their most famous home, quokkas are not found only on Rottnest.
Smaller populations live on Bald Island and in isolated areas of south-western Western Australia.
Their mainland range was once much larger, but habitat loss, bushfires and introduced predators have reduced their numbers.
Quokkas Are Mostly Active at Night
Quokkas are mainly nocturnal.
They usually rest beneath shady vegetation during the heat of the day and become more active during the cooler hours of late afternoon, evening and early morning.
They eat grasses, leaves, stems, seeds and young plant growth.
Quokkas can survive difficult periods by storing fat in their tails, providing an energy reserve when food becomes scarce.
Despite their stocky appearance, they can move quickly through thick vegetation. They have even been known to climb small trees and shrubs while searching for food.
That is quite an achievement for an animal often photographed sitting politely beside a walking track.
Why Do Quokkas Look as Though They Are Smiling?
Quokkas are frequently called the happiest animals in the world.
Their cheerful appearance comes mainly from the natural shape of their mouths and faces. Panting in warm weather can make their supposed smile look even wider.
It does not necessarily mean that the animal is delighted to be included in another holiday photograph.
Their calm and curious nature does make them easier to observe than many other wild animals, particularly on Rottnest Island, where they are accustomed to people being nearby.
However, they remain wild animals and need space to behave naturally.
The Rise of the Quokka Selfie
The quokka’s international fame grew rapidly with the popularity of social media.
Visitors began taking photographs from a low angle, making it appear as though the quokka was smiling directly at the camera.
The “quokka selfie” became one of Australia’s best-known travel photographs.
Celebrities and international visitors joined in, introducing the little marsupial to millions of people who may never have heard of it otherwise.
That attention has helped create interest in quokka conservation, but it has also brought problems.
Some visitors try to touch, hold or feed them to get a better photograph.
None of those things is good for a quokka.
Looking Is Fine, but Feeding Is Not
Quokkas should never be given human food or water.
Their digestive systems are designed for their natural diet, and processed food can make them ill. Feeding can also encourage them to gather near busy visitor areas instead of finding their own food.
The best quokka photograph is taken by sitting quietly, keeping a respectful distance and allowing the animal to approach or move away on its own.
Visitors should never touch, chase or position a quokka for a photograph.
It may require a little more patience, but a natural encounter is far more special than a forced one.
A Vulnerable Australian Species
The quokka is officially listed as vulnerable.
Although the large Rottnest Island population can make the species appear secure, the smaller mainland populations face serious challenges.
Foxes and feral cats prey on quokkas. Land clearing and changes to waterways reduce suitable habitat, while intense bushfires can destroy both shelter and food.
Conservation work includes protecting habitat, controlling introduced predators, monitoring populations and studying how quokkas respond to fire and environmental change.
Rottnest Island also carefully manages interactions between visitors and wildlife.
More Than Australia’s Happiest Face
The quokka’s smile has turned it into an international celebrity.
That fame can be valuable when it encourages people to learn about the animal and help protect it.
But the quokka is more than an adorable face waiting beside a camera.
It is a hardy little marsupial that has survived changing landscapes, introduced predators and the loss of much of its former range.
Its future depends on protecting the wild places it still calls home.
A Small Animal With a Very Big Following
Australia has no shortage of unusual wildlife, but the quokka has found a special place among our best-known animals.
It was once mistaken for a giant rat.
Today, it is one of Western Australia’s most beloved residents and a reason in itself to visit Wadjemup.
The famous smile may draw people in.
The remarkable animal behind it gives them something worth remembering.
