Under cover.In short, quokkas inhabit shrubland, wetlands (inland), and forest. On islands, quokkas use a variety of habitats with sufficient cover, while mainland quokkas use dense vegetation in swamps amidst dry sclerophyll forest. The lynchpin of quokka habitat is cool, shady shelterto hole up in by day. They return to the same shelter each day, but may change it up in May or June. At night they emerge to feed on plant matter. Its frequently used paths serve as runways to escape predators.
Where is home? Most quokkas take shelter in a thicket or some other shady, cool protected area during the day. They return to the same shelter at the end of each nighttime foraging expedition. On hot summer days, adult males may fight intensely for possession of the best, shady shelter sites. Availability of such shelters, rather than food, may be a limiting factor in quokka populations.
A recent two-year spatial ecology study in the southern forests of Western Australia found that quokkas in the region had much larger home ranges and moved longer distances—up to 6.2 miles (10 km) per night!—than quokka in other areas. Twenty-nine quokkas (10 adult males, 16 adult females, and 3 subadult males) were fitted with VHF radiotransmitter collars, providing hourly locations four times per month. Home ranges among female quokkas overlapped significantly, while males’ didn’t overlap with each other, but did overlap with multiple females. However, two males that emigrated away from the group during breeding season had core areas that significantly overlapped with other males, so their movement could have been in response to lack of mates or competitive behavior from other males. Or they just needed a change of scenery.
It is perhaps no surprise that the largest quokka population is on Rottnest Island, a popular, car-free oasis 11 miles off the mainland coast, with miles of sandy beaches and forests, and no predators. Here, quokka appear to shed their nocturnal lifestyle and readily mix and mingle with visitors.
Rain or shine.The home range of quokkas also changes with the seasons. According to Walker’s Marsupials of the World, the wet season on Rottnest Island sees a home range used by quokkas covering 2.5 to30.8 acres (10,000 to 125,000 square meters). During the dry season (November to April), the quokkas' feeding range increases to 5 to42 acres (20,000 to 170,000 square meters). Some animals even move up in elevation to 5,900 feet (1,800 meters) to take advantage of soaks or fresh water seepages during the summer months, as there is little standing water available on Rottnest.
Eats shoots and leaves (and other things).Quokkas are herbivores, browsing on grasses and leaves. Preferring new growth, they show a preference for areas associated with fires, and the resulting fresh, succulent plant growth. According to the Australian Museum, quokkas on Rottnest Island subsist primarily on succulents and, to a lesser extent,the leaves of Acacia trees, called the wattles in Australia.
Its ruminant-like digestive system resembles that of sheep: most of the 15 or so morphological types of bacteria present in the large stomach region of the quokka are similar to those in the rumen of sheep. Like all good ruminants, the quokka chews a cud.
