They are curious, bold and known for their adorable grins. They follow tourists around and even “pose” for photos.
They are curious, bold and known for their adorable grins. They follow tourists around and even “pose” for photos.
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
ByCara GiaimoOct. 23, 2020
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
Quokkas are curious, bold and known for their adorable grins.
They follow tourists around and even “pose” for photos (check out #quokkaselfie).
Here’s what else to know about these cat-sized Australian marsupials →
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
1. Quokkas like to nap in prickly plants.
Quokkas are nocturnal and many spend their days sleeping inAcanthocarpus preissii,a perennial that grows on coastal dunes in Western Australia.They like to hide under the spikes.
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
2. They used to be mistaken for rodents.
Much of the world’s quokka population lives on an island near Western Australia. In 1696, a Dutch sea captain traveled to it and dubbed it Rottnest (Rat’s Nest) Island, after the hopping creatures he saw. The name stuck.
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
3. Moms use an odd defense mechanism.
Quokkas rear their young in pouches. When stressed, a female may expel a joey from her pouch. The joey then squirms on the ground and hisses. This may distract predators and allow the mom to escape —withoutthe joey in tow.
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
4. Quokkas chew their cud like cows do.
They eat grass, seeds, leaves and roots. And like their relatives the kangaroos — as well as cows, sheep and goats — quokkas sometimes swallow their food, regurgitate it and then chew on it some more.
5 Strange Facts About Quokkas
5. It’s actually illegal to touch them.
A 1992 study found that 72 people had visited the hospital on Rottnest Island after being bitten by quokkas. Nearly all of those injured were feeding or petting the animals. Fortunately all healed within a couple of weeks.
More from Science: