Interactions
Quokkas are a small marsupial and are quite low on the food chain. They eat grass, leaves, seeds roots, and small shrubs; making them a primary consumer. Primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers, unfortunately for the quokka; it makes a tasty snack for any larger or smaller predator like the bearded dragon.
Cats and
dogs
often make meals of the quokka; this is why quokkas are not
found in the mainland of Australia where cats and dogs are
heavily domesticated by humans. On the Rottnest Island and
Perth, some predators include large birds, foxes, and dingoes
(Quokka et al., 2006). There are no known predators on the Bald Island; this
also where the population of quokkas is the highest due to low
predation.
Quokkas are
rather passive and mellow towards each other, putting up with
each other and not fighting for territory often, and families
sleep together. The families are set up by a dominance hierarchy
that is very stable. The families are controlled by the males,
and they only fight to get better shelter during the hot summer
months (Quokka et al., 2013).
Quokkas live
in families of 25-150, often because quokkas tend to live near
water sources and families territories overlap. Ranges of
families overlap more during the summer months when water
sources get scarce. They have runways and tunnels through dense
grass and undergrowth that go directly to food and water from
their shelters (Nocon et al., 2003).
In the 1800’s
when the European settlers first found the quokka, they were
hunted very heavily just like the
beaver in North America. Today, Quokkas are being further
hurt by humans because of the urbanization in Australia is
leading to the loss of habitat.
The Quokkas habitat is also often destroyed by feral pigs that
keep them from marshes (IUCN et al., 2013). Prescribed burnings and clearing
are a problem for the forested habitats, mostly on the mainland
of Australia (IUCN et al., 2013). Quokkas occur in a number of protected
areas and are listed as a threatened species under Australian
lax. (IUCN et al., 2013)
Under the Australian protection, quokkas have a fairly stable
population, and in the remaining three spots Quokka are found
quokkas are very friendly to humans. Because the quokkas are a
source of tourism on the Rottnest Island, humans often feed them
and want pictures of the happiest marsupial on earth.
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