Quokkas Diet

All about Quokkas

A Quokka's Diet

Quokkas are small, nocturnal marsupial herbivores found primarily on Rottnest Island and in Western Australia, with a diet heavily adapted to their arid, island environment. They are browsing herbivores, consuming a variety of grasses, sedges, leaves, succulent plants, and new young growth, with a notable preference for Guichenotia ledifolia. As they live in areas with limited fresh water, they derive most of their necessary moisture from these plants. While they typically forage at ground level, quokkas can climb small trees (up to 1.5 meters) to reach succulent foliage. Their feeding mechanism is unique, as they often swallow their food whole, only toregurgitate and re-chew it later—a process similar to ruminant mammals. During scarce food periods, they possess the ability to draw on stored fat in their tails for energy and can go long periods without water.

A Quokka's Diet

Foods that Quokkas Eat

Native Grasses
Sweet Potato
Seeds
Leaves
Succulents
Fruit
Roots

How to feed a quokka properly

Do not bring human food: Never bring human food, snacks, or bread near a quokka.
Keep your distance: Do not touch, pat, or feed them directly.
Allow natural foraging: Let them eat their natural diet of leaves, grass, and succulents.
Do not provide water: Quokkas obtain water from their food; offering water can harm them.
Step back if they approach: If a curious quokka comes close, slowly step back to give them space.
Take photos from afar: Use your camera's zoom to take pictures instead of getting too close.
Respect their habitat: Do not offer food or waste; allow them to browse freely in the shrubland.