Quokka

Quokka outwardly resembles a kangaroo or wallaby , but has a short tail , even with respect to body size, which is not capable of playing the role of a support ^[2] . The size of a crook with a big domestic cat . Body length - about half a meter, tail - about 30 cm. Weight - from 2.5 to 5 kg. Quokka is herbivorous and leads a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle .

Quokka is defenseless against predators, therefore it has survived on the small islands of Bald , Rottnest , Penguin and several isolated continental areas in the Albany region ( Western Australia ), where foxes and cats are absent. It prefers dry grassy areas densely covered with shrubs , but is often found in marshy places during drought ^[3] .

After mating, one cub is born, but in the event of its death, another embryo develops without repeated mating ^[4] . The spare embryo “slumbers” in the mother’s body, and if the cub sitting in the bag develops successfully, the “understudy” is born in due time - after the previous one releases the bag ^[2] . Life expectancy in nature is 10 years ^[2] .

Quokka is a vulnerable species . The expansion of agricultural land has led to a decrease in the natural habitat and, as a consequence, the abundance of this species. Breeding cats and dogs, as well as draining swamps exacerbate this problem.