Page 120 - An Anthology of Intriguing Animals (DK)

Quokkas are very rare. To have the best chance

of seeing one, you need to visit an island called

Rottnest, west of Australia.

Quokka

C heck out the grin on this quokka! No wonder people often call

it the world’s happiest animal. However, it is not really smiling—

that’s just how it looks to us. The quokka is a kind of mammal called
a marsupial, like a kangaroo, but it is the size of a fat rabbit. Unlike

kangaroos, however, quokkas are pretty good at climbing trees.
Some Aboriginal people of Australia called this animal “gwaga.”

Later, that became quokka.

Quokkas eat mostly plants. After they swallow their food, they bring

it back up and chew it a second time. Why? It probably helps them
squeeze more nutrients from the tough leaves.

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