Australia.

                                                            Quokka.: (Setonix brachyurus ):

 This is another in the series of  Australian Native Animals. This card is a "First day release " Maxi card  Perth WA. Released 20 August 2012. The Quokka was one of the first native Australian animals seen by Europeans who thought that they were large rodents.  The Dutch explorers thought that they were rats hence the name of the Island " Rats Nest" The Quokka is the only member of the genus, "Setonix" and  is a small Macropod about the size of a domestic cat.  Like other marsupials in the Macropod family (such as the Kangaroos and Wallabies ) the Quokka is herbivourous and is nocturnal. The Quokka can be found on some Islands off the coast of Perth Western Australia in particular Rottnest Island and also Bald Island near Albany.They usually weigh around 3-5 kilos and are fairly short for a Macropod with a stocky build. The ones that I encountered on Rottnest Island were not bothered when I got close to photograph them..and are an extremely lovely little macropod.

QUOKKAS ROTTNEST ISLAND. WA.

ANOTHER VIEW.

EXTREMELY TAME WITHOUT PREDATORS. ROTTNEST ISLAND.WA.