# What Do Quokkas Eat?

> What quokkas eat: Herbivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Scrub, heath, and forest.

- **Species:** Quokka (*Setonix brachyurus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Herbivore
- **Habitat:** Scrub, heath, and forest
- **Lifespan:** About 10 years
- **Top speed:** Around 30 km/h (19 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quokka/what-do-quokka-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quokka/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The quokka is a small, cat-sized marsupial from southwestern Australia, famous for a facial shape that makes it look like it is smiling. Quokkas are nocturnal herbivores that carry their young in a pouch, are found mainly on Rottnest Island, and typically live around 10 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The 'world's happiest animal'

The quokka's rounded cheeks and upturned mouth give it a permanently cheerful expression, which has made it a social-media sensation. The look is just anatomy, not emotion, but it has helped turn the quokka into a beloved symbol of Western Australian wildlife.

## Help protect the Quokka

The quokka is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quokka/what-do-quokka-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.