- quoll
A brownish, cat-sized marsupial with distinctive white spots, a long tail and pointed snout.
- quokka
- The quokka is possibly the most well known animal on Rottnest Island.
- It was first observed by a European in 1658 when the Dutchman, Volkersen, wrote that it resembled an Asian civet cat, but with brown hair. In 1696 de Vlamingh described the quokka as “a kind of rat as big as a common cat”.
- He named the Island ‘Rotte nest’ (meaning ‘rat’s nest’) and the name of the Island was eventually adapted to ‘Rottnest’
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