On the mainland, quokkas can breed all year round, but on Rottnest Island they only breed from January to August. After a month of gestation, the female gives birth to a baby called a joey. Females can give birth twice a year. The joey lives in its mother's pouch for six months.

Do quokkas actually throw their babies?

No, quokkas don't throw babies at predators, but won't win 'Best Mom' award. In 2015, “Quokka selfies” went viral as tourists posed with the alleged “happiest animal on earth”, a marsupial that hails from Australia. ... Quokkas toss their babies at predators so they can escape.”

Why do quokkas throw their babies?

But take out that one offending preposition and it's true — quokkas sacrifice their babies in order to escape predators. "The pouch is really muscular so the mum will relax it and the bub will fall out," conservation biologist Matthew Hayward from the University of Newcastle says.