Navigator Willem de Vlamingh first recorded the quokka - a small wallaby initially thought to be a rat - on Rottnest Island in 1696. Gregarious and diurnal quokkas form hierarchical colonies that congregate around freshwater soaks or densely vegetated swamps. They have become the 'darlings of social media' due primarily to the perceived cuteness and acceptance of human presence on Islands like Rottnest. Apart from some small pockets, they are extinct on the Australian Mainland.