Condition, Body Composition and Total Body Water Estimation in the Quokka, Setonix Brachyurus (Macropodidae).

Abstract

In order to compare the welfare of different populations of the quokka on Rottnest I., the tammar Macropus eugenii on Garden I., and the hare-wallaby Lagorchestes conspicillatus on Barrow I., a condition index is developed, based on the relationship between body weight and leg length (from the bottom of the lateral calcaneal ridge of the calcaneum to the tibia1 tuberosity at the top of the tibia). Its validity was tested by determining body composition of 12 quokkas. There is a high correlation between the values predicted for sheep and those found in the quokka, but the quokka tends to have less fat and protein for a given weight and total body water content (TBW). In the quokka, tammar and hare-wallaby, there is a significant negative correlation between the condition index and corrected total body water content. The condition index of field animals of all three species is given. A significant difference was found between the condition of quokkas on Rottnest in April 1976 and April 1977. No significant differences existed between the hare-wallaby samples, either between locations or between seasons. The general application of the condition index is discussed.