It's our feline friends that are the cutest pets of them all, according to science. With cats coming out as the animals with the most adorable faces, followed by ferrets, rabbits and hamsters.
But the quokkas on Rottnest are the friendliest fauna in the Australian outback, always ready to smile for a selfie. Since there are no predators on the island, these marsupials don't live a life of threat or fear, and are welcoming to the 770,000 tourists that visit the island annually.
The smiling marsupial is a favorite photo subject for tourists on West Australia's Rottnest Island. Until recently, many people outside of Australia had never heard of thequokka, a Muppet-cute (despite its beady eyes and rat's tail) marsupial with an irresistible smile.
The quokka, a small marsupial native to Australia, is one such example of a species vulnerable to extinction in the country's harsh surroundings. Known as the “happiest animal in the world” due to its cute and friendly appearance, these creatures are now only found in a few isolated forests and small islands.
By the end, the "Top Ten" of the 72 CUTEST animals contained an orangutang and NUMBER ONE, followed by six different kinds of penguins' tortoise, and a rat.
Angora rabbits take our top spot as the fluffiest animals, being bred specifically for their soft, fine, long fur coats which are used to make Angora wool. The breed was brought to Europe in the early 18th century from Turkey, where it originated.
These adorable critters aren't territorial, which isn't surprising, given how friendly they are. Unlike kangaroos, that do fight over territory, quokkas are happy to co-exist peacefully with each other, so much that they even hop into shops on Rottnest Island regularly to say hello to everybody.
The quokka is as cute as the more famous Australian animal, the koala, but it's nowhere near as common. These little furry creatures, which are sometimes described as kangaroos the size of cats, are only found in the southwest of the state of Western Australia.
Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons and tree kangaroos make up one family, while rat-kangaroos, bettongs and potoroos make up the other. There are 45 species of kangaroos and wallabies.
1. Quokkas. The quokka, a pint-sized marsupial native to the islands off the coast of Australia and distantly related to kangaroos and wallabies, is nearly always smiling.
