Scientific Name: Phascolarctos cinereus. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Size: Weight: 20 pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:.
Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. A koala with her offspring photographed at Australia Zoo in Beerwah. This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo. Share Tweet Email. Go Further.
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Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. The molars, or back teeth are shaped to allow the Koala to cut and shear the leaves rather than just crush them. Koalas are very fussy eaters and have strong preferences for different types of gum leaves. In Australia there are over types of eucalypts, but Koalas will not eat a large proportion of these. Within a particular area, as few as one, and generally no more than two or three species of eucalypt will be regularly browsed.
Different species of eucalypts grow in different parts of Australia, so a Koala in Victoria would have a very different diet from one in Queensland. Also, just think how boring it would be to eat the same thing every day. Koalas like a change, too, and sometimes they will eat from other trees such as wattle, tea tree or paperbark. If you live in a koala area, find out what type of eucalyptus the koalas in your area like to eat.
Some people think that koalas sleep a lot because they get drunk on the eucalyptus oil in gum leaves. Koalas sleep or rest for up to 22 hours each day because their bodies need a lot of energy to digest the gum leaves and when they are sleeping they save energy.
Very few animals can survive on a diet of gum leaves. They are very fibrous and low in nutrition, and this is why they take a lot of energy to digest. As well, to almost all other animals they are poisonous. Instead, they are closer to the wombat animal species and are in fact marsupials. These beautiful animals can grow up to 85cm in length and can weigh up to 15 kilograms.
Their colors also differ. Some are silver-grey while others can be a chocolate brown color. Koalas are endangered animals because they were excessively hunted during the 20th century for their fur and because their natural habitat was greatly reduced.
Climate changes and bushfires also had a huge impact on their population. Today, governments and nature conservations work hard to keep these animals protected and to grow suitable foods so these animals can flourish. Koala bears are herbivores which mean they only eat plant matter.
One of the reasons they are so endangered is due to their diet. These animals do not eat a huge variety of food types. Even though they are fussy eaters, they are still a lot more diverse in their diet compared to other marsupials. Here is a quick look at some of the most common foods that koalas enjoy eating. Koalas eat only Eucalyptus plants. They love to eat eucalyptus leaves. There are over different species of eucalyptus tree and koalas will feed about three dozen of these species.
These fluffy animals are especially fond of Eucalyptus microcorys, E. Because koalas rely on eucalyptus trees for survival, they are only found in regions where lots of eucalyptus trees grow freely. The leaves of eucalyptus are poisonous to various other animal species. Do they have pouches like kangaroos? V: A koala call bellowing can travel up to m in still air! How can we help our furry friends? Koalas are being driven to drink Find out why.
Show your support Make a gift to koalas. Related articles. Drought-affected habitats endanger koalas Koala populations were already threatened before the current drought tightened its grip on the country.
As their habitats dry out and koalas are forced to hunt for water, a world-first research program is urgently looking for solutions. Here are some ideas to help you come back to classes feeling refreshed. Leadership for good starts here. Media News Find an expert Media contacts.
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