There
are some interesting Australian
koala
facts.
The most popular of Australian animals,
koalas are found in
eucalypt forests.
They look different in north and south because of
the climate:
the southern individuals are much larger and have thicker and longer
fur to keep them warm in the cold weather. But despite the different
appearances, they are all the same species: Phascolarctos
cinereus.
Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy
Where Do Koalas Live?
Koala’s closest relative is wombat
- another great example of unique Australian animals. While wombat
lives on the ground, koala developed into a tree-dweller, but both kept
their backwards pouch. Koala is the only surviving member of the family
Phascolarctidae.
Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy
Koala Facts: What Do They
Eat
You probably know that koala is a very sleepy animal, but why? It’s
because it eats eucalypt leaves which are toxic and very low in
nutrients. It uses a lot of energy detoxifying the leaves and sleeps 20
hours a day. This leaves it with only four hours for eating, and mate,
there is no time to waste – it has to eat more than one kilogram of
leaves a day to satisfy its energy needs. It doesn’t eat leaves of all
eucalypts (there are 900 species of Eucalyptus
in Australia and many Australian animals only live in Eucalypt
forests). It has been seen in 120 kinds of eucalypts, but its
favourites are blue, manna and swamp gum.
Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy
Koala Facts: Breeding
Koala is a solitary and territorial animal with a territory up to three
hectares. A mature male dominates the territory, which also includes
several females and younger males. Koalas are not dangerous animals,
but male koalas do defend their territory.
Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy
Koala Facts: Babies
A female gives birth to one young 35 days after fertilisation. After
five months in the pouch, the young is ready for outside world but
travels on its mother’s back for the first 12 months. After two years,
young males take off to find their own territory.
Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy
Is Koala Endangered?
Koalas
were killed in large numbers in the 1800s when their skins were sold to
England and the USA. Today the populations can locally be endangered in
places, but generally it is considered to be a secure species. The
image on the poster below was taken during the devastating 2009
Victoria bushfires when a firefighter found a koala that had survived.
A video and the photos of him giving her water from his water bottle
became world famous and so did the koala that was named Sam.
Zoo Parks
You can also visit one of Australia’s many animal sanctuaries and zoo
parks: Melbourne Zoo in Melbourne,
Taronga Zoo in Sydney,
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane,
Australia Zoo on the Sunshine
Coast, Billabong Sanctuary south of Townsville
and Kuranda
Wildlife Noctarium north of Cairns
to name a few. It is popular amongst tourists to get a photo taken with
the cuddliest animal in Australia.
Note:
This site uses
British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will
find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all
correct in the language used in Australia.
Disclaimer: Although
best efforts have been made to ensure
that all the information on this site is correct,
gondwananet.com is not to be blamed should there be a mistake.
Copyright notice:
All contents of this website are strictly protected
by the Law of Copyright. What
does that mean?