Koalas!
Scientific Classification of Koala:
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Infraclass:
Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Phascolarctidae
Genus: Phascolarctos
Species: P. cinereus
The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. The koala is one of the world’s most iconic animal species It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60–85 cm (24–33 in) and weighs 4–15 kg (9–33 lb), making it the largest arboreal marsupials. Koala's fur colour ranges from silver grey to chocolate brown. The fur of the koala is thicker and longer on the back, and shorter on the belly. The ears have thick fur on both the inside and outside. The back fur colour varies from light grey to chocolate brown.Koalas from the northern populations (Queensland) are typically smaller and lighter in colour than their counterparts further south (Victoria).
Koalas are herbivorous, and while most of their diet consists of eucalypt leaves, they can be found in trees of other genera, such as Acacia, Allocasuarina, Callitris, Leptospermum, and Melaleuca. Despite there being around 600 different species of eucalyptus, Koalas only seem to feed on 30 of them which depends on the surrounding habitat. They tend to choose species that have a high protein content and low proportions of fibre and lignin. The most favoured species are Eucalyptus microcorys, E. tereticornis, and E. camaldulensis, which, on average, make up more than 20% of their diet. Despite its reputation as a fussy eater, the koala is more generalist than some other marsupial species, such as the greater glider. Since eucalypt leaves have a high water content, the koala does not need to drink often. Koalas consume up to 400 grams (14 oz) of leaves a day, spread over four to six feeding sessions.
The Koala is a solitary and nocturnal animal that spends most of the daytime hours sleeping in the fork of a eucalyptus tree. Everything from sleeping to eating and even breeding is done in the trees as although Koalas are known to come down to the ground quite frequently, it is only so they are able to move to another tree.
adult Koalas have very few natural predators with the exception of large Birds of Prey. Young Koalas are more vulnerable however and are preyed on by a number of different animals including Snakes, but both are most threatened by domestic animals particularly dogs that not only attack Koalas but are also known to spread disease into local populations.
Life Cycle of the Koala
The breeding season for
Koalas is approximately August to February. Females generally start
breeding at about three or four years of age, usually producing one offspring
each year. However, not all females in a wild population will breed each year;
some produce offspring only every two or three years, depending on factors such
as age and habitat quality. In the average female's 12-year life span, she may
produce five or six offspring over her lifetime. Once conceived, it is
only 35 days before the birth of the baby Koala, called a "joey". The
newborn is tiny (at roughly 2 centimeters long and less than 1 gram in weight),
and looks like a pink jellybean; totally hairless, blind, with no ears. The
joey makes its way from the birth canal to the pouch. Once inside the
safety of the pouch, the joey attaches itself to one of the two teats, which
swells to fill its mouth. This prevents the joey from being dislodged from its
food source. The mother contracts her strong sphincter muscle at the pouch
opening to prevent the baby from falling out.
The young Koala only drinks its mother's milk for the first six to seven months and remains in the pouch for that time, slowly growing and developing eyes, ears and fur. After having spent their first six months of life developing in their mother's pouch suckling milk, baby Koalas must then attempt to eat solid foods with the first one being the soft droppings of their mother. Young Koalas are thought to do this as it contains a number of microbes that help the young to both fight off disease and to begin digesting the tough, fibrous leaves of the eucalyptus. At about 22 weeks, its eyes open and it begins to peep out of the pouch. From about 22 to 30 weeks, it begins to feed upon a substance called "pap", which the mother produces in addition to milk. The young Koala continues to take milk from its mother until it is about a year old, but as it can no longer fit in the pouch, the mother's teat elongates to protrude from the pouch opening. Young Koalas remain with their mothers until the appearance outside the pouch of the next season's joey. It is then time for the joey to disperse and find its own home range. If a female does not reproduce each year, the joey stays with her longer and has a greater chance of survival alone.
Fun Facts!
Koalas
sleep 20 hours a day and only 4 hours a
day are spent in active movement!!
Because they get so little energy from
their diet, koalas must limit their energy
use and sleep 20 hours
a day; only 4 hours a day are spent in active movement. They are
predominantly active at night and spend most of their waking hours feeding.
They typically eat and sleep in the same tree, possibly for as long as a day. On
very hot days, a koala may climb down to the coolest part of the tree which is
cooler than the surrounding air. The koala hugs the tree to lose heat without
panting. On warm days, a koala may rest with its back against a branch or
lie on its stomach or back with its limbs dangling. During cold, wet
periods, it curls itself into a tight ball to conserve energy. On windy
days, a koala finds a lower, thicker branch on which to rest. While it spends
most of the time in the tree, the animal descends to the ground to move to
another tree, walking on all fours. The koala usually grooms itself with its
hindpaws, but sometimes uses its forepaws or mouth. Koalas are asocial
animals and spend just 15 minutes a day on social behaviors.
Koalas
doesn't need to drink often!
Due to the fact that Koalas sustain
themselves on a diet that is only comprised of leaves they have
little need to drink as they get almost all of the water that they need through
their food. However, living on a diet that
is so low in nutrients has led to the Koala evolving a very small brain for its
body size as this organ can drain the body's energy supplies.
source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala
https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/life-cycle-koala
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/koala/
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