What food will a koala need to survive?

Answer 1

Koalas are herbivorous, living almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. Their name is derived from an aboriginal word roughly meaning "doesn't drink". Koalas receive most of the water they need from the eucalyptus leaves, although they have been observed drinking water as well.

Koalas live in eucalyptus trees and eat only a few types of gum leaves from which they get all nutrients and water requirements. They also occasionally eat the gum tree blossoms. While there are hundreds of different eucalyptus species in Australia, koalas eat from only about 60 of the species, consuming about half a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves every day. Koalas will not eat all types of eucalyptus, feeding on just 14 species as their primary food source, specifically, the subgenus Symphyomyrphus. Preferred eucalyptus species vary depending on their locality, so that the species eaten by Victoria koalas will be different to those eaten by north Queensland koalas. Koalas have been known to also eat the buds, flowers and bark of these particular species, while dirt also seems to supplement mineral deficiencies. Koalas have been seen feeding in eucalypt trees such as Manna Gum, Swamp Gum, Blue Gum, Forest Red Gum and Grey Gum.

The koala must eat 200-500 grams of leaves per day to meet its energy requirements.