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Eucalyptus Leaves make up the main source of the koala's diet. 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.
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Does a koala live in a desert or tundra?
Neither. Koalas typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet.
Can trees with yellow leaves make energy?
Trees with yellow leaves make energy.
What special design features make the koala able to eat eucalyptus?
Koalas are specially adapted for their diet of tough, fibrous eucalyptus leaves which are low in nutrition. To begin with, the koala has opposable thumbs on its hands, which it uses to reach out and grab gum leaves and flowers. The koala is able to climb tall, straight, smooth-barked gum trees in order to get the tastiest leaves and flowers, rather than being restricted to older growth lower down. Furthermore, the koala's digestive system is capable of removing the toxins in eucalyptus leaves, filtering them out by the liver. The caecum, which comes off the main intestine, has millions of micro-organisms which break down the fibrous eucalyptus leaves, changing them into digestible nutrients and thus making them easier for the koala to absorb.
What gathers sunlight to make food for trees?
Leaves
What type of home does a koala live in?
Koalas do not build nests, dig burrows or live in tree hollows. Their home is in the branches of gum trees, or eucalyptus trees. They are specially adapted to sit comfortably in gum trees for most of the day.
How trees make soil fertile?
Leaves fall down, and all the minerals they used to make leaves, wil getback to the ground.
How do koalas hide from other animals?
The colour of a koala enables it to blend in with the blue-grey of Australian gum trees. The camouflage effect is further enhanced by the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and branches - this tends to make the koala very difficult to see. It was eleven years before the first European settlers in Australia saw a koala or knew of their existence.
Can koalas go from tree to tree?
Yes. Koalas have a range of trees within a radius of up to a square kilometre, which are their "home trees". They regularly move from tree to tree along the ground, which is when they are at their most vulnerable from dogs and being hit by cars.
Do elephants make there own food?
No. Elephants eat leaves off of trees.
How do you make a koala with your keyboard?
('0') Koala!
Do koalas have a home or not?
Koalas do not have a home in the sense of a single, central location. Their "homes" are always in eucalyptus trees. They do not use tree hollows, nor do they make nests. Koalas nestle in the forks between trunk and branches, and shelter within the branches and leaves. This gives them adequate protection from all kinds of weather. Koalas do have a range of home trees, however - trees that are part of each koala's specific territory.
What is photosynthesis the key to?
Well photosynthesis occurs in tree leaves which leaves take in to make oxygen and to make sugar. Trees also need photosynthesis to live.
