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Baby koalas (joeys) drink mother's milk during their first 6-7 months of life. After 30 weeks, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves.
Eucalyptus leaves are tough, toxic and low in nutrition, but the koala's digestive system is capable of removing the toxins, filtering them out by the liver. The caecum completes the process by changing the eucalyptus leaves into digestible nutrients. Without the transitional stage of feeding on pap, the joey cannot develop its digestive system properly.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoActually, it is called "pap".
Baby koalas, called joeys, drink mother's milk during their first 6-7 months of life. After 30 weeks, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoWhen a young joey koalas reaches about 30 weeks old, the mother feeds it a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves. Without this transition, the young koala would not develop its own digestive system to eat gum leaves.
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoThey eat there poop because they r probabley hungry or they think it just tastes good!
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoKoalas do not eat their young. Koalas feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and flowers, and do not cannibalise their young, or eat any meat at all.
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Do hawks eat koalas?
Yes, hawks may occasionally prey on young koalas.
What animal eats Koalas other than a Gorilla?
Gorillas do not eat koalas. Gorillas and koalas do not even occupy the same continent. Few animals eat the koala. Unsupervised dogs frequently kill koalas, but they do not eat them. Dingoes will eat koalas, and birds of prey may try to take koala joeys. Quolls may even attempt to eat a young joey if it is not secure in its mother's pouch.
What does a koala do for a living?
Koalas are wild animals. Therefore, they do not do anything "for a living". They sleep for up to 19 hours a day. When they are not sleeping, they are usually eating or, depending on the season, mating or looking after their young
Do koalas fertilise their young internally or externally?
Koalas do not fertilize their young. They fertilize each other (internally) to produce young.
Can koalas eat birds?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
Who gets the most food when Koalas eat?
koalas eat eucaluptus tree leaves
Do koalas eat geckos?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
Do koalas eat flowers?
Koalas sometimes eat the flowers of the gum trees in which they feed.
Do koalas eat insects?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
How fast do koalas eat?
Koalas do not eat quickly at all. They are steady, methodical eaters.
What do koalas eat in australia?
Koalas in South Australia eat what koalas elsewhere in Australia eat. Koalas eat from specific types s of eucalyptus, feeding on just 14 species as their primary food source, specifically, the subgenus Symphyomyrphus.
What depends on koalas?
Few animals eat the koala. Unsupervised dogs frequently kill koalas, but they do not eat them. Dingoes will eat koalas, and Birds of Prey may try to take koala joeys. Quolls may even attempt to eat a young joey if it is not secure in its mother's pouch.
