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Koalas
Native to Australia and exclusive to the eucalypt forests of Eastern and South-Eastern Australia, there are only three subspecies of Koala. Solitary animals, Koalas sleep as long as long as 18 hours a day and have a low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves.
1,608 Questions
How is a koala different from a bear?
Koalas are not even remotely related to bears. Differences include:
- Koalas are not found outside Australia; no species of bear is found in Australia.
- Koalas are marsupials; bears are placental mammals.
- Koalas are not related to bears in any way, shape, form or classification. They are not "koala bears" - just "koalas".
- Koalas live almost exclusively on gum (eucalyptus) leaves and, occasionally, flowers. Bears are omnivorous, eating a great variety of foods.
- Koalas are essentially grey in colour; bears can be black or brown or, like pandas, black and white
The main protection for koalas comes from the tall eucalyptus trees in which they shelter and from which they feed.
If the question refers to what laws protect koalas, there are several such laws. They include various federal, state and local laws, depending on the region. Some examples are as follows:
- Federally, the koala (like other Australian wildlife) is protected under several laws, including the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This replaced the original National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975.
- In Queensland, there are two important state laws which give some level of protection to the urban koala habitat: the 2/10 Koala Conservation State Planning Policy and the SEQ Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provisions. These laws are not really sufficient for protecting koala habitat, but they are a start.
- In the Redlands, in southeast Queensland, there are various local laws and policies such as the Redlands Koala Policy and Strategy and the Koala Conservation Agreement Program (KCAP). In addition, there are local laws protecting the vegetation and bushland typically inhabited by koalas, and laws regarding the control of domestic pets as some protection against dog attacks on koalas. More protection measures in the Redlands can be viewed at the related link below. Other regional centres within the states may have similar laws and policies in place.
Koalas will sometimes scream in an attempt to warn off a predator, and as an expression of fear. They will scram when they are attacked. They are also known to scream during the courtship ritual.
Are koalas considered to be endangered animals?
No.
As of 2012, koalas are not endangered. Current population estimates by the Australian Koala Foundation put the figure at around 80,000, but the trend seems to be dropping. Although the koala is not endangered, on 30 April 2012, the federal government moved to include koalas on the list of threatened species. The 'threatened' designation only applied to the most at-risk populations in Queensland, NSW and the ACT.
In what capital are koalas found?
Many areas on the southern outskirts of the Queensland capital city of Brisbane are set aside as "Koala Bushland".
A young koala is called a joey. It is not a "cub", as the koala is not a bear. Koalas are marsupials, and share the offspring name of "joey" with all other Australian marsupials, including all members of the kangaroo family, along with the wombat, quoll, possum, Tasmanian devil numbat, bilby etc, just to name a few.
What special markings do koalas have?
Koalas have numerous special traits.
They live in eucalyptus trees and eat only a few types of gum leaves from which they get all nutrients and water requirements. Eucalyptus leaves are tough, toxic and low in nutrition, but the koala has developed a stomach which can remove the toxins from where they are filtered out by the liver, whilst maximising the amount of energy the animal derives from the leaves. The caecum, similar to the human appendix except that it is 2 metres in length, then changes the eucalyptus leaves into digestible nutrients.
Koalas have very strong claws suitable for gripping trees and climbing. Between their first and second "fingers" is a large gap, which enables them to also grip tree branches comfortably, whilst their hind legs have one toe set at a wide angle. They also have toes with thick pads which enable them to sit comfortably in a tree all day. Koalas are one of the few species of mammals which has unique fingerprints, not unlike those of humans.
In order to attract a mate, the male has a scent gland which emits a very strong scent. He also makes unusually loud grunting noises.
As with all marsupials, the koala has a pouch, where the joey stays after birth for up to ten months. When the joey leaves the pouch, it stays for several more months on the back of their mother. The pouch opens backwards. After about 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.
Koalas in southern regions have thick, wool-like waterproof fur to keep them warm in cold weather and dry in rain. Koalas in northern regions are smaller, with less dense fur.
Why does not male koala have a pouch?
The male koala does not have a pouch for the simple reason that the male koala has no part in the raising of the young joey.
The only male marsupial which had a pouch was the Thylacine, now extinct. The Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, had a pouch to protect its reproductive parts whilst running through thick undergrowth. The pouch had no puspose in helping to raise the young.
Koalas are not shy of water. They simply do not need to drink it. Koalas can swim when needed. During drought and heatwaves, they have been observed climbing into water sources to cool down.
What part of Africa does the koala live in?
Koalas actually used to live in Europe. They left Europe because people used to hunt them for their fur in the 1800s. They also died off due to chlamydia. Chlamydia is a STD that humans and koalas can get. Humans get a different version than koalas though.
How long does a mother koala look after its young?
A koala joey stays with its mother for about a year, but is fed by her for only the first seven months or so.
Well, it depends on if you want to get a koala themed gift, or if you're just addicted to koala stuff! But either way, here's two good websites that I personally like:
www.thejunglestore.com
www.the-learning-tree.com
And not only do these websites have a lot of koala stuff, but they have other fun stuff too! But please tell me if these don't work! :)
There is no information available on the speed a koala can actually run, although there are suggestions that they can reach a speed of 10 km per hour for short bursts.
Koalas have also been observed running reasonably quickly along the road, almost too fast for well-meaning, jogging humans to catch up to them and move them out of harm's way.
There have been famous koalas in the past. One was "Sam", a survivor of backburning during the heatwave that preceded Victoria's "Black Saturday" bushfires. Sam captured the world's attention when she willingly took a drink from a volunteer firefighter's water bottle, but after some months she was found to be suffering terribly from chlamydia, so had to be put down humanely. The giant koala monument at Dadswells Bridge in Victoria has been renamed in her honour.
Why do people use the koala's fur for toys?
People like koalas for any of a number of reasons:
- Koalas vaguely resemble teddy bears, which is why they are often wrongly called 'koala bears'.
- In some animal sanctuaries, people are able to hold koalas. This means they have the opportunity to pet the koalas' soft, woolly fur, and appreciate the docility and gentleness of these creatures (under the right circumstances, as they can be aggressive).
- Koalas are uniquely Australian, and regarded as a national icon.
What does a koala do during the 2 hours when it is awake?
Koalas sleep for between 16 and 20 hours a day, but this is over the course of an average day, and not in a single session. The rest of their time is spent feeding and moving to new trees, whilst the males also may conduct their territorial disputes by night (making them essentially nocturnal).
Koalas also do not hibernate. The only Australian marsupial that hibernates is the Mountain Pygmy Possum.
Do koalas attack other animals?
Koalas are herbivores, plant eaters. Unless threatened, they have little reason to attack other animals.
About the only fighting koalas do are male koalas fightning other male koalas for breeding rights.
No: koalas do not live in family groups. Koalas are essentially solitary animals, but they live in communities where the social structure is quite complex. Koalas are territorial, but each koala within the social group has its own specific range for feeding, which may or may not overlap the range of its neighbour. There is always one dominant male in each social group, but he is by no means the only male.
Koalas do feed alone and travel alone, but they understand their own social structure. When one of their community dies, another does not immediately move in and take its place. It takes about a year for the scent of the previous occupant to fade, and only then will another koala move in to its range.
What is a cool name for a koala?
smowball ,cupcakes, iceball, cudd, cutie, kimmy, chester for a boy! , haley, brooke, sam for a boy ,scarlet , nick, sammy ,honey, buttercup, sweetheart , sweetie, candy, manny:> and :)( =+)
What is the hunting technique of koalas?
Koalas are herbivores and therefore do not hunt. They live in eucalyptus trees and spend the majority of their lives eating eucalyptus leaves and sleeping due to the extremely slow metabolism.
'''HE is one of the rarest animals in the Australian bush - a pure white koala.''' Nicknamed Mick. Unlike albino koalas which have pink eyes and noses, Mick has a black nose and yellow eyes. His lack of colour or markings is due to a recessive gene
