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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
First of all you could say neither, as there is no such thing as a koala bear. It is not a bear, just a koala. Secondly, they are neither because they are herbivores, meaning they do not eat meat at all, just vegetation.
Once a koala is attacked, it cannot do anything. It is quite defenceless, and unable to do anything except try to get away, but by this stage it is too late.
To avoid being attacked, a koala will try to climb the nearest tree. Their main predators are on the ground.
What are Koalas parental habits?
Only the female koala has any part in raising the young.
As the koala joey grows, the mother will wean it from mothers' milk, to 'pap' and then to eucalyptus leaves. There is little she has to teach it, as so much of the koala's behaviour is instinctive. However, she will teach it to be wary of predators.
When are baby koalas considered adults?
A koala joey stays with its mother until it is about 12 months old. However, it is not classed as an adult until it reaches age 2-3 for females and 3-4 for males. Koalas start breeding at around 3-4 years old.
Why are eucalyptus trees important to koalas?
Yes. Koalas will not live in all types of eucalyptus, as they feed on just 14 species as their primary food source, specifically, the subgenus Symphyomyrphus.
However, koalas have also been seen inhabiting wattle and melaleuca trees.
What special features about koalas help them to survive?
Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are marsupial mammals and indigenous to Australia. Their closest relative is the wombat.
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 is capable of removing the toxins from where they are filtered out by the liver. The caecum completes the process by changing the eucalyptus leaves into digestible nutrients. The caecum is similar to the human appendix.
Koalas must eat over a kilogram of leaves per day to meet their energy requirements. Eucalyptus leaves contain approximately 50% water, 18% fibre, 13% tannins, 8% fat, 5% carbohydrates, 4% protein and 2% minerals. Koalas have been seen in 120 kinds of eucalypt tree including Manna Gum, Swamp Gum, Blue Gum, Forest Red Gum and Grey Gum. However, they are only able to eat from some 60 species of gum trees, and within these sixty, there are just a dozen that they actually prefer above others.
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.
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.
Koalas are not solitary animals, but actually 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 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.
There is little 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 jogging humans to catch up to them and move them out of harm's way.
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Is a young koala called a cub?
No. Young koalas are called joeys, just like the young of all marsupials.
The term 'cub' is reserved for bears, and koalas are notbears, despite the misnomer of "koala bear" often being applied.
Why do koala live in eucalypt woodland and bushland?
Koalas must live in eucalyptus bushland because they rely on eucalyptus trees for both their food and their shelter. Koalas are specially adapted for consuming eucalyptus leaves, and they cannot survive on any other type of vegetation.
Where are koala eggs fertilized?
Koalas do not have eggs. They are mammals, so they give birth to live young, and do not lay eggs. Fertilisation occurs internally, in the fallopian tubes. This is like what happens in other mammals, including humans.
Why poachers hunt koala bears?
They were killed, because of their fur which was used to make many things. It was a horrible thing, and the koala population decreased heavily because of it. Although the koala population decreared heavily koalas are still not endangered just very close to it.
Are koalas a part of the bear family?
No. Koalas are marsupials, a whole separate class of mammals from the placental bears.
Although often referred to by people outside of Australians as "koala bears", this is a misnomer. Koalas are not related to bears at all.
How many pounds does a female koala weigh?
The average weight of a koala varies according to where it lives.
- Northern koalas weigh up to 9 kg (19.8 pounds) for males and 7.25 kg (16 pounds) for females.
- Southern koalas weigh up to 15 kg (33 pounds) for males and 11 kg (24 pounds) for females.
A newborn joey weighs about 0.5 grams and is about 2 cm long.
19.8 pounds
Country and Continent
The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a marsupial mammal (not a bear). It is endemic to the continent of Australia, meaning that it is not found on any other continent or island group. Koalas, while extremely vulnerable to human intervention and habitat loss, enjoy some areas of healthy population in the eastern mainland states.
Under the Federal Conservation Act, the species is listed as inhabiting four states:
- Queensland - They are considered to be common throughout this state, except throughout the southeast, where their conservation status is "vulnerable".
- New South Wales - Officially koalas are listed as vulnerable in this state, but their status varies within local regions from "secure" to "locally extinct".
- South Australia - Koalas were completely wiped out in South Australia by the 1920s, but there have been recent, successful attempts to recolonise southeastern parts of the state, and these colonies are thriving. They can be seen in areas of the Adelaide Hills and the Fleurieu Peninsula. Attempts to create a self-sustaining koala population on Kangaroo island (off the southern coast) have been highly successful, and there is almost an "overpopulation" problem there, due to their protected status and the absence of natural predators.
- Victoria - The Koala is common in this state and is considered to be a booming population. This is one of the areas where koalas seem to have a stable population, both on the mainland and on a number of offshore islands.
Koalas have also recently been introduced into selected national parks in Western Australia. These colonies are succeeding, with new joeys being observed each year.
Habitat and Ecosystem
The koala lives mostly within the temperate zones of Australia. Its habitat is eucalypt woodland and bushland, but of the several hundred species of eucalyptus ("gum trees"), koalas prefer about 60 varieties, with their specific preferences being limited to a couple of dozen.
Koalas are particular to Eastern Australia, and can be found along the eastern and south-eastern coastal regions. They live in cool temperate zones, right up to hot, sub-tropical zones. Koalas live in a range of habitats, as long as there are abundant eucalyptus trees of the sort they prefer. They are found on coastal islands, tall eucalypt forests, bushland and low woodlands inland.
Koalas spend most of their time nestled in the branches of their favoured trees. They do not shelter in tree hollows or nests, but sit comfortably wedged in between tree branches.
Koalas are not found in rainforests, nor in grasslands or deserts. These biomes do not support the eucalyptus trees which koalas favour. They are also not found in Alpine or snowy regions.
To see a map of where koalas are found in Australia, see the related link.
Trees
Koala bears live in the wild (and in zoos) in Australia and in zoos in other nations.
Koala bears are native to Australia. They are not actually bears, however. In reality, they are marsupials, like wombats and kangaroos.
Why are koalas called a koala bear?
Koalas have some resemblance to a teddy bear, hence the nickname. In Australia, they are not known as "koala bears". This term began to be phased out during the mid-twentieth century, but has remained popular with overseas visitors.
What bear is related to the Koala?
Contrary to popular belief, the koala is not a bear and is just referred to as a "koala" without the word bear. Koalas are marsupials, a subclass of the mammal group. Marsupials give birth to immature, or not fully developed, young, who then make their way to the mother's teat which is usually located in a pouch or pouch like appendage on the mother's abdomen.
The closest living relative of the koala is the wombat. Other marsupials include animals such the kangaroo, wallaby, Tasmanian devil, possum, quoll and bandicoot.
The reason why koalas and wombats are related is that they are both marsupials of the order Diprotodontia. The koala's family, Phascolarctidae, is closest to the wombat family, Vombatidae because they are both of the sub-order Vombatiformes.
Why doesn't a koala hibernate?
The diet of the panda prevents it from putting on the necessary fat to be able to survive hibernation. They must eat almost constantly just to maintain their daily life. What's more, the panda lives in a temperate climate where food is available all year so there is no need for hibernation.
Can koalas be found anywhere else?
Koalas are endemic to Australia alone, meaning they are not found in the wild anywhere else.
Are koala cubs brown or white?
First of all, the koala is not a bear: it is a marsupial.
Koalas do not have white skin: they have ash-coloured grey type of skin tending to pink, beneath their thick fur.
Do koalas make any sounds or noises to communicate?
Mostly, koalas are very quiet. However, they do become noisier during breeding season, when a territorial male will make a deep grunting sound which increases almost to a bellowing noise.
To hear the sound a koala makes, go to the related link below and click on the koala picture.
