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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
A goanna is an Australian monitor lizard. These lizards are large with sharp teeth and claws, and are predatory lizards.
Do humans kill koalas for their skin?
Not any more.
Koalas were once killed for their fur, as koalas fur was in high demand overseas. Koalas are now protected by law, and it is illegal to hunt them for any reason.
How will koalas evolve to survive?
Koalas already have everything the need to survive. They are equipped with numerous adaptations that enable them to survive, and tribe, in their habitat. Refer to the related question below for these adaptations.
However, few animals as able to survive man's interference in their environment. The koala is no exception. If man continues to degrade the koala's environment, koalas are unlikely to survive.
Can you list all the things koalas can eat?
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. Two of the koala's digits on their forelimbs act as opposable thumbs, enabling koalas to reach out and grasp the leaves they want.
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.
Yes: Wolves are carnivores, and Koalas are not very fast-moving creatures on the ground. They can move quite quickly, but not enough to outrun a wolf. However, they can quickly and efficiently scale straight trees, which wolves cannot do.
Given that wolves and koalas belong on completely different continents, it is unlikely to happen.
Are koalas extinct as of the year of 2010?
No, koalas are not extinct; nor have they ever been close to extinction. They are a protected species, and while their numbers are falling, they are not yet even classified as endangered, despite lobbying by conservation groups.
Habitat destruction and disease are two threats to the koala. See the related question below for more details about how to protect the koala.
The koala is in the subclass 'Marsupialia', which belongs to the class Mammalia. It is a marsupial and a mammal.
What different names does the koala have?
The koala is sometimes mistakenly called a "koala bear" or a "native bear". These names are incorrect as the koala is a marsupial, not a bear, which is a placental mammal.
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Why do the koala and the kangaroo have different features?
Koalas and kangaroos have different features because they are different species.
What color is the fur color of the northern koala?
Koalas in the north have woolly light grey fur. The difference between the northern koalas and those found in the south is that southern koalas have darker grey fur tinged with brown.
The status of the Koala varies from state to state, and there is currently no Federal listing.
Koalas occur naturally in only four of Australia's states.
- In New South Wales, it is listed as Vulnerable.
- In Queensland, the koala is listed as Vulnerable in the southeast, and Common throughout the remainder of the state.
- There is no official listing for Victoria, as some koala colonies actually suffer from overpopulation, and so the government has not adopted any management regimes.
- In South Australia, the koala is listed as Rare.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the koala as Least concern.
How does a koala benefit a bamboo tree?
It doesn't. A koala has nothing to do with bamboo. Koalas, native Australian marsupials, feed on eucalyptus leaves, for which their digestve system is adapted. Bamboo, while an introduced and prolific pest in Australia, does not occur naturally in the continent.
Koalas are not bears.
They do not make soup.
Nor are they used to make soup.
When a koala joey is about 28 weeks old, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is 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. Although somewhat soupy in texture, it is not soup.
What is special about the koalas' hands that help them survive?
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, like opposable thumbs, 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.
What is unusual about the koala's pouch?
The koala's pouch is unusual because, like the wombat's pouch, it opens backwards.
The koala has a backward-opening pouch because it makes it easier for the young koala to feed once it gets older. After a baby koala is about 28-30 weeks old, 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. The koala joey's head just needs to emerge from the backward-opening pouch to feed on this pap.
How do koalas use their senses?
Yes. Koalas have all five senses.
A koala's strongest sense, as with many animals, is its sense of smell. When a joey is first born it is blind and deaf. It uses its sense of smell and pure instinct to find its way to its mother's pouch. Koalas also have acute hearing, but their sight is not as keen as that of many other marsupials.
Who live in eucalyptus forest?
There are many Australian animals which live in eucalyptus bushland - it is not called forest. Koalas and Greater Gliders live exclusively in eucalyptus bushland, although they may be found in other native trees as well.
How old is a koala when it crawls into its mother's pouch?
A newborn koala must get into its mother's pouch as soon as possible after birth. It cannot live for any period of time outside the pouch. The tiny, bean-sized koala joey is equipped with only a strong sense of instinct, an acute sense of smell (to detect the milk in the mother's pouch), sharp little claws and strong front legs to clutch the mother's fur, until it reaches the pouch, where it attaches to a teat, staying completely attached for a minimum of two months.
Man is a main threat to the koala. Apart from clearing koala habitats, he drives cars without regard for wildlife, allows his unsupervised pets to maul native wildlife, and even engages in torturing harmless wildlife. Domestic dogs are particularly dangerous.
The koala is a member of the phylum chordata.
The koala is also not a bear.
Do you capitalize koala bear in a sentence?
There is no need to capitalise the word 'koala' in a sentence.
Nor do you use the word 'bear', as koalas are not bears.
