Koalas

Koalas are not poisonous to either their predators or to man. The Aborigines used to feast on koalas, as they were easy game.

There is a mistaken belief that, because koalas feed on eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic, that this makes the koala poisonous if ingested. This is not correct.

Some confusion may also derive from people mixing them up with the platypus, which has venomous spurs on its hind legs.

Koalas are not bears. They are not even remotely related to bears of any species (including pandas). Bears are placental mammals, while koalas are marsupials. There are no native bears in Australia.

Yes, but wattle is not a normal part of the koala's diet.

Koalas feed almost exclusively on about a dozen species of eucalyptus leaves, but they have been observed feeding in wattle (acacia), melaleuca (paperbark) and even some species of pine. However, their digestive system is adapted for eucalyptus leaves, and it is from this source that their nutrients must come.

It's a somewhat common misconception that koalas don't have a rib cage and that this is why they don't like to be picked up. They do have a rib cage to protect their internal organs, of course. However, while most mammals, including marsupials and primates like us, have 13 thoracic vertebrae and therefore 13 pairs of ribs (although in many animals the 13th vertebra doesn't have much more than a bump for a rib) koalas have only 11 pairs, the least of any recorded marsupial species. They have a curved spine and a cartilaginous pad over the end of the spine which may make it more comfortable to sit on branches and in tree forks. Koalas are sensitive around their abdominal area and need something to grip onto when being picked up. A koala should not be picked up under its arms like a toddler because it's accustomed to gripping onto branches with its front paws, and it will feel uncomfortable and vulnerable

It cannot be very good, they eat gum leaves, which smell nice but taste terrible. They do have a very good sense of smell. Smell is how they select which leaves to eat.

You cannot get a permit to own a koala.

A dingo can certainly eat a young koala, with no difficulty whatsoever.

Yes. The more common term for Australian woodlands is bushland, and koalas are fund in eucalyptus bushland through Australia's eastern states.

One koala is born at a time.

As they do not live on the same continent they cannot do so in the wild.

Koalas originate from Australia. They are endemic to the Australian continent, and live solely on the leaves of certain species of Eucalyptus trees found in the eastern states.

fewer mammals and birds can survive after trees have been cut down because it is their habitat and their food. cutting trees down will cause loss of habitat, and if there are too many animals of one species in the area, then some will die, especially the weaker ones. another problem with cutting trees down is that it no longer provides the oxygen that we need to survive. if we were to cut all the trees down, it would not be long until planet earth reflects what it is like to be in space, and everyone would die.

Gum leaves are leaves from the Eucalyptus tree. Australians commonly refer to Eucalyptus trees as gum trees.

No.

Pandas are native to China and koalas are native to Australia.

The people in the outback often tend to be in very isolated places. these are reached by organisations like the flying doctor service who run ambulance services and periodical medical services to outlaying towns. Under the circumstances the medical facility's available to the bush are as good as any anywhere else, however the distances that need to be covered are of coarse a definite disadvantage.

No. Koalas are endemic to Australia alone.

Not necessarily. Not at all. Some couples go into business together. It's called "low over-head." I work from my computer for my husband and help him get his crews in order and deal with some crew members on a one-to-one basis. I enjoy helping my husband all I can, because when he's successful so am I. Marcy

Unfortunately, koalas can be born with chlamydia. It can be spread to the joey of an infected mother koala via the birth canal.

The ghost gum is a species of Eucalyptus, and Eucalyptus trees are specially adapted to the dry Australian conditions. Ghost gums have wide, spreading canopies which redirect the limited rain that falls down the trunk to concentrate around the roots.

The leaves of a ghost gum tree hang down, rather than horizontally, minimising evaporation and hence water loss (transpiration), as they are not as exposed to sunlight. The leaves usually have equal numbers of stoma on each side, unlike trees which hold their leaves horizontally - they tend to have all or most of their stoma on the lower side. The leaves also tend to have a thick, waxy coating which also minimises water loss.

Ghost gums have characteristically white or grey trunks, which is more likely to reflect the sunlight, rather than absorb the sunlight like other species in more bushy areas do.

Ghost gum roots stretch deep down into the earth to reach the underground water table.

The correct term is "bears no relation".

Snokumsss is a slang term used as a substitute pet name, such as honey, sweety, or cutie. The correct spelling of it is snookums or schnookums, dependng on how you say it.

Koalas do not live in the rainforest; therefore, they have no job there. Koalas live in native Australian sclerophyll forest, commonly known as eucalyptus bushland. Within this bushland, koalas do not have any particular ecological role, as they are not pollinators, and nor do they modify their environment in any significant way.

Most of a koala's diet consists of eucalyptus leaves. While the foliage of over 600 species of Eucalyptus is available, the koala shows a preference for around 30.

Male and female koalas do not stay together after mating. They each return to their own home range.

In koala sanctuaries, the males are kept separate from the females except during breeding season.

Adult koalas are simply called koalas.