Australian Animals

Australian Animals

The Koala











Australia is a country home to many unique animals found nowhere else in the world. A popular example is the Koala, which is an animal many tourists and families seek to visit each year. Koalas are both mammals and marsupials, most commonly found in South Eastern Australia. The name koala, comes from the Aboriginal saying that means "no drink". The Koala obtains enough moisture from the eucalyptus leaves that it lives on, therefore requires no water.



LOCATION

Because of the reliance on its one food source, Koalas are found where there are suitable Eucalyptus forests (Gum trees) and woodlands which is along Australia's East coast and inland of the mountain range known as the 'Great Dividing Range' (see map on right).

ACTIVITY

The Koala does not prefer to move around neither in daylight or night, but rather just after sunset. Usually, Koalas spend their daytime by sleeping in the fork of a tree, as 80% of its time is spent sleeping. For a couple of hours after sunset it will move around in search of Eucalyptus leaves, and can often be heard 'barking' aggressively at other koalas. Koalas are extremely solitary animals, attached to its own specific home range.

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DESCRIPTION
Koalas are usually ash grey with a white chest and the males are larger than females. Thick fur, fluffy ears and a broad flat nose give them their "cuddly" appearance .They have strong limbs and large hands to help with climbing trees. Surprisingly, they have a short stumpy tail which is of no assistance to them in climbing at all. There are 2 sub Species (South & North) with the Southern Koalas up to 1/3 larger than Northern Koalas.


FEEDING
As already mentioned the koala survives almost exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves Not just any type of Eucalyptus as their choice changes with seasons, local conditions and personal preferences. There are approximately 12 species of Eucalyptus leaves that a koala can feed on. However, the most common is the Eucalyptus foliage which is high in fiber is also very bitter"and contains many toxins harmful to most life forms. Koalas have a longer cecum (part of the intestine) which allows more time for bacteria to break down the otherwise indigestible eucalypti fiber.


BREEDING

Mating usually occurs in Australia's warm Spring and
Summer months, normally between October and February.
The baby joey is born five weeks after conception, blind,
hairless and less than an inch long. It then crawls into its mother's pouch and drinks from one of the 2 teats there. For the next 6 months, the baby stays in the pouch drinking milk. The next period before being weaned at around the age of 1, their dietary needs are supplemented by eating some of the mother's feces (droppings) that supplements the bacteria in its own cecum (part of the intestine).