Koala, or marsupial bear. All about koalas Koala population size and where they live
This is a marsupial mammal of the infraclass Marsupial family, as well as the genus Koala. Experts still do not understand what kind of animal the koala is: a bear, a raccoon, or someone else. The koala, or in other words the bear from Australia, is a one-of-a-kind animal whose diet consists of one thing, namely eucalyptus leaves.
Appearance and description of the koala
Few people can boast of having observed a marsupial bear in person, but many have followed it via video or photographs. After all, the koala really resembles a small and clumsy bear cub in its appearance. For example, its tail is presented in the same form as that of a bear - just as small, it is almost invisible on the body of the animal. Despite this, the koala simply cannot be confused with any other species of animal. The appearance of this animal is quite unusual and memorable..
The koala is a small animal. The weight of this animal can vary from seven to twelve kilograms. Thus, the animal’s fur looks thick and short, and the color is grayish. In the abdominal area the animal has light-colored hair. The animal's eyes are quite small compared to the shape of the head itself, and the ears and nose are large. The claws on the animal's paws are long and sharp. The claws are mainly used by the koala to easily climb trees and cling to trunks and branches.
Where does the koala live?
The koala is almost motionless for 18-20 hours. During this period of time, the animal usually firmly grabs tree branches with its paws, dozes or crawls along tree trunks to find a new portion of fresh foliage. The animal is also capable of chewing leaves, which it places in the inner cheek area during feeding.
The animal jumps from tree to tree with one goal: to find new food or to hide from its pursuers. Another unusual skill of the marsupial bear is its ability to swim well in water. The slowness of koalas is based on their diet, as it includes too little protein. In addition to all this, koalas have a low metabolic rate; it is several times slower than that of other mammals.
It happens that in order to replenish the supply of useful microelements in the body, koalas have to eat earth.
Raising a marsupial bear at home is almost impossible, since there will simply be nothing to feed it. In the southern part of the country, for example, in Sochi, there are eucalyptus trees, but such varieties that koalas could eat are not found there.
How do individuals reproduce?
The main features of a koala
What special features does this marsupial bear have? In fact, the koala has many distinctive features and also has skills that other animals do not have.
Koala is endemic to Australia. In more detail, the marsupial bear is a living creature that does not live anywhere else except in Australia, only in the zoo. In addition, due to its lifestyle and ability to climb trees and eat only eucalyptus, the animal is quite calm and slow.
Another unusual feature of koalas is that they give birth to very small babies, although they themselves are large in size and weight. Isn't it unusual that parents who weigh 8 kilograms can produce a baby the size of a small pea grain!
The main opponents of the marsupial bear cub
The koala is an unusual species of animal; in the wild, the bear has no special enemies. Why is this happening? There are several explanations for this.
The main reason is the animal’s place of residence. Marsupial bears live in Australia mainly in tall trees, but on this continent there are no arboreal types of predators that could start hunting the animal. The second reason is the nutrition of the marsupial bear. So, animals eat only eucalyptus leaves, which contain poison. This poison is absolutely harmless to the koala itself, but can harm the health and even life of those animals that want to eat the marsupial bear.
Main benefits and harms
The koala is considered a friendly and cute animal that can easily either benefit humans or significantly harm them.
The main advantage of the koala is that on the territory of the zoo it is loved by a large number of small children, as well as adults. At the same time, many scientists perform a large number of experiments on this animal. That is why cute animals are protected by law from hunting by poachers and illegal shooting for the sake of obtaining valuable fur.
Unfortunately, these creatures can also cause harm to humans. At a time when there are too many koalas in one area of residence, and food begins to run out over time, these animals move to places where people live and live. As a result a small animal can even cause an accident. Despite all this, the koala remains an unusual and interesting animal that experts have not yet fully studied.
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Koala - “does not drink,” this is roughly how the name of this animal is translated from one of the local Australian dialects. Many years passed before biologists established that this plush lump occasionally, but still drinks water.
Description of the koala
The discoverer of the species was the naval officer Barralier, who in 1802 discovered and sent the remains of a koala preserved in alcohol to the governor of New South Wales. A live koala was caught near Sydney the following year, and a couple of months later Sydney Gazette readers saw its detailed description. Since 1808, the koala has been considered a close relative of the wombat, being part of the same order of two-incisor marsupials, but being the only representative of the koala family.
Appearance
The charm of the appearance is given by the comical combination of a flattened leathery nose, small, blind eyes and expressive, widely spaced ears with fur sticking out at the edges.
Outwardly, the koala slightly resembles, but, unlike the latter, it is endowed with more pleasant, thick and soft fur up to 3 cm high and elongated limbs. Northern animals are smaller in size (females sometimes do not reach 5 kg), southern animals are almost three times larger (males weigh almost 14 kg).
This is interesting! Few people know that koalas are rare mammals (along with primates), whose fingertips are drawn with unique papillary patterns, exactly like those of humans.
Koala teeth are adapted for eating plants and are similar in structure to the teeth of other two-incisor marsupials (including kangaroos and wombats). The sharp incisors, with which the animal cuts leaves, and the grinding teeth are separated from each other by a diastema.
Since the koala feeds in trees, nature has given it long, prehensile claws on its front paws. Each hand is equipped with two (set apart) double-phalanx thumbs, opposed to three standard fingers (with three phalanges).
The hind legs are designed differently: on the foot there is a single big toe (devoid of a claw) and four others armed with claws. Thanks to its grasping paws, the animal clings tightly to the branches, locking its hands into a lock: in this position, the koala clings to its mother (until it becomes independent), and when it grows up, it dines, hangs on one paw and sleeps.
The thick coat is colored in smoky gray shades, but the belly always looks lighter. The tail resembles a bear's: it is so short that it is almost invisible to outsiders.
Character and lifestyle
The koala's entire life is spent in the thick of the eucalyptus forest: during the day he sleeps, perched on a branch/fork of branches, and at night he climbs the crown in search of food.
Females live alone, rarely leaving the boundaries of their personal territories, which occasionally (usually in food-rich regions) coincide. Males do not set boundaries, but they are not known for their friendliness either: when they meet (especially during the rut), they fight until they are noticeably wounded.
The koala is capable of freezing in one position for 16–18 hours a day, not counting sleep. Numb, he sits motionless, grasping a trunk or branch with his forelimbs. When the foliage ends, the koala easily and deftly jumps to the next tree, descending to the ground only if the target is too far away.
In case of danger, the inhibited koala demonstrates an energetic gallop, thanks to which it quickly reaches the nearest tree and climbs up. If necessary, will swim across a water obstacle.
This is interesting! The koala is silent, but when frightened or injured it makes a loud and low sound, surprising for its small build. This cry, as zoologists have found, is responsible for a pair of vocal cords (additional), which are located behind the larynx.
In recent years, many highways have been built on the Australian continent crossing eucalyptus forests, and slow koalas often die under the wheels while crossing the road. The low intelligence of koalas is complemented by their incredible friendliness and good tameability: in captivity, they become touchingly attached to the people caring for them.
Lifespan
In the wild, a koala lives to about 12–13 years of age, but in zoos, with good care, some specimens have lived up to 18–20 years of age.
Range, habitats
As an endemic to the Australian continent, the koala is found only here and nowhere else. The marsupial's natural range includes coastal regions in eastern and southern Australia. At the beginning of the last century, koalas were brought to Western Australia (Yanchep Park), as well as to several islands (including Magnitny Island and Kangaroo Island) near Queensland. Magnitny Island is now recognized as the northernmost point of its modern range.
In the first half of the last century, marsupials living in the state of South Australia were exterminated in large numbers. The livestock had to be restored with animals brought from Victoria.
Important! Today, the total area of the habitat, which includes about 30 biogeographic regions, is almost 1 million km². The typical habitats of koalas are dense eucalyptus forests, which are in close food association with these marsupials.
Koala diet
The animal has practically no food competitors - only the marsupial flying squirrel and the ring-tailed cuscus display similar gastronomic preferences. Fibrous shoots and leaves of eucalyptus (with a high concentration of phenolic/terpene substances) are what koalas eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This vegetation contains little protein, and in young shoots (as autumn approaches) hydrocyanic acid is also formed.
But the animals, thanks to their keen sense of smell, have learned to select the least poisonous species of eucalyptus, which usually grow on fertile soil along river banks. Their foliage was found to be less toxic than that of trees growing in infertile areas. Biologists have calculated that the food supply of marsupials includes only 120 species of eucalyptus out of eight hundred.
Important! The low calorie content of the food is quite consistent with the energy consumption of the phlegmatic animal, since its metabolism is two times lower than that of most mammals. In terms of metabolic rate, the koala is comparable only to the sloth and wombat.
During the day, the animal picks and thoroughly chews from 0.5 to 1.1 kg of leaves, depositing the ground mixture in its cheek pouches. The digestive tract is well adapted to digesting plant fibers: their absorption is helped by a unique microflora with bacteria that easily decompose coarse cellulose.
The process of processing food continues in the extended cecum (up to 2.4 m long), and then the liver gets to work, neutralizing all toxins that penetrate the blood.
From time to time, koalas begin to eat soil - this is how they make up for the lack of valuable minerals. These marsupials drink very little: water appears in their diet only when they are sick and during periods of prolonged drought. In normal times, the koala gets enough of the dew that settles on the leaves and the moisture contained in eucalyptus leaves.
Reproduction and offspring
Koalas are not particularly fertile and begin breeding once every 2 years. During this period, lasting from October to February, males rub their chests against the trunks (to leave their marks) and shout loudly, calling for a mate.
Females select a candidate based on the heart-rending scream (heard a kilometer away) and size (the larger the better). Male koalas are always in short supply (fewer of them are born), so one chosen one impregnates from 2 to 5 brides per season.
This is interesting! The male has a forked penis, the female has 2 vaginas and 2 autonomous uteruses: this is how the reproductive organs of all marsupials are arranged. Sexual intercourse occurs on the tree; gestation lasts about 30–35 days. Koalas rarely give birth to twins; much more often, a single naked and pink child is born (up to 1.8 cm in length and weighing 5.5 g).
The cub drinks milk for six months and sits in the pouch, and for the next six months rides on the mother (back or belly), grasping the wool. At 30 weeks of age, he begins to eat his mother's excrement - a porridge made from semi-digested leaves. He eats this food for a month.
Young animals gain independence by about a year, but males often stay with their mother until they are 2–3 years old, while one-year-old and one-and-a-half-year-old females leave home in search of their own areas. Fertility in females occurs at 2–3 years, in males at 3–4 years.
Koalas- endemic to Australia, the original representatives of the Koala family of the same name. Animals live on eucalyptus trees. They are only herbivores and true marsupials! They belong to the order of two-incisor marsupials. The natural habitat is mainland Australia. And only its southern and eastern parts. Previously, animals lived in the west and north, but this was before the arrival of Europeans to the mainland. Plus, koalas artificially populated the territory of Kangaroo Island.
The proper name of the family of small marsupial bears appeared as a transliteration from Darak. The word itself sounded like gula. But in the process of migrations through the wilds of English spelling, it began to sound like a koala. For a long time, the version was promoted that animals do not drink water, and their name, translated from the aboriginal language, means exactly this.
Crap! Yes, this is CHEBURASHKA! :-)
In Latin, the generic name of the animals is Phascolarctos. It combines two Latin roots - bag and bag. The meaning and appearance of animals, this is the name of the genus of marsupial bears, conveys perfectly. The name was proposed by Henri Blainville, a French specialist in animal anatomy and zoology.
Another conflict associated with koalas is caused by the external similarity of animals with representatives of bears. The first colonizers of the mainland, the English convicts, called them that - tree bear, local bear, koala bear. Although, in reality, real bears, koalas, and even people are united only by a common taxonomic unit - a class. In this case, the Mammals class. 
The koala family is completely identical to the wombat family. The peak of their heyday, like that of all marsupials, fell on the Oligocene. The work of paleontologists has presented the world with about 18 different species of koalas. In Australia, they found the remains of their giant brother, which is 28-29 times larger than today’s typical animals. Common today, Phascolarctos cinereus has been delighting Aboriginal people, eucalypts and Australia with its plush grace for the last 15 million years.
Their historical curiosities. Koala was overlooked by the captain of all times, James Cook himself. In those days, he opened the mainland to the world for the second time. Moreover, he did this precisely from the east coast, where animals are found in abundance. According to the expedition report, marsupial bears appeared in 1798. A certain John Price brought them there. And the scientific community received the remains of animals in 1802 in a jar of alcohol from the sailor Barrallier. He found the remains of an animal among the aborigines and became interested in them. A year later, a live animal was caught. It was described, drawn and published, a description with drawings, in a Sydney newspaper. Here the identity between koalas and wombats was revealed.
The geography of the family is as follows: the maximum distribution of the species is observed in New South Wales, individual specimens are found in Victoria and Queensland. Previously, there were koalas from the south of the mainland, but they did not survive to this day. At the beginning of the Anthropocene, in a different climate, koalas could be found in western Australia
In appearance, koalas resemble both small bears and very large wombats. Only their fur is thicker, softer and longer. Large round ears and elongated limbs. Long curved claws help support weight from 5 to 14 kg on tree branches. The limbs of koalas are perfectly adapted to life in the canopy. The hands of the upper limbs are divided into 2 parts. In them, 2 fingers in 2 phalanges and 3 fingers in 3 phalanges, closing, create an unbreakable lock that allows koalas to spend their entire lives in trees. Strong curved claws help them move better along, or migrate from one tree to another. The hind limbs are qualitatively weaker and shorter than the forelimbs.
As a curious fact, we can mention the presence of papillary lines on the fingertips. It is curious that koala fingerprints are very similar to traces taken by forensic experts from people.
The teeth are typical of the order of two-incisal marsupials. The same pattern as kangaroos and wombats. Sharp incisors, excellent at cutting leaves. A wide diastema separates them from the grinding teeth. The entire dentition is one hundred percent adapted for herbivorous food.
Another characteristic feature of marsupials is the binary nature of the genital organs. It is very clearly expressed in koalas. The forked penis in males, two vaginas that open the entrance to two clearly separated uteruses, cause delight among experienced and new zoology lovers.
A separate miracle is the brain of these animals. It is miniature, making up only 0.2% of the total weight of the animal. At the dawn of the evolution of the family, it was much larger and filled the entire internal cavity of the skull. Due to narrow specialization in the matter of choosing food, the brain shrank, became shriveled and made koalas the negative leaders in the parameter of brain size among the order of marsupials.
Due to their specific lifestyle, animals are quite difficult to study. But in the zoo, some individuals lived up to 18 years.
They rarely make sounds when they are very scared or injured. Males make sharp calls during the mating season. Based on the strength and power of this sound, females choose the most worthy partner for themselves.
Koalas spend almost their entire lives, except for various unforeseen circumstances, in the crown of eucalyptus trees. During the day they are passive, spending time either sleeping or sitting motionless, clinging to a tree with their front paws. Thus, they spend about 16,17,18 hours a day.
If it is not possible to reach from the old tree to the new one, the koala reluctantly and very clumsily descends to the ground. But they jump from tree to tree deftly and gracefully. In case of danger, they climb the first tree on the way with lightning speed. By the way, koalas can swim.
The general passivity of animals, according to scientists, is associated with the peculiarities of the nutritional regime.
Specialization exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and shoots manifested itself in a decrease in brain volume and some inhibition of all processes in the body. This occurs due to the body’s tendency to not digest the poisonous, phenolic and terpene compounds of eucalyptus leaves.
Interestingly, eucalyptus leaves contain hydrocyanic acid to varying degrees, which is poisonous to any animal. Koalas are less sensitive to its effects than other animals, but this does not mean that they cannot be poisoned. It’s just that koalas in different seasons of the year choose those types of eucalyptus in which the content of hydrocyanic acid is currently minimal. There are known cases of poisoning of koalas when they were deprived of the opportunity to change the source of food. There is another prejudice associated with the diet of koalas. As we have already said, it is believed that these animals never drink, but in fact, koalas, although infrequently, still drink water.
Koalas have practically no competitors for such food, except for the flying squirrel and the ring-tailed possum. They are also marsupials and also like a small dose of hydrocyanic acid and phenol compounds for breakfast.
Although animals avoid overdosing with poisons and choose plants with reduced concentrations. Those eucalyptus trees that grow near rivers are less toxic on fertile soils. Of the 800 species of eucalyptus trees, only 120 species are eaten by koalas. A developed sense of smell helps animals navigate the level of poisons.
Due to the above nutritional features, koalas the rate of metabolic processes is several times lower than that of ordinary mammals. Only wombats and sloths are also slow and inhibited. In one day, a koala eats from 0.6 to 1.1 kg of eucalyptus leaves. Before swallowing, she crushes and chews them, and the chewed plant mass, as in a depot, “settles” for some time in the cheek pouches. Like all animals that specialize only in plant foods, marsupial bears have many bacteria in the lower parts of their digestive system. This vital microflora helps to do an almost impossible thing - cellulose, which is not digested, it breaks down into digestible compounds. The cecum, in which the main enzymatic and bacterial processes occur, is greatly hypertrophied. It reaches a length of about 2.4 m. Poisons that are washed into the blood are then neutralized by the liver.
Although, one of the versions of the origin of the animals' own name means “not to drink,” but animals remove dew from the leaves and squeeze moisture from the leaves of eucalyptus. In case of severe drought or numerous diseases, koalas are forced and reluctant to descend from the trees and go in search of water. Koalas relieve the lack of minerals and other substances in the body by eating soil.
Koalas are solitary by nature, both females and males. They do not have a clear territory. Only during the breeding season do animals gather in a kind of harem. They include one male and several females - from 2 to 5 pieces. They attracted the females by the smell that remains on the trees, against which the males rub their chests. In addition to smell, females react to the strength and power of calling calls. Having chosen a male by smell and cry, females agree to mating, which takes place in a tree.
Pregnancy in koalas lasts 30-35 days. Most often this is one cub. Females are born more often than males. It is very rare for koalas to give birth to twins. Babies weigh 5.5 grams. Their length is up to 2cm. After birth, they sit in the pouch for six months, feeding on milk. In recent months, they get out of the pouch and travel around the groves of eastern Australia, sitting on their mother’s back or stomach. At 30 weeks, the cubs begin to eat their mother's excrement. During this period, the female begins to excrete unconventionally liquid excrement. This is a long evolutionary path. It allows the introduction of microorganisms necessary for the digestion process into the intestines of the cubs.
After a year, females go in search of their personal area with eucalyptus trees, and males live near their mother for another 1-2 years.
Koalas breed only once every 1-2 years. Females enter puberty at the age of 2-3 years, in males - at 3-4 years. On average, a koala lives 12-14 years, although in zoology there are cases where animals lived up to 22 years of age.
Before settlers from Europe arrived in Australia, koalas died mainly from epizootics, various inflammatory processes, fires and drought, which is not uncommon in the tropical and subtropical climate zone.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, koalas began to be hunted because of their attractive color and fairly thick fur. In 1924 alone, 2 million koala skins were exported from the east of the country. Because of their gullibility and slowness, these animals were very easy prey for any hunters.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a global introduction of animals to Kangaroo Island was carried out. Over the course of a century, without natural enemies, in favorable climatic conditions, koalas multiplied. The food supply quickly depleted on a small island and this caused concern among the government and environmentalists of the state of South Australia. The government was afraid to shoot animals, because it could damage the country’s image.
To study and popularize the species, Koala parks were created on the mainland. One near Brisbane, the other near Perth, and also on Kangaroo Island, where the animals were brought for settlement. In Australia, the Koala Foundation was founded, which monitors the state of the koala population, preserves its numbers and protects the animals’ natural habitat.
In captivity, they show touching affection for their caregiver, which is quite unexpected, because in general koalas do not have a high level of intelligence.
Such cute habits leave no one indifferent, and koalas are deservedly popular among both adults and children. In zoos, koalas attract crowds of enthusiastic observers near their enclosures; they are a favorite object for making souvenirs and children's toys. But it was not always so. At the beginning of the twentieth century, they were intensively hunted. Although koalas are not suitable for the role of an honorary trophy, because hunting them is no more difficult than shaking apples, they were killed en masse for the sake of their thick, pleasant-to-touch fur. As a result, the population of these animals decreased to a critical size, and only after that people came to their senses and began breeding them in captivity. Breeding koalas in captivity is not an easy task.
The main difficulty is that in zoos it is difficult to provide koalas with natural food - fresh eucalyptus leaves. Therefore, koalas are kept mainly in zoos located in areas with a mild climate, where it is possible to grow eucalyptus trees in open ground. The greatest successes in breeding these animals have been achieved by zoos in Australia and San Diego (California).
sources
http://www.animalsglobe.ru/koala-ili-sumchatiy-medved/
http://www.proxvost.info/animals/australia/koala.php
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-27699/
The koala is an absolutely touching, extraordinary and unique animal.
What continent does the koala live on?
The marsupial koala bear is a symbol and endemic of Australia and, due to its rare beauty, lives in nature reserves and is listed in the Red Book. The bear resembles a plush toy that you never want to let go of. The touching animal was discovered by Europeans in the 19th century and since then has been considered the most popular on the entire planet.
General characteristics of the koala
Despite the fact that the koala is called an Australian bear, the animal has nothing in common with formidable animals. Representatives of herbivores belong to the family of marsupials. The appearance of the animal is quite unusual: thick and short hair of a gray or smoky shade, a white belly, low weight (up to 14 kg) and a body length of about 85 cm. The koala has poor eyesight due to small and blind eyes. This loss is fully compensated by excellent hearing and sense of smell. The animals have large ears located at the edges of the head and a flattened black nose.
Nature made sure that koalas easily eat grass, creating an ideal teeth structure for this process. The peculiarity of bears is their prehensile front paws and long claws, which allow the animals to move freely and live in trees. The animals have interestingly developed limbs: the front ones have two two-phalanx thumbs and three standard ones (with three phalanges). The hind ones have one thumb and four regular toes (without nails). Koalas also have a small tail that is almost invisible under their fur.
Animal lifestyle and nutrition
Koalas are dark-loving animals that prefer to sleep on tree branches during the day. Marsupial bears are calm, phlegmatic, good-natured animals. Koalas love a solitary, even solitary life and unite only for the purpose of reproduction. Each animal has its own separate territory, which must not be violated, otherwise an aggressive reaction may follow.
Koalas are vegetarians. They love to eat eucalyptus leaves, shoots and other plants. Many herbivores are not interested in these types of flora, since they contain a small amount of protein and hydrocyanic acid. An adult animal can eat up to 1.1 kg of leaves per day. Koalas drink very little and some only need to enjoy the morning dew to quench their thirst.
Koalas are considered sedentary animals, which is explained by the low metabolic rate in the body. However, marsupial bears are capable of running and jumping magnificently from one tree to another.
Many herbivores cannot eat eucalyptus because it contains toxic substances in harmful quantities. Negative compounds are neutralized in the body of koalas, and the bears feel great.
Koalas are peaceful animals. At the same time, they cannot boast of a safe life. Marsupial bears often suffer from illnesses, including from sinusitis, cystitis, cranial periostitis and conjunctivitis. Many cities have special centers where sick animals are treated.
Australian bears are motionless or eating almost all the time. They prefer to be alone, so they practically do not make sounds. However, if necessary, animals can scream and even growl.
When the animal is pressed against a tree, thermoregulation occurs. For example, in hot weather, koalas climb acacia trees, as this is the coolest tree.
Mammals have unique patterns on their fingertips that make them identifiable.
Koala breeding
Male marsupial bears have a forked penis, while females have two vaginas with a corresponding number of uteruses. Despite this, koalas usually give birth to one baby.
The bear breeding season begins in October and lasts until February. Females independently choose their partner. The selection criteria are influenced by the size of the male and the volume of his cry. In nature, there are significantly fewer males among koalas than females. Therefore, one male can have a relationship with three or five females.
A koala bears its young for 30 to 35 days. It is extremely rare for two bear cubs to be born. An interesting fact is that a female can become pregnant only once every two years. At birth, koalas have no hair and in the first days are under the full care of their mother (they drink breast milk and sit in a pouch, like a kangaroo). Over time, the cubs climb onto the mother's scruff, securely clinging to the fur. By the end of the first year of life, young koalas are ready for independent existence, but for several more years they remain near their mother. In the future, bears will leave their home forever and go on a “free swim.”
Koalas are amazing animals that can feel and experience pain just like humans. They may cry loudly and hysterically, which is accompanied by trembling.
Video about koala
If a competition were held among the representatives of the animal world of our planet for the cutest animal, then the koala, or the Australian marsupial, would probably take one of the prizes there. After all, he looks so much like a little teddy bear, so beloved by children. Did you know that the word “koala” from one of the Australian aboriginal languages is translated as “does not drink”? That is, this is what the indigenous Australians (by the way, far from our European depravity with alcoholic beverages) nicknamed this animal because it almost never drinks water, although later zoologists found that, although occasionally, koalas still drink water.
Koala: description, structure, characteristics. What does a koala look like?
Although the koala is called a marsupial bear, or an Australian bear, due to some external similarity, it has nothing to do with real bears; the koala and the bear are not even distant relatives. The koala belongs to the family of marsupials, which is represented by three species: koalas themselves, wombats and kangaroos. The wombat is the closest relative of the koala.
The appearance of the koala is very unusual. Its fur is short and thick, usually gray, smoky in color, but there are koalas with brown shades. But her belly is always white.
The body length of the koala is 60-85 cm, with a weight of up to 14 kg.
The koala's eyes are small and blind, vision is not its greatest advantage, but the koala's weak vision is fully compensated by its excellent hearing and sense of smell. The koala's large ears are located at the edges of its head and are also covered with fur. The koala also has a large flattened black nose.
Koala teeth are ideal for eating plants; however, all marsupials, including wombats, these closest relatives of koalas, have a similar tooth structure.
And since koalas live mainly in trees, nature gave them tenacious front paws with long claws (promoting tenacity). Each koala's front paw has two double-phalangeal thumbs and three standard three-phalangeal toes. The hind legs are arranged differently - on the koala’s foot there is only one big toe, which is devoid of nails, and four ordinary toes. Thanks to their tenacious front paws, koalas easily cling to tree branches and in this position they dine, rest and even sleep.
Does a koala have a tail? Yes, there is, but only the koala's tail is so short that it is practically invisible under the fur.
Where do koalas live?
All koalas, as well as the entire family of marsupials in general, live on only one continent - Australia.
History of the discovery of koalas
Interestingly, the discoverer of Australia, the famous English navigator James Cook, never discovered koalas, despite the fact that there were plenty of koalas at his landing site. Well, Captain Cook was just unlucky to meet them. And the first European to see these unique animals with his own eyes was the English naval officer Barallier. In 1820, he sent the body of a dead koala to the governor of New South Wales, and a year later a live koala was caught for the first time. Since then, this unique animal has become the subject of passion and research of many European zoologists.
How long do koalas live?
The lifespan of a koala in the wild is 13-18 years.
What does a koala eat?
What do koalas eat? All of them are herbivorous vegetarians, and their main source of food is shoots and eucalyptus. Interestingly, koalas have practically no food competitors, since eucalyptus leaves, which contain little protein and also contain hydrocyanic acid, are not interesting for other herbivores. But even among eucalyptus trees, not all leaves and shoots are suitable for food for koalas; thanks to their well-developed sense of smell, they are able to select the least toxic among them. In general, according to zoologists, koalas eat only 120 species of eucalyptus out of 800 found in nature.
A koala eats from 0.5 to 1.1 kg of leaves per day, and this is relatively little, but since all koalas are phlegmatic and inactive, this is enough for them. Also, sometimes they can eat ordinary soil, thus they compensate for the lack of certain minerals in the body.
As for the name of the koala - “non-drinker”, to some extent it is justified, since all marsupials consume very little moisture; koalas usually need morning dew that settles on the leaves and the moisture present in eucalyptus leaves to quench their thirst . But during periods of illness or drought, koalas can drink water from various fresh sources, as do all other animals.
Koala lifestyle
All koalas are nocturnal; during the day they sleep peacefully on branches, and at night they climb these same branches in search of food. In general, these are very calm, good-natured, phlegmatic animals, leading a solitary, one might even say reclusive, life. Koalas unite only for reproduction, and so they prefer to live separately, each koala has its own territory, and if the boundaries of this territory are violated by another koala, then the peacefulness of the koala can be replaced by aggressive behavior.
But koalas are usually friendly to people and are easily tamed. Now in Australia there are many koala nurseries where you can easily pet a koala, even pick it up.
Koala's enemies
In natural conditions, koalas have practically no enemies, since even wild dogs, dingoes, these Australian predators generally avoid koalas because of their bright eucalyptus smell. But human activity has had a very detrimental effect on their population; recently, roads are increasingly cutting through Australian eucalyptus forests, the patrimony of koalas, and often clumsy and slow koalas die under the wheels of cars.
Types of koalas
In fact, koalas are represented by only one species, this is the common koala, Australian, and it is described in our article.
Koala breeding
The mating season for koalas begins in October and lasts until February. During this period, female koalas begin to select their love partners. The larger the male koala, and the louder he is able to scream, the more attractive he will be to females. It is also very interesting that among koalas there are many times fewer males than females, there are simply fewer of them born, and as a result, one male usually fertilizes from three to five females per season.
The pregnancy of a female koala lasts 30-35 days, after which a single cub is born; in very rare cases, twins can be born. Also, pregnancy in a female koala can only happen once every two years. Small koalas are born naked, hairless, and at first are under the close care of their mother, drink breast milk and sit in a pouch like cubs.
Having matured a little, little koalas begin to climb onto the mother’s scruff, clinging to the fur. After a year, they are already ready for adult life, but they remain close to their mother until they are two or three years old. Only after reaching sexual maturity, in the second or third year of life, do they leave their mother forever to become independent adult koalas.
Despite its peaceful nature, keeping a koala at home is not the best idea; more precisely, it is simply absolutely not possible due to the feeding habits of these animals. As we wrote above, koalas eat leaves and shoots of eucalyptus trees, but, unfortunately, they are not able to digest other food. But even among eucalyptus leaves, picky koalas eat only 120 varieties out of 800, and you won’t be able to determine exactly which leaves are suitable for koalas and which are not. For this reason, koalas can live exclusively in their natural territory in eucalyptus forests.
- The male koala has a forked penis, while the female has two vaginas and, accordingly, two uteruses. However, one should not be surprised, since a similar structure of the genital organs is characteristic of all animals of the marsupial family.
- The koala is one of the rare mammals that has unique patterns on the pads of its toes. Apart from koalas, only a few people have this, and of course, humans.
- The koala has a very slow metabolism, a metabolism that determines its natural slowness. In this it is surpassed only by the even slower one, about which there is also an interesting article on our website.
Koala video
And finally, an interesting documentary about koalas.
This article is available in English - .
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