Koala: Phascolarctidae - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, KOALAS AND PEOPLE
Koalas are found in isolated patches along the eastern coast of Australia from Queensland to Victoria.
Koalas eat only eucalyptus (yoo-kah-LIP-tus) leaves. Therefore, they are limited to areas where eucalypts grow. This can range from wet tropical forests to dry open woodlands.
Aboriginal peoples of Australia hunted koalas for food, as did Europeans when they arrived in Australia. Today koalas are symbols of Australia recognized throughout the world. Their image attracts many tourists, and their image can be found on all types of souvenirs. Very few koalas are sent to zoos outside Australia because of the difficulty in keeping them supplied with fresh eucalyptus leaves.
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Koalas are known worldwide as one of the symbols of Australia. Their gray and white fur, broad head, small eyes, large furry ears, and round belly make them appear cuddly like a teddy bear. Koalas range in size from 24 to 33 inches (60 to 85 centimeters) and in weight from 8.8 to 33 pounds (4 to 15 kilograms). This is an unusually large size range. Koalas living in the northern (warmer) part of th…
Koalas have strong food preferences. They eat the leaves of about 30 of the 650 species of eucalyptus trees that grow in Australia. Eucalyptus leaves are not an ideal food. They are low in nutrients, hard to digest, and contain toxins (poisons). In order to digest these leaves, koalas have evolved certain adaptations. They avoid the most poisonous species of eucalypts, and their liver is capable o…
One reason that koalas can exist on low-nutrient food is that they have developed a lifestyle that allows them to conserve
Koalas come out of their mother's pouch when they're about six months old, and cling to her belly or back until they are one year old. (© Kenneth W. Fink/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.)
energy. They sleep for up to twenty hours ea…
By the end of the 1920s millions of kolas had been hunted for their fur, and these animals had become extinct in parts of their original range. Intense conservation programs, including protecting habitat, breeding programs, and relocation of some animals, has resulted in a substantial increase in the koala population. There are even some areas where overcrowding is occurring today, leaving the koa…
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