oft fur and a 'teddy bear' expression give the Koala its cuddly appearance. But those huge claws which sink so easily into the bark of trees can make a frightened Koala quite a handful.
oft fur and a 'teddy bear' expression give the Koala its cuddly appearance. But those huge claws which sink so easily into the bark of trees can make a frightened Koala quite a handful.
Of course, Koalas are not really bears at all. True bears don't have pouches and their young are well developed at birth. Not so with a new-born Koala - it would fit on your thumbnail! Koalas are marsupials - meaning pouched animal which nurtures young on milk.
The closest relative of the Koala is the Wombat - they both have pouches which open towards the rear. This is fine for the Wombat, but Koalas need strong muscles around the pouch to keep the young one from falling out.
The largest Koalas weigh over 10kg (about 20lb) and are found in the State of Victoria, while the smallest Koalas live in the north of the State of Queensland and weigh only 5 1/2kg (about 11lb). Koalas are found between these two States, but only where enough suitable eucalyptus trees have been left. Female Koalas are fully grown at 4 years of age, whilst males take 5 years. Koalas live for between 10 and 20 years.
rees help protect Koalas from predators (other creatures that would kill them), and harsh weather, but most importantly they provide them with food. Where forests are cut back or changed by humans, life can be very hard for young Koalas, especially if the forst is fully occupied and they have to leave the area in search of food. This may mean crossing open spaces, including roads, where the young ones can be killed by cars or attacked by dogs and even ticks. A lack of suitable food trees may also make them more liable to disease.
he only solution to problems of declining forests and attacks by predators is to plant and keep trees for food and shelter in areas where the animals can reach them. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, together with voluntary conservation bodies has been planting food trees for Koalas in several areas, including Port Macquarie and Lismore, where some of the largest numbers of naturally occurring Koalas exist.
oalas have two thumbs, but only three fingers on each front paw. This means their grip is more even on each side of a tree branch. Their huge claws and strong muscles help them to hold on tightly. They also have a clawless big toe on their hind legs which works against the other toes so Koalas can grip with their hind feet as well. Two of their hind toes are joined together to form a handy two-toothed comb for grooming the fur and removing ticks.
emale Koalas can breed from about two years of age, and can produce one offspring (cub) each year. Newborn Koalas are tiny, blind and hairless and are born about two months after mating. The baby drags itself into the mother's pouch and attaches itself to one of the two teats, to suckle on milk.
By about seven months, the baby has outgrown the pouch and rides on the mother's back or rests cuddled against her chest as she sits drowsily in the fork of a tall gum tree. During this time, the young one samples gum leaves.
When the cub is about one year old, the Koala's mother is ready to mate again. This usually happens between September and January when lovesick Koalas serenade each other with a wide range of noises: pig-like grunting and growling from the males, and a high pitched trembling sound from the females. These activities often result in the young Koala cub being driven off to start life on its own. To survive, the young cub must find a suitable tree not already occupied by other Koalas.
Koala eats about 1/2kg (about 1lb) of eucalypt leaves each day, generally those growing on the tops and sides of branches. Koalas are fussy eaters, choosing most of their food from a few varieties of eucalypt. Around Sydney, Grey Gum and Mahogony are the most favoured trees. In northern areas of the State of New South Wales, Tallow Wood and Forest Red Gum are the favoured, while Manna Gum is the favourite in the south of New South Wales. Koalas have been seen eating paperbark, she-oaks, brush box and acacia, all native trees in Australia. They also use a vareity of other trees for daytime shelter, but tend to favour particular trees within the range of eucalypt species. They also move from one type of tree to another as the seasons change.
Gum leaves are not the easiest things to digest - they are tough and contain oils which can be poisonous. To cope with such an unusual diet, Koalas have a long thin tube-like appendix branching out from their intestines. This tube grows to a length of 2 metres. It probably helps with digestion, but its exact function remains a mystery.
(With acknowledgement to the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, formerly NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.)
