Classification
Family:Koala (Phascolarctos)
Squad:Double stemsum
Suborder:Vombatiformes.
Class:Mammal
A type:Chordovy
Dimensions:length - 71-82 cm; Weight - 5-14 kg
Life expectancy:13-18 years old
Koala, photo of which makes everyone smile, looks outwardly resembles a small bear. What it looks like a funny and cute animal know almost everything.
For the first time, the burdock, the shaggy animal with a bizarre appearance was discovered in early 19th century in Australia.
In August 1803, the first article on the koalaces was published in the Australian newspaper with which their worldwide popularity began.
Etymology
The name of Phascolarctos is derived from Greek Phaskolos, which means "bag", "Bag", and Arktos - "Bear".
The literal translation of Phascolarctos sounds like " summer Mishka" The view because of his car's color was called Cinereus, which is translated as "ash".
Koala has nothing to do with the family of bearish, as it is the only Phascolarctos representative.
But because of its external similarity with the first, they got the name Bear Koala. Outside of Australia, this name of the species is very common, although it is wrong.
Summer teddy bear is very similar to Vombat, which also lives in Australia.
An animal is distinguished from the nearest relatives of more thick hair, long limbs and big ears
History of type
The closest relatives of the animal is considered, who also belongs to the detachment of the coughless samples (what Vombat looks like, you can see in the photo above).
Summer teddy bear is very similar to Vombat, also inhabitants on Australian mainland. An animal is distinguished from the nearest relatives of more thick hair, long limbs and large ears.
Naturalists argue that approximately 34-24 million years ago there were about 18 species. big Bears. Modern view Koala is much younger and it appeared about 15 million years ago.
Habitat
Koala is distributed almost throughout Australia and nearby islands. An animal is not found only in Tasmania.
In the western part of the country, a sore bear also does not live, although his remains find here. He prefers to settle in tropical forests In the south and east of the mainland.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was completely exterminated in South Australia, but then artificially restored.
Habitat Animal chooses exclusively eucalyptus forests with sufficient moisture.
Koala individualists: they prefer to lead single image Life and show activity at night. The males march their territory, rubbing the liquid allocated by them in the bark of trees.
Koala for grass
Characteristic
Bear Koala has the following parameters:
- The mass of the animal body varies in the range of 5-14 kg and depends on the floor and the habitat. Males larger females. Among them are the biggest representatives inhabit in the southern part of the country. Females living in the north, as a rule, do not gain more than 5 kilograms.
Interesting!The extinct view of Koalemus could achieve in weight about 400 kg, which is 28 times more than the mass of modern Phascolarctos.
- The inhabitant of eucalyptus forests does not grow more than 82 cm long. On average, the length of the body is 71 cm. The number of teeth at the species is 30.
- The females have only 2 nipples that are located inside the bag.
- During the evolution, the degeneration of the sample beast occurred: the weight of the brain is not a bit of 0.2% on the entire body weight, while the skull cavity is approximately filled with a spinal fluid. Biologists associate this fact with vegetable food used, poor nutrients.
An animal has sharp claws that allow you to easily move around the trees.
Appearance
The sharp claws on the paws allow the animal without difficulty moving around the trees. Baby use chain claws to tightly hold on to the mother's fur.
The front paws have five fingers, and two of them are large. They slightly set aside from three others.
That anatomical structure Allows hard to capture the trunk, tree branches. An animal is capable of hanging on a tree for a long time, holding only one paw.
Lap Koala has two thumbs
Interesting!The pattern on the pillows of the handmag of a short pasta is identical to the human. Detect the difference sometimes is impossible even with the help of a special microscope.
A close of a nasty head has a big, round ears covered with thick fur. The muzzle is a bit shoved, a large black nose and small eyes are highlighted on it.
Thick fur has a shade of medium between ash and gray. For belly and neck characterized by more light tint, but back side black paws.
The males are endowed with a forked phallus, and females with two vagina and uteros. Such anatomical feature Inherent in only silent.
The tail of the koala is similar to the bear: the same small and short.
Koala prefers to sleep on a tree, clasping the barrel with tenacious paws. The photo shows how the sleeping silent bear looks like
Key Features
- Koala prefers to sleep on a tree, clasping the barrel with tenacious paws.
- The animal is very slowly moving and moves to a quick run only in case of danger.
- The exchange of substances at Koal is twice as slower than other mammals. The exception is the sloths and the womb.
- Despite the fact that the animal prefers most Time is on the tree, it swims well. Their fur pushes water and is able to protect against temperature differences.
- The blind intestine in the individual of this species is very developed and can achieve in length more than 2 meters. It is there that the process of digesting food.
- Koala meat is inedible for predators, as it has a pronounced eucalyptus smell.
- Bear Koala is subject to many disease.
- The source of moisture for the animal is the juicy leaves of eucalyptus and dew. Water representatives of the samples are used only during the period of droughts.
- The process of pairing individuals occurs right on the tree.
- A frightened or wounded Koala is able to make sounds similar to a scream of a child.
Health
Cola is vulnerable to diseases: it often overtakes diseases such as conjunctivitis, sinusitis, cystitis and skull perioditis.
Sinusitis often leads to the development of pneumonia, as a result of which the animal may die. Average age (15 years) is determined only by animals living in zoos.
Koala poses for the photo in the zoo
Food
Bear Koala feeds exclusively by eucalyptus leaves and shoots.
Interesting!Eucalyptus contains toxic substanceswhich are toxic for the animal. But thanks to the work the liver they neutralize and do not harm health.
Of the 800 species of eucalyptus trees, a sore bear chooses only 120, which are less toxic. Determine less poisonous trees It helps a well-developed sense of smell.
In order to avoid a cumulative effect toxic substances In the body, the animal changes the appearance of the eucalyptus used in food.
Per day the animal requires 500-1000 grams vegetable feed. It prefers to eat more juicy leaves, which are able to provide the body with the necessary liquid by 90%.
In additional sources of moisture, the Bear Koala needs only during drought or during illness.
Summer Bear is engaged in prey of food solely at night
Lifestyle
Koala is engaged in the extraction of food with the onset of darkness. In the afternoon, the animal sits on the tree and chews the leaves, which during the prey managed to postpone behind the cheeks, or sleeps, clinging to one paw per branch.
This type of family of silence as, however, prefers a passive lifestyle. Koalas are practically in a fixed state until 18-20 hours a day, sitting on the tree.
Go down on the ground they are only in rare casesWhen you can not jump on the next tree.
The phlegmology of the animal is explained by his diet, which includes plant foodPoor to protein content.
The silence of the silence silence, excluding the pairing periods, when the males shout attracts females. Serve Koala's "voice" and at the time of danger.
IN wildlife At the species there are no enemies, with the exception of Dingo's dog, which can hunt on a herbivore animal, if very hungry. Other predators do not eat coal due to high toxicity.
Bear Koala prefers a single lifestyle, excluding the pairing period. At this time, the males at the meeting often attack each other.
During the pairing, individuals are collected by groups of several females and one male.
Reproduction
During the pairing (October-February), adults are collected by groups in which several females are located and only one male (see photo above).
This is due to the fact that the population of male individuals is significantly less.
Interesting!Females choose to mating more major representativesAt the same time focusing on the smell and the scream of the male, which is heard in almost a kilometer.
Females are carrying the fruit for 30-35 days. Most often, in the litter only one cub and occasionally twins.
At the birth of the crumb weighs just over 5 grams, and the length of the body barely reaches 15-18 millimeters. It is born absolutely blind and lys. What a cub looks like koalas can be seen in the photo below.
Baby Baby Mishk
For 6 months, the female is with a cub in close connection, having hatched it in a bag where it develops and feeds on milk. Six months later, the baby crawls out of the bag, moving onto the back of the mother.
Its nutrition becomes the excrement of the parents, in which the semi-earned eucalyptus leaves and the necessary microorganisms for digestion are contained.
Thus, in the intestine little Koala Useful bacteria appear, helping to cope with the digestion of coarse food.
Until the year, the cubs are on the female, nomadic from the back on the stomach. To keep a small teddy bear helps sharp, chain claws.
Photo females koala with cub
The female is located with a cub from 1 year to 3 years. Young females become independent for 1 year of life, while males can stay with his mother up to 2-3 years.
The females become half-arms for 2-3 years, the males have sex matures for 3-4 years of life.
The female brings offspring once every 1-2 years.
Relations with people and population status
Gullible and good-natured bears at the beginning of the 20th century became the object of the fishery of the hunters who killed a beast because of its thick fur comparable to the value with the fur coat or. As a result, in South Australia, the view was practically exterminated.
The government banned the hunt for Koal, and by the mid-20th century the population was restored.
Despite the fact that it does not threaten the extinction from poachers, the number of coal in some habitats is reduced. This is due to the mass cutting of forests, fires, as well as diseases they are subject to.
Summer animals are not afraid of man, and very friendly in relation to it. They are very easy to tame, they love affection.
In captivity, eucalyptus bears are very attached to people who care for them, and even begin to be sad when they are left alone.
Koalas are tied to a person
Breeding in captivity
In captivity, the Koala breeds in specialized parks, whose activities are aimed at preserving the population. There are several Koal Parks on the territory of Australia.
About koalas you can tell a lot interesting facts. Here are the top most original.
Koalas can delay food in the stomach more than eight days
This animal is powered by eucalyptus leaves. To get more energy from such a plant diet, Koala fermented part of the eaten. Fermentation does not occur in the stomach itself, but in the intestine. In the process of bacteria, the vegetable mixture is destroyed, which produces to the emission of nutrients, which turn out to be absorbed by the organism. Despite this, Koal has a rather modest menu. These animals have developed a special digestive mechanism with low metabolism, in addition, they have a relatively small brain size. This allows you to compensate for the lack of calories and nutrients in their diet.
Koalas like only thirty of six hundreds of eucalyptus species
In the habitats of these animals, you can detect more than six hundred species of eucalyptus trees, but Koalas like it only from thirty of them. Animals usually choose those species that are different increased content squirrel. What is interesting, koala eat not only the leaves of the eucalyptus, but also the foliage of other plants, for example acacia. However, the eucalyptus leaves are really preferred to everyone. From their food, they get most of the water they need. Koala females can only survive on it. It is really amazing! Males Koal sometimes still drink a bit. 
Koala sleep twenty hours a day
If it seemed to you that the cats are sleeping most, you were mistaken! Cats sleep about sixteen hours a day, and koalas can dorm for four hours more! The nature of this phenomenon is a diet in poor nutrients. Koala spend the minimum of energy, which leads to the activity of the maximum for four hours, during which the animal feeds on foliage. Everything else time remains on vacation. Koalas are usually not sent to sleep in some certain place - Most feed and rest on the same tree. Therefore, they are so easy to photograph, because they are sitting in the same place for hours and practically do not move. 
Koala communicate only fifteen minutes a day
Sometimes communication takes so much energy! Koalas do not particularly spend it on things like social activity. At the same time, they have no problem with neighbors - on one site usually there are always permanent residents, as well as those who pokes the territory into the territory. Despite its cute appearance, Koala may be cruel to fight for the right to reproduction within their borders. At the same time, the animals publish strange sounds. Mothers koala are characterized by special severity.
There are more than forty chemical elements in the selections from the gland
Koalas practically do not communicate in real time, but they know how to leave each other information by smells. When the male koala turns out to be on a new tree, he sniffs the bark to discover whether there are no labels left by other males. Then he climbs up and rubs his breasts about the tree to mark its highlights from a special gland. The composition of the secret is complex and includes forty different elements, each of which has a certain value and serves to transmit information. Some males also march the tree urine. 
Koala appear per month after conception
Many people for some reason believe that Koala is a kind of bears. In fact, they belong to the short. As with Kangaroo, they quickly appear young who continue their development already in mom in a bag. The cub appears on the light blind and hairless. Bag on the mother's body protects the baby while it develops the following six to seven months. The bag is located and nipples - the young feed on milk. Unusually, but before the young will leave the bag finally, Moma reaches him from a dairy diet, feeding him a fermented plant mixture.
Koal opened in 1798
Animals lived in Australia thousands of years. The culture of the Aboriginal preserved many myths and legends about these creatures. Due to slowness and habits to stay on one tree all day, constantly staying in a dream, the koalas were a light source of food. But the tribes did not destroy the coal - there were many of them all over the continent. For the first time, Europeans described animals in 1798. Initially, it was believed that Koala were bears, but then scientists found that they belong to the sophisticated. 
Animals, similar to Koal, there were already twenty-five million years ago
Koalan known to us are herbivorous creatures that adapted to a diet with a reduced nutrient content. Koala get water from leaves that eat, and do not lead too active life. Scientists have discovered that the ancestors could look somewhat different. Twenty-five million years ago, the climate of Australia was not so dry and the lifestyle of animals was different. When the climate changed, eucalyptus trees changed, and koalas were transformed with them.
Koala extinct in the south of Australia in 1924
Europeans were not so kind of animals as aborigines. The coal was considered a source of fur, and millions of animals were destroyed to the thirtieth years. They are incredibly easy to hunt, which increased losses. In 1919, in six months of the hunting season was destroyed by a million coal! The number shocked people, and animals gave the status of protected. But no one protects eucalyptus trees! Therefore, the main threat to Cal was now the disappearance of their habitat, which is due to environmental problems. 
Koal is two big fingers
Koalas are adapted for life on trees. They have two opposite fingers on the paw, which help them hold, and the remaining three are located in the center. Of course, literally these fingers do not call big, but in essence they are very similar to them. On each of the five fingers there are claws, which makes the paw a little like a human hand. At Koal muscular body with longer front limbs, which helps them crawl. The muscles at the bottom of the body differ in the structure of the muscles of other animals. They are arranged in proportion to the body and are intended to ensure that the koals can better fix their position on the trunk, while driving onto a tree. Thanks to this, animals do not fall from the height even when they sleep.
Kingdom: Animals
A type: Chordovy
Subtype: Vertebrae
Class: Mammals
Subclass: Stembed
Squad: Double stemsum
Family: Koala
Rod: Koala
View: Koala
Where inhabits Koala?
Koala meet on many hundreds of thousands of square kilometers in the east of Australia from North Queensland to South Victoria. The population of these silent is often separated by wide spaces of cutting forests. Koala chopped wet mountain forests in the south, grape landings in the north of Australia, moods and semi-desert landscapes in the West. The population density depends on the productivity of land. In the south in the rainforest, it reaches 8 animals on the hectare, and in a semi-desert zone on a plot of 100 hectares, only one individual can live.
Description of Koala
The pioneer of the species became marine officer Barral, in 1802, who had revealed to the governor of the new South Wales, who had revealed and releasing the wops of the Koala remains. Live Koala was caught not far from Sydney next year, and after a couple of months, the readers Sydney Gazette saw him detailed description. Since 1808, the Koala is considered a close relative of Vombata, entering him into one squad of the Dwariest Commier, but being the only representative of the coal family.
The charm appears the comical combination of the surround leathery nose, small suberpiced eyes and expressive, widely placed by the ears with the wool sticking around the edges.
Externally, the koala is slightly reminded of Vombata, but, unlike the latter, endowed with a more pleasant, thick and soft fur height up to 3 cm and elongated limbs. Northern animals are smaller in size (females are sometimes not reaching and up to 5 kg), the southern - almost three times larger (males weigh almost 14 kg).
Few people know that koalas relate to rare mammals (along with primates), whose pillows of fingers are drawn by unique papillary patterns, exactly like a person.
Koala teeth are adapted to the eating plants and similar to the structure with the teeth of the remaining coursescents (including kangaroo and wombats). Sharp cutters, which the animal cuts off the leaves, and grinding teeth are separated from each other diastrap.
Since Koala feeds on the trees, nature bestowed him long chain claws on the front paws. Each brush is equipped with two (retractable) by two-standing thumbs, opposing three standard fingers (with three phalanges).
The rear paws are arranged differently: there is the only one thumb (devoid of claw) and four other armed claws. Thanks to the grasp paws, the animal is tightly cling to the branches, a closer brush in the castle: in this position, the koala is kept behind the mother (until it becomes independent), and hanging around, hangs, hangs on one paw and sleeps.
The thick coat is painted into smoky-gray shades, but belly always looks lighter. The tail resembles the bear: it is so short that is almost impaired by a stranger.
Lifestyle Koala
The first migrants on the mainland gave this animal different names, such as "Lenizen", "Monkey" and "Bear". For a long time There was a myth that Koala are relatives of the bears. However, it is not. These animals are single representatives of his family.
Koalas live in eucalyptus forests, and their favorite delicacy are the leaves of these evergreen trees. And although more than 700 types of eucalyptuses are growing in Australia, the koala is eaten by leaves only 50 species, since the leaves of individual eucalyptus trees are extremely toxic.
From Koala leaves get required amount Water for vital activity, and water in pure form these animals are consumed in small quantities or not consumed at all. Currently, during natural disasters, when in Australia heats forest firesCoals sometimes come to the water. These animals can also swim well, and willingly demonstrate their skills in swimming with hot climatic conditionsWhen they want to refresh.
Most of their lives of Koala are on the trees where they eat, sleep and breed. On the this time Scientists do not own accurate information What is the life expectancy of these animals in nature, but if you judge the coal of various zoos, then, on average, the koala lives from 13 to 15 years.
Koalas are very slow animals. They may not move most of the day. It is possible that this is due to the fact that the leaves of the eucalyptus, which constitute the diet of the coal is very low-calorie. Sun down from the trees these animals are extremely rare if they want to change the tree. However, despite its non-historicalness and clumsy species, koalas can quickly jump over one tree to another.
During its small travels on the ground, Koala becomes the object of hunting for predators such as foxes, dogs and dingo. Danger can come from human - koala risks to get under the wheels of cars. In the daytime, these animals prefer to relax on the trees, and do small walks trying at night, which is a safer option for them. During the day, Koala eat near a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves.
What do Koala eat?
Koalas are powered by bark and eucalyptus leaves. There are more than 800 types of these trees in the world, but these animals eat only the bark and leaves 120 of them. Interestingly, for most animals these trees of poisonous. Due to its unique digestive system Kolay eating them without tragic consequences. But the shaggy animals are trying to choose eucalyptus growing on fertile soils, on the shores of the rivers. In the leaves and branches of such trees there are less poison. In the eucalyptus growing on poor dry soils, more poisoning substances.
Daily diet of this animal 500? 1100 g of feed. At the same time, they mainly feed on softer and juicy young leaves. Koalas almost do not drink water, as the leaves of the eucalyptus contain more than 90% of the fluid necessary for them. Animals drink water only when they lack moisture in the leaves or they are sick.
Koala is almost stationary 18? 20 hours a day. At this time, she wars the branches, sleeping or moved along the trunk in search of food or chews the leaves, which during feeding adds in interior cheek.
She jumps from a tree on a tree mainly to find food or run away from danger. One more unique ability This animal, what he knows how to swim. Koala are quite slow, it is due to the features of their nutrition, as the leaves contain little protein. In addition, the coal has a low metabolism, it is 2 times slower than other mammals.
Reproduction
The period of breeding at Koal - from October to February. At this time, they are collected in groups that consist of several females and one adult male. During the rest of the same time, each female dwells on its territory, leads a single lifestyle.
Koala rather quiet animals. Loud screams can be heard only during the marriage period. Eyewitnesses say that these sounds are like growing pig, creaking door loops and even snoring a drunken man. However, these sounds very much like females, and they are responsible for the supreme sound of males.
Another unique one distinctive feature These silent bearings from other animals are the reproduction bodies. The male has split penis, and the female have two vagina. Thus, nature takes care that this species is not extinct.
Caal pregnancy takes place within 30? 35 days. It is most often born only one young, which weighs 5.5 grams and has a height of 15-18 millimeters. Although there are also cases of birth of two. The baby is in the mother's bag half a year, this time he feeds her milk. Over the next six months, it is chosen from the bag, clinging to the mother's fur on his stomach and back, thereby traveling by her body.
The next 30 weeks he eats semi-liquid mother excrement consisting of Cashitz by half of the digested leaves of the eucalyptus. Here are valuable for the kid and the microorganisms necessary for its digestive process. A month later, the cubs become independent, but even up to 2? 3 years old are with the mother.
In the sexual maturity, males enter 3? 4 years, and females at 2? 3. The reproduction occurs at once in 1 or 2 years. Life expectancy 11? 12 years, although there may be exceptions, there are cases when Koala lived and 20 years.
In the wild, the silent animal does not have enemies, most likely, because its meat smells eucalyptus. Animals are quickly tamed pretty quickly, they condescendingly relate to a person who takes on her arms. But it is impossible to forget about the sharp claws of the animal, so it is necessary to iron it carefully.
Koala is like a child when the beast remains alone, he can cry and wander. In the wild nature of drought, fires, poachers are ruining these touching animals. The cutting of eucalyptus trees also contributes to their extermination.
Natural enemies and other dangers
In the nature of Koal almost no enemies. The latter can be conditionally attributed to wild dogs dingo and wild homemade pietes. But these predators only attack low-ferricular silent, refusing their meat because of a bright eucalyptus fragrance.
The larger damage is caused by diseases, such as cystitis, conjunctivitis, skull periostitis and sinusitis. At Koal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal sinuses (sinusitis) often ends with pneumonia, especially in cold winters. It is known for example that the epizootia of complicated sinusits, which happened in 1887-1889 and 1900-1903 led to a noticeable reduction in the number of these silence.
Diseases
Koalas are pretty painful animals - apparently, the monotonous nutrition affects. Especially strongly they are subject to the Cherep Cherep, conjunctivitis. The sinusitis often causes their inflammation of the lungs, which at the beginning of the last century strongly reduced the population. The animals are killing, and Chlamydia Psittaci viral bacteria, which are intensely consider Koal "AIDS". They affect the ureter and the eyes of animals, and if they do not help them in time, the disease will lead first to infertility, after that - to problems with vision, and in the end and to death.
Fur merchants
Even before the beginning of the 20th century huge number The coal (not one million) was destroyed by merchants with furs, after which the animals were almost left. And only then (in 1927) the Government of Australia banned the coal fur, and in three years - to import their skins. This led to the end of the barbaric extermination of Koal, and their population began to increase gradually.
Deforestation
Because of the continuous cutting of forests, Koala is forced to constantly go to search for new trees, so they have to go down. And they are not accustomed to life on earth, because they are with difficulty here, so they become easy prey.
Cars
In connection with the cutting of the Koala forest in search of a new house, more and more often turn out to be on the tracks. Carrying on huge speed Their machines are extremely frightened, animals are chaining (the so-called "Koala syndrome" - especially the males are especially exposed to him) and stop moving or begin to ride along the road. According to statistics, about 200 koal under the wheel drives is located monthly - and, unfortunately, many of them are dying. At the same time, the authorities are trying to solve this problem pretty interesting way: stretch over the highway artificial lianas, which combine eucalyptus among themselves on both sides of the route. This idea of \u200b\u200bKoala was appreciated and willingly move through the motorway.
Dogs
Once on the ground and seeing the wild dog Dingo, the Koala does not understand all the danger, and does not run on a tree. As a result, it is often ripped out. Fires trees that are so loved to live koala, contain eucalyptus oil, thanks to which fires flared up extremely strongly and for a long time they cannot be extinguished. Fire thus destroyed no one population of Koal.
Pools
Many will be surprised by learning how much Koal dies, hitting the pool. Contrary to the popular belief that they do not drink absolutely nothing, they come on the water, but often not to the source, but to the design created by human hands, which is not habitually for trusted animals. Despite the fact that they are great to swim, Koala is often drowning, having gone out of his strength.
Drought
Because of the drought, the leaves of the eucalyptus are black and dry, so the devoid of Koala waters are often dying from thirst, especially those who live far from artificial or natural sources water.
Population and status of the form
Epizooty, really considered the main reason Caal extinction, but only before the arrival of European immigrants, who began shooting animals because of the thick beautiful fur. Koala trusted people and therefore easily became their prey - in one 1924 the Eastern State Hunters prepared 2 million cute skins.
A significant decrease in the population was pushed by the Australian government to decisive actions: the coal hunt was first limited, and from 1927 it was completely prohibited. Almost 20 years have passed, and only by 1954 the number of silence began to slowly recover.
Now in individual regions there is an overabundance of Koal - on about. Kangaroo, they were so broke out that the island eucalyptus was obscured, the depletion of their own feed base. But the proposal on the shooting of 2/3 of the herd of power Y. Australia was rejected, since this would suffer from the Renome state.
The Government of the Victoria state was not afraid to harm the image of the country and ordered to break the population whose density was 20 heads per hectare. In 2015, almost 700 Koal destroyed in the state, protecting the remaining deaths from the hungry death.
Nowadays, the view has the status of "low risk" (Lower Risk), but the coals are still threatened by cutting down forests, fires and ticks. Preservation of the population and habitat of the samples are closely engaged international Organization Australian Koala Foundation, as well as attendant parks "Lone Pine Koala" (Brisbane) and "Coon Koala Park" (Perth).
- Many scientists tried to attribute the coal to the family of bearish. In fact, the closest relative of Koala among animals is Vombat - another unusual Australian animal.
- About 25 million years ago, the Koalemus Koalemus animal, which resembles Koalemus, reminiscent of Koalemus, but superior to it in size at 25-30 times.
- Koalas practically do not drink water. The fact is that all moisture necessary for their lives is contained in Eucalyptus, which is the main food of Koala. If the heat and drought comes, the Koala needs extra water.
- The adult koala weighs about 10 kilograms, and its growth ranges from 60-80 centimeters. At the same time, the South Koala is always the largest of his northern brother, and the males weigh 1.5 times more than females.
- The koala can long under the sun, because the wool on her body is able to protect against ultraviolet. Also, the coal is not afraid of rain - a thick fur of the animal does not miss moisture.
- The average life expectancy of Koala in the zoo is about 13-18 years. How many Koala live in wildlife, the scientist is still unknown.
- The fingerprints of Koala are very similar to the fingerprints of a man. Koalas are some of the rare animals with a papillary pattern on the fingers.
- Koalas are distinguished by poor eyesight, while having excellent smell and developed hearing.
- The metabolic rate in Koala organisms is approximately 2 times lower than in other animals. Koala speed can be compared with the sloths. At the same time, if the danger comes, the first, and the second can act quickly and efficiently.
Externally, these animals are similar to plush bearings, which causes a huge delight of people. The coal's wool is very thick and has a gray shade, the eyes are small, but the ears are disproportionately large, the tail is short, the paws are small with long sharp claws.
Where Koala live
Koalas belong to the family family and live in Eastern and South Australia - in the states of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Notable is the fact that Koalas do not live on the island of Tasmania, but there are small populations of Koal on kangaroo Island. There are reliable facts that in the past, Koala lived in the West of Australia, however, unfortunately, they were exterminated by a person. It should be noted that these animals are no longer found on any continent, with the exception of Australia.
These cute animals live on our planet for more than 34 million years.
Lifestyle Koala
The first migrants on the mainland were given to this animal various names, such as the "Lenivegen", "Monkey" and "Bear". For a long time there was a myth that Koalas are relatives of bears. However, it is not. These animals are the only representatives of their family.
Koalas live in eucalyptus forests, and their favorite delicacy are the leaves of these evergreen trees. And although more than 700 types of eucalyptuses are growing in Australia, the koala is eaten by leaves only 50 species, since the leaves of individual eucalyptus trees are extremely toxic.
From the leaves of Koala, the required amount of water for life activity is obtained, and water in pure form these animals are consumed in small quantities or not consumed at all.
Currently, during the natural disaster, when forest fires buffa in Australia, koala sometimes come to the water. These animals can also swim well, and willingly demonstrate their skills in swimming during hot climatic conditions when they want to refresh.
Most of their lives of Koala are on the trees where they eat, sleep and breed. At this time, scientists do not own accurate information on what life expectancy These animals in nature, however, if you judge the koalas of various zoos, then, on average, koala live from 13 to 15 years.
Koala are very slow animals. They may not move most of the day. It is possible that this is due to the fact that the leaves of the eucalyptus, which constitute the diet of the coal is very low-calorie. Sun down from the trees these animals are extremely rare if they want to change the tree. However, despite its non-historicalness and clumsy species, koalas can quickly jump over one tree to another.
During its small travels on the ground, Koala becomes the object of hunting for predators such as foxes, dogs and dingo. Danger can come from human - koala risks to get under the wheels of cars.
In the daytime, these animals prefer to relax on the trees, and do small walks trying at night, which is a safer option for them. During the day, Koala eat near a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves.
Coal reproduction
Coals are breeding every two years, which makes them not fruitful animals. Usually females in one period of pregnancy, which lasts a little more than a month, give life to one, less than two young. The kids are born not large, their weight is only about 5 grams. The first time after birth, about six months old, the young are in the bag in mom, which is on the back. Kids Koal are very tied to mom, and can make sounds similar to the cry of a child if they feel lonely.
At the same time, Koala is very quiet animals and, as a rule, do not publish any sounds. In rare cases, Koala shout. It happens with the wounded, left alone or feeling danger of animals. Only at the age of the year they start an independent life.
According to the results of the study, it was revealed that the smell of Koala was much better than vision. This feature allows animals to distinguish odors around with great accuracy. It is a highly developed smell that helps them distinguish between the varieties of eucalyptus and are not too toxic. Interesting factThat these animals have fingerprints that practically do not differ from the fingerprints of a person, even under an electron microscope.
Protection Coal
Unfortunately, currently Koala are on the verge of extinction. At the beginning of the 20th century, millions of Koal were exterminated by a person for valuable fur. And now it came at the very moment when much attention should be paid to the problem of preserving this unique detachment of animals.
In the world created a large number of research Programs aimed at protecting these charming silent animals and their habitat. In Australia, to prevent the death of the coal under the wheels of cars, artificial created by the ropes are stretched from the ropes, connecting two trees with each other. And these cute fluffy animals are happy to enjoy such bridges.
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Koala is a herbivorous bedtime animal, it refers to the family of the coal, the detachment of dvurstz. Koala Mammals, externally, they look like a bearish, so Australian migrants called this animal bear-koala or a bear with a bag. This name is used today, although these animals do not have anything to do with the beast.
The body length of Koala ranges from 60 to 80 cm., Its weight 5 is 15 kg. (depends on climate). The animals have a big round head and fluffy ears. They have rather long paws with chain claws. On the pads of the coaguls papillar patternHis prints are similar to human. These "cubs" have a thick fur of gray or gray-brown, the abdomen is lighter. Koal's tail is not. Paws of animals set aside with fingers and sharp claws are perfectly adapted for lasagna in trees. The animals are sleeping on the tree and can be held on the branches of even one paw.
The female koala on the stomach is a bag for a young. These animals breed once every two years. Females more than males, so in marriage The male has a harem of 3-5 females. The newborn animal is closed in the bag to the mother, where he is warm and there is milk.
Koala animals night, they live on trees. Calm and slow bears can sleep until 20 hours for a day. But these animals are able to climb the trees well, swim and deftly jump from the tree on the tree. In case of danger, the Koala can run a gallop and quickly climb on a tree.
Beautiful photo of a sample animal - Koala:
Mix koalas in eucalyptus forests, the leaves of which are eaten. These animals have adapted to eat exclusively by eucalyptus. It is fibrous and has a lot of protein. But the lack of this plant is that the eucalyptus contains phenolic and terpene connections that for most animals are poisonous. In addition to Koal Eucalyptus, only ringtone posses and a silent flying are eaten. There are many types of eucalyptus in Australia, but the koala choose only edible. In a day, the animal eats up to one kilogram of leaves. Water koala do not drink, they receive it from eucalyptus foliage.
Local predators do not eat Koal, as their meat is impregnated with eucalyptus. They can only threaten wild dogs. But slow and gullible teddy bear-koala became easy prey for hunters. They were killed to get a thick valuable fur of these animals. Koalas also threatened the deforestation of eucalyptus forests and forest fires. All this led to a reduction in the number of animals. The Government of Australia banned the hunt for Koal and opened reserves for them. Now their population is gradually restored by free life in natural environment habitat.
Video: Koala: What do we know about the silent bear?
Video: Koala helps his frightened young
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