The koala is a small, cute, gentle animal that lives only on one continent - Australia. In the Aboriginal language, the word "koala" means "does not drink." The animal actually practically does not drink water, being content with the moisture contained in eucalyptus leaves. His Greco-Latin family name "Phascolarctos" means " marsupial bear" The koala has indeed been called a bear for a long time, but it is not a bear, and it has nothing to do with bears, except that it looks like a fluffy teddy bear. In fact, the koala is a marsupial, it is the only modern representative Koala family (Phascolarctidae).

Today the koala is the most beloved marsupial animal by Australians, one of the recognized symbols of Australia, but this was not always the case. The first European settlers killed millions of these defenseless animals for their thick fur. However, deforestation of eucalyptus forests, drought and fires posed an even greater threat to the survival of the species. The threat to koalas peaked in 1924, when more than 2 million pelts were exported. By then the koalas had disappeared into South Australia and in most areas of Victoria and New South Wales. As a result of public protest, a ban on hunting was introduced starting in 1944, and only 10 years later their population began to gradually recover. Currently, in a number of areas, in particular in the south of its range, the koala has again become normal look, and the IUCN lists this animal as being of Least Concern. However, intensive deforestation poses a threat to northern populations.

The appearance of koalas is characteristic: the body is short and stocky, the head is large, round, with small eyes, large fluffy ears and a patch of bare skin on the nose. The tail is rudimentary, almost invisible from the outside. The color of the thick and soft fur on the dorsal side varies from gray to reddish-brown; on the chin, chest and inner surface The fur of the forelimbs is white. The ears are bordered with long white hair, the rump is covered with white spots. In the north of their habitat, the fur of the animals is shorter and less common.

The koala's body length is 70–85 cm, weight 7–12 kg. Males are more massive than females, they have a wider muzzle, and the size of the ears is smaller. In addition, males have a scent gland on their chest, with which they leave marks on trees within their territory. Females have a pouch with two nipples that opens back.

The koala is remarkably adapted to being sedentary. tree image life. Its body is covered with thick fur, which protects the animal from bad weather and temperature fluctuations, which is very important - after all, koalas do not have any shelters or shelters. Large paws are equipped with strongly curved claws, thanks to which the animal can easily climb the tallest tree with smooth bark. The photo shows a good view of the powerful and strong claws of a koala. If an animal sticks them into a tree, it will not fall down.

When climbing a eucalyptus tree, the koala grasps the trunk with its strong front paws, moving its body upward and at the same time pulling up its forelimbs. On hind legs the first finger is opposed to the others, the second and third are almost fused. On the front feet, the first and second toes are opposed to the others, providing a strong grip when climbing. The soles of the paws are bare, with a palpable pattern. An interesting fact is that koala fingerprints are almost identical to human ones.

The koala has a total of 30 teeth; the upper jaw retains three pairs of incisors and rudimentary fangs. The teeth are well adapted to feeding on eucalyptus leaves, which contain a large amount of fiber. Chewed leaves undergo microbial fermentation in the cecum, which is the longest in relation to body length of any mammal (its length is 1.8-2.5 meters).

In the photo, a koala habitually eats the leaves of his favorite eucalyptus tree.

The koala's brain, compared to its body size, is one of the smallest among mammals, only 0.2% of its total body weight. Scientists believe that this is due to adaptation to a low-calorie diet.

Where does the koala live?

Koalas are found only in Australia, where they are found over many hundreds of thousands of square kilometers in the east of the continent from northern Queensland to southern Victoria. Populations of these marsupials are often separated from each other by wide areas of cleared forests. Koalas have chosen moist mountain forests in the south, vineyards in the north, coppices and semi-desert landscapes in western Australia. Population density depends on the productivity of the land. In the south, in rain forests, it reaches 8 animals per hectare, and in the semi-desert zone, only one individual can live on an area of ​​100 hectares.

How does a koala live in the wild?

The life of koalas is closely connected with trees of the genus Eucalyptus, in the crowns of which they spend almost all their time. They spend most of the day (18-20 hours) sleeping, feeding takes 2-3 hours, and the rest of the time the animals just sit. Only occasionally do they descend to the ground to run from one tree to another.

Koalas usually sleep during the day, but at night they are busy leisurely absorbing eucalyptus leaves. The movements of the animals are usually very slow and lazy, although a frightened animal is capable of moving very quickly.

Koalas lead a sedentary lifestyle. Most are loners; they rarely live in pairs. Adult animals occupy certain habitat areas. IN favorable conditions these areas are relatively small: a male can occupy only 1.5-3 hectares, females even less - 0.5-1 hectares. In areas poor in vegetation, the male's area can be more than 100 hectares. The territory of a dominant male can overlap the areas of up to 9 females, and also the areas of subordinate males. Each animal has several favorite food trees on its individual plot.

In nature, the koala lives up to 10 years, the maximum known life expectancy in captivity is 18 years.

What do koalas eat? Eucalyptus diet

The leaves of the evergreen eucalyptus provide koalas with a constant source of food. An adult eats about 500 grams of fresh leaves per day, and although more than 600 species of eucalyptus trees grow on the Green Continent, the koala eats leaves of only 30 of them. IN different regions preference is given to different types of eucalyptus, but mainly to those that grow in conditions of high humidity.

Such a diet may seem dubious at first glance, because eucalyptus leaves are inedible or even poisonous to most herbivores. They are low in nutrients and contain a lot of indigestible fiber, as well as toxic phenols and terpenes. However, these animals have several adaptations that help them cope with such inedible food. They do not eat some leaves at all; the toxic components of others are neutralized by the liver and excreted from the body. Since the diet is low in calories, koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day. They conserve water and, except in the hottest weather, obtain the necessary moisture from the leaves they eat. Thus, evolution gave koalas a food source available all year round, and also saved them from food competition.

Continuation of the family line

Koalas are polygamous, with a small number of males accounting for the majority of matings. But the details of the distribution of matings between dominant and subdominant animals are not fully understood.

Both female and male koalas reach sexual maturity at two years of age. From this time, females begin to reproduce, while males begin breeding 2-3 years later, when they become large enough to compete for a female.

The breeding season is in spring and early summer (September–January). At this time, males move very long distances, and clashes often occur between them when they meet. During “weddings” the “grooms” constantly roar. These calls, consisting of loud inhalations followed by bubbling exhalations, are designed to attract the attention of brides and also warn competitors. The call of one male usually evokes a response from nearby relatives. During this period, males often mark the boundaries of their territory by rubbing their chests against trees.

The female brings one litter per year of one, less often of two cubs. Pregnancy lasts 35 days. The baby is extremely small at birth - its weight is less than 0.5 kg. The newborn climbs into the pouch, where it is securely attached to one of the two nipples. In the bag little koala spends approximately 6 months where it grows and develops. The mother carries him on her back for some time.

From the age of seven months, the baby switches to feeding on a special gruel made from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves, secreted by the mother’s digestive system, getting used to the food of adult animals. A young koala becomes independent by the age of 11 months, but usually continues to stay close to its mother for several more months.

Conservation in nature

In nature, the koala has practically no enemies; predators do not favor its meat, apparently due to the fact that it has a strong eucalyptus smell. Despite this, animals are often considered vulnerable. Although no one has officially counted these marsupials, according to unofficial data, their number ranges from 40 thousand to 1 million. Habitat destruction is the main threat to most koala populations in the northern part of their range. But the situation is much more serious in the semi-desert regions of central Queensland, where about 400 thousand hectares are cleared annually for pastures and other agricultural needs. And although environmentalists are sounding the alarm and trying to stop the destruction of forests, the problem remains relevant in the agricultural areas of central Queensland.

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordata

Subtype: Vertebrates

Class: Mammals

Subclass: Marsupials

Squad: Two-incisor marsupials

Family: Koalas

Genus: Koalas

View: Koala

Where does the koala live?

Koalas are found over many hundreds of thousands of square kilometers in eastern Australia from northern Queensland to southern Victoria. Populations of these marsupials are often separated from each other by wide areas of cleared forests. Koalas have chosen moist mountain forests in the south, vineyards in the north of Australia, coppices and semi-desert landscapes in the west. Population density depends on the productivity of the land. In the south, in rain forests, it reaches 8 animals per hectare, and in the semi-desert zone, only one individual can live on an area of ​​100 hectares.

Description of the koala

The discoverer of the species was Marine officer Barralier, who in 1802 discovered and sent the preserved remains of a koala 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 it 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.

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.

Externally, the koala slightly resembles a wombat, 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 even reach 5 kg), southern animals are almost three times larger (males weigh almost 14 kg).

Few people know that koalas belong to 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 only one thumb(lacking 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.

Koala lifestyle

The first settlers on the mainland gave this animal various names, such as "sloth", "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 his family.

Koalas live in eucalyptus forests, and their favorite food is the leaves of these evergreen trees. And although there are more than 700 species of eucalyptus trees in Australia, koalas eat the leaves of only 50 species because the leaves of some eucalyptus trees are extremely toxic.

It is obtained from koala leaves required amount water for life, and these animals consume water in its pure form in small quantities or not at all. Currently, during natural disasters when Australia is on fire Forest fires, koalas sometimes come to people for water. These animals can also swim well, and willingly demonstrate their swimming skills in hot weather. climatic conditions when they want to freshen up.

Koalas spend most of their lives in trees, where they feed, sleep and breed. On given time scientists don't know accurate information about the life expectancy of these animals in nature, but judging by the koalas of various zoos, then, on average, koalas live from 13 to 15 years.

Koalas are very slow animals. They may not move most days. This may be due to the fact that eucalyptus leaves, which make up the diet of koalas, are very low in calories. These animals rarely come down from the trees if they want to change the tree. However, despite their slowness and clumsy appearance, koalas can quickly jump from one tree to another.

During their short journeys across the land, koalas are hunted by predators such as foxes, dogs and dingoes. The danger can also come from humans - koalas run the risk of being run over by cars. During daylight hours, these animals prefer to rest in trees, and try to take short walks at night, which is a safer option for them. During the day, koalas eat about a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves.

What do koalas eat?

Koalas eat only the bark and leaves of eucalyptus trees. There are more than 800 species of these trees in the world, but these animals only eat the bark and leaves of 120 of them. Interestingly, these trees are poisonous to most animals. Due to its unique digestive system colas eat them without tragic consequences. But the furry animals try to choose eucalyptus trees growing on fertile soils, along the banks of rivers. The leaves and branches of such trees contain less poison. Eucalyptus trees growing on poor, dry soils contain more toxic substances.

The daily diet of this animal is 500–1100 g of food. At the same time, they mainly feed on softer and juicier young leaves. Koalas hardly drink water, since eucalyptus leaves contain more than 90% of the liquid they need. Animals drink water only when they lack moisture in the leaves or are sick.

The koala is almost motionless 18–20 hours a day. At this time, she clasps branches with her paws, sleeps or moves along the trunk in search of food, or chews leaves, which she puts into the inner part cheeks
She jumps from tree to tree mainly to find food or escape from danger. Another unique ability of this animal is that it can swim. Koalas are quite slow, this is due to their feeding habits, since the leaves contain little protein. In addition, koalas have a low metabolism, it is 2 times slower than that of other mammals.

Reproduction

The breeding season for koalas is from October to February. At this time, they gather in groups that consist of several females and one adult male. The rest of the time, each female lives in her own territory, leads single image life.

Koalas are fairly quiet animals. Loud screams can only be heard during mating season. Eyewitnesses say that these sounds are similar to the grumbling of a pig, the creaking of door hinges and even the snoring of a drunken person. However, females really like these sounds, and they respond favorably to the calling sound of males.

Another unique distinguishing feature of these marsupial cubs from other animals is their reproductive organs. The male has a forked penis, and the female has two vaginas. Thus, nature made sure that this species did not become extinct.

Pregnancy in koalas lasts 30–35 days. Most often, only one calf is born, which weighs 5.5 grams and has a height of 15–18 millimeters. Although there are also cases of two births. The baby stays in its mother’s pouch for six months, during which time it feeds on her milk. Over the next six months, he gets out of the pouch, tenaciously clings to the mother’s fur on her stomach and back, thereby “traveling” through her body.

For the next 30 weeks, he eats semi-liquid maternal excrement, consisting of a pulp of half-digested eucalyptus leaves. Here are microorganisms that are valuable for the baby and necessary for his digestive process. After a month, the cubs become independent, but are still with their mother until they are 2–3 years old.

Males reach sexual maturity at 3–4 years, and females at 2–3. They reproduce once every 1 or 2 years. Life expectancy is 11–12 years, although there may be exceptions; there are cases where koalas lived for 20 years.

IN wildlife The marsupial has no enemies, most likely because its meat smells of eucalyptus. Animals are tamed quite quickly, they are condescending towards the person who takes them in their arms. But at the same time, we must not forget about the sharp claws of the animal, so you need to stroke it carefully.

A koala can be like a child; when the animal is left alone, it can cry and yearn. In the wild, drought, fires, and poachers are destroying these touching animals. Cutting down eucalyptus trees also contributes to their destruction.

Natural enemies and other dangers

In nature, koalas have almost no enemies. The latter can roughly include wild dingoes and feral domestic dogs. But these predators only attack slow-moving marsupials, refusing their meat because of the bright eucalyptus aroma.

Diseases such as cystitis, conjunctivitis, cranial periostitis and sinusitis cause greater damage to livestock. In koalas, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis) often ends in pneumonia, especially in cold winters. It is known, for example, that epizootics of complicated sinusitis that occurred in 1887–1889 and 1900–1903 led to a noticeable reduction in the number of these marsupials.

Diseases

Koalas are quite sickly animals - apparently, the monotonous diet affects them. They are especially susceptible to cystitis, periostitis of the skull, and conjunctivitis. Sinusitis often causes pneumonia in them, which greatly reduced the population at the beginning of the last century. The animals are also killed by the viral bacteria Chlamydia Psittaci, which is secretly considered to be the “AIDS” of koalas. They affect the ureter and eyes of animals, and if they are not helped in time, the disease will first lead to infertility, then to vision problems, and ultimately to death.

Fur traders

Even before the beginning of the 20th century a huge number koalas (more than one million) were destroyed by fur traders, after which there were almost no animals left. And only then (in 1927) the Australian government banned the trade in koala fur, and three years later – the import of their skins. This led to the end of the barbaric extermination of koalas, and their population began to gradually increase.

Deforestation

Due to continuous deforestation, koalas are forced to constantly go in search of new trees, so they have to go down. But they are not accustomed to life on earth, since they move here with difficulty, so they become easy prey.

Cars

Due to deforestation, koalas are increasingly finding themselves on highways in search of a new home. rushing on enormous speed cars frighten them extremely, the animals become numb (the so-called “koala syndrome” - males are especially susceptible to it) and stop moving or begin to rush along the road. According to statistics, about 200 koalas end up under the wheels of cars every month - and, unfortunately, many of them die. At the same time, the authorities are trying to solve this problem quite in an interesting way: artificial vines are stretched over the route, which connect the eucalyptus trees on both sides of the route. The koalas appreciated this idea and willingly cross the highway.

Dogs

Once on the ground and seeing a wild dingo, the koala does not understand the danger and does not run away into a tree. As a result, she often ends up torn to pieces. Fires The trees on which koalas love to live contain eucalyptus oil, thanks to which fires flare up extremely strongly and cannot be extinguished for a long time. The fire has completely destroyed more than one koala population.

Swimming pools

Many people will be surprised to learn how many koalas die after getting into the pool. Contrary to the popular belief that they drink absolutely nothing, they still come to water, but often not to the source, but to a structure created by human hands, which does not have the usual descents for animals. Despite the fact that they are excellent swimmers, koalas often drown when exhausted.

Drought

Due to drought, eucalyptus leaves turn black and dry out, so koalas deprived of water often die of thirst, especially those who live far from artificial or natural sources water.

Population and species status

Epizootics were indeed considered main reason the extinction of koalas, but only before the arrival of European settlers, who began to shoot the animals because of their thick, beautiful fur. Koalas trusted people and therefore easily became their prey - in 1924 alone, hunters in the eastern states prepared 2 million cute skins.

A significant decrease in the population prompted the Australian government to take decisive action: koala hunting was first limited, and since 1927 it has been completely prohibited. Almost 20 years passed, and only by 1954 the marsupial population began to slowly recover.

Now in some regions there is an overabundance of koalas - on the island. They have become so prolific of kangaroos that they completely eat up the island's eucalyptus trees, depleting their own food supply. But the South Australian authorities rejected the proposal to shoot 2/3 of the herd, since this would damage the reputation of the state.

The Victorian government was not afraid to damage the country's image and ordered the thinning of the population, whose density was 20 animals per hectare. In 2015, almost 700 koalas were exterminated in the state, protecting the remaining ones from starvation.

Today the species has a “low risk” status, but koalas are still threatened by deforestation, fires and ticks. We are closely involved in preserving the population and habitat of marsupials international organization Australian Koala Foundation, as well as single-species parks Lone Pine Koala (Brisbane) and Kounu Koala Park (Perth).

1. Many scientists have tried to classify the koala as a member of the bear family. In fact, the koala's closest animal relative is the wombat, another unusual Australian animal.
2. About 25 million years ago, the ancestor of the koala Koalemus lived on Earth - an animal that resembled a koala in appearance, but was 25-30 times larger in size.
3. Koalas practically do not drink water. The fact is that all the moisture necessary for their life is contained in eucalyptus, which is the main food of the koala. If heat and drought sets in, the koala needs additional water.
4. An adult koala weighs about 10 kilograms, and its height ranges from 60-80 centimeters. Moreover, the southern koala is always larger than its northern brother, and males weigh 1.5 times more than females.
5. A koala can stay in the sun for a long time because the fur on its body can protect it from ultraviolet radiation. Also, the koala is not afraid of rain - the animal’s thick fur does not allow moisture to pass through.
6. The average lifespan of a koala in a zoo is about 13-18 years. Scientists do not yet know how long a koala lives in the wild.
7. Koala fingerprints are very similar to human fingerprints. Koalas are one of the rare animals that have papillary pattern on fingers.
8. Koalas have poor eyesight, but have an excellent sense of smell and developed hearing.
9. The metabolic rate in koalas is approximately 2 times lower than that of other animals. Koalas can match the speed of sloths. Moreover, if danger occurs, then both the first and second can act quickly and effectively.

The koala is a marsupial animal of the infraclass Marsupial family, family and genus Koala. Scientists still have not fully figured out what kind of animal the koala is: a bear, a raccoon, or something else. The koala, or Australian bear, is the only animal that eats only eucalyptus leaves.

What does a marsupial bear look like?

Few people have seen a koala live, but many have seen videos and photographs of this animal. A koala actually looks a bit like a bear cub. For example, a koala's tail is the same as a bear's - small, which is practically invisible on the body. However, it cannot be confused with any other living being.

The koala is a rather small animal: for example, the weight of a marsupial bear is from seven to twelve kilograms. Usually the koala's fur is short but thick, gray. The animal has lighter fur on its abdomen. Koalas have small eyes, but large ears and nose. The claws on the paws are sharp and long. Marsupial bears need them in order to easily move through trees.

Koala habitats

The koala is a marsupial, and it lives, of course, in Australia, as well as on neighboring islands (except Tasmania). Marsupial bears choose places closer to the water, as they are located there rainforests– traditional habitat of koalas. Marsupial bears live in the south, east and slightly north of mainland Australia.

The photographer caught a rare moment when a koala decided to “get its throat wet” in a country pool.

The koala lives in humid subtropical, tropical and subequatorial forests, where a lot of eucalyptus grows - the only source of food for the koala.

About the diet of marsupial bears

The koala eats only eucalyptus, despite the fact that this plant contains hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous to animals. The fact is that this animal is less susceptible to its action. Moreover, nature even came up with a kind of protection for them: different seasons years old koalas eat different types eucalyptus (at certain times these types of eucalyptus contain less hydrocyanic acid than others). However, sometimes a koala can still be poisoned by eucalyptus leaves.

Contrary to popular belief that koalas never drink, these animals, although not often, find sources of water and drink it.

Koala breeding

Koalas, which always live alone, gather in groups only during the breeding season. Most often, such a group consists of one male and two to five (and sometimes more) females. Koalas mate in trees. Koalas breed once a year or once every two years.

Pregnancy in marsupial bears lasts about a month. Usually only one baby is born, about 1.5 cm long and weighing no more than 6 g. Since the koala is a marsupial, the pouch is used for quite a long time when carrying a child - about six months. At 30 weeks, when the cub has grown a little, he can already eat the liquid excrement of his parents (this is necessary, since it contains the necessary substances for normal digestion). After some time, the koalas grow up completely and begin to live their own lives.

Features of koalas

What's so special about the marsupial bear? He has a lot interesting abilities and differences from other living beings.

The koala is endemic to Australia. In other words, the koala does not live except in Australia and neighboring islands, only in zoos. In addition, due to its ability to exclusively climb trees and feed on eucalyptus, the marsupial bear is slow and quite calm.

Another one interesting feature koalas - they give birth to very small cubs, having much larger size and body weight. It's amazing that eight-kilogram parents can give birth to children the size of a bean grain!

Enemies of koalas

The koala is an amazing animal: in nature they have no enemies! Why did this happen? There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, marsupial bears are found in Australia and live in trees, but on this continent there are no arboreal predators that can harm koalas. Secondly, the koala feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves, which are not harmful to the animal, but can be dangerous to other animals that want to eat the marsupial bear.

What are the benefits and harms of koalas?

The koala is a very good-natured creature that can both help and harm a person.

The main benefit of koalas is that many children, and sometimes adults, love them in zoos. Scientists often conduct experiments on these animals. Thanks to this, charming creatures are protected by law from shooting and poaching for their valuable fur.

Unfortunately, koalas can also harm people. When there are too many marsupial bears and they don’t have enough food, they are able to move closer to people’s homes and even cause accidents. Despite this, the koala is a very interesting animal that has not yet been fully studied by scientists.

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Koala is marsupial mammal family of the infraclass Marsupials, as well as the genus Koalas. 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 only vegetation, 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. The animal has fur on its abdomen light color. 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 koala's claws are mainly used 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 feeding process. inner area cheeks

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. Koalas have all this low level metabolism, it is several times slower in them than in 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 Living being, which 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

Koala is extraordinary view animals, 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 on 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 he loves it on the territory of the zoo big number 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 small animal may even cause an accident. Despite all this, the koala remains an unusual and interesting animal that experts have not yet fully studied.

Koala animal

Koala is a rather cute furry animal that lives on the Australian continent. The second name of this animal species is “ marsupial bear" Although, in fact, these animals have nothing to do with bears. The koala species is more closely related to wombats.

The name of this animal species comes from an Australian Aboriginal expression, which can be literally translated as “does not drink.” This name did not happen by chance.

Koalas really do not consume water, and they take the moisture necessary for their bodies from the leaves of eucalyptus trees, which are their main food. The thing is that koalas live on eucalyptus trees and rarely descend from them to the ground. These small animals are one of the laziest on the planet, so getting to a source of water is a big problem for them.

About a hundred years ago, the koala family suffered significant damage, being at that time on the verge of complete extinction. And this was the fault of the people who needed the expensive and soft fur of these animals. Today, koalas are especially protected; their extermination for fur has been completely eliminated. In addition, koalas are bred in nature reserves and zoos, restoring the size of the family.

However, seeing a koala in wild conditions - great luck. Since the animals are under special care, they try to keep them in special reserves or nurseries, taking care of their health and reproduction. Koalas can be seen in the wild on Kangaroo Island in the southern part of the Australian continent.

Koala bear

Koala body size usually small - from sixty to eighty centimeters, and they weigh on average from six to 15 kilograms. Koalas are practically devoid of a tail; they have it very small, and it is almost invisible behind the lush fur of the animal.

The animal is distinguished by funny rounded ears, which are completely covered with a fur shell. Koala fur is soft and quite thick, and has good durability. Animals can be different in color, but basically their fur is colored in shades of gray. Animals with red or red-red fur are less common.

Koalas are fairly quiet animals, so their voices can only be heard during certain periods. There are two of them - either the breeding season or the approach of the enemy. If a koala is frightened or injured, its cry will resemble the prolonged cry of a baby.

Life of a koala

Koalas lead a leisurely and measured lifestyle, almost never leaving their main shelter - a eucalyptus tree. Koalas sleep almost the entire day (from 18 to 22 hours). The koala's activity occurs at night and does not last long. Basically, it is associated with the need to find food.

During periods of wakefulness, koalas hardly move, but simply sit on the branches of a tree, holding on to its trunk with the help of their forelimbs. If necessary, the koala can show enviable lightness and grace, deftly jumping from one tree (where the food has run out) to another. In addition, these animals are able to swim well.

Koala photo

The lazy lifestyle of the koala is by no means accidental. Their diet includes only leaves and shoots of eucalyptus trees, which contain almost no protein. Moreover, eucalyptus leaves turn out to be deadly for most animals due to large quantity phenolic compounds.

When choosing a tree, koalas feel which one has the least poison and feed on it. There are about eight hundred species of eucalyptus trees in the world, but koalas choose only 120 of them for their food. When there is a serious lack of vitamins and minerals, koalas descend to the ground and eat it to restore the balance of trace elements in their bodies.