History of the species
This ancient family of marsupials, related to wombats, reached its greatest diversity in the Oligocene, 34-24 million years ago, when fossil evidence suggests there were at least 18 species marsupial bears. Among them there was such a giant as the Queensland koala Koalemus, which weighed half a ton. Modern koala Phascolarctos cinereus, presumably appeared 15 million years ago.
The koala went unnoticed by James Cook's expedition in 1770, which discovered East Coast Australia. The first mention of it is found in the report of John Price, a servant of the Governor of New South Wales, John Hunter, on a trip to the Blue Mountains in 1798. Price writes that in the Blue Mountains there is an animal called kullavain, similar in appearance to a sloth. The koala was discovered for science in 1802 by naval officer Barralier, who discovered the remains of a koala among the aborigines and sent the animal’s limbs preserved in alcohol to the Governor of New South Wales, King. In June 1803, a live koala was captured south of Sydney, and on 21 August the Sydney Gazette published it detailed description. However scientific name The koala was not given its generic name until 1816, when the French zoologist Blainville gave it a generic name. Phascolarctos- from Greek. phaskolos"leather bag" and arktos"bear". Species name cinereus The (ash) beast received for the color of its fur.
For about half a century, the koala was only found within New South Wales. It was encountered in Victoria in 1855 by naturalist William Blandowski and in south-eastern Queensland in 1923 by O. Thomas. Recently, the koala inhabited South Australia, but was completely exterminated here at the beginning of the 20th century. The koala is not preserved in Western Australia, although Quaternary remains indicate that it was found here too.
Appearance
The koala is a medium-sized animal with a dense build: its body length is 60-82 cm; weight from 5 to 16 kg. The tail is very short and invisible from the outside. The head is large and wide, with a flattened “face”. The ears are large, rounded, covered with thick fur. The eyes are small. The bridge of the nose is hairless and black. There are cheek pouches.
The koala's hair is thick, soft, and durable; on the back the color varies from light gray to dark gray, sometimes reddish or reddish, the belly is lighter.
The koala's limbs are adapted to climbing - large and index fingers the forelimbs and limbs are opposed to the rest, which allows the animal to grasp the branches of trees. The claws are strong and sharp, capable of supporting the weight of the animal. On the thumb hind limbs the claw is missing. Koalas are one of the few non-primate animals to have a papillary pattern on their toe pads. Koala fingerprints are indistinguishable from human fingerprints even under an electron microscope.
The brood pouch in females is well developed and opens at the back; There are two nipples inside.
Koalas are usually silent and only vocalize during the breeding season or when in danger. The calling cry of the male is described as “something between the snoring of a fat drunkard, the creaking of a door on rusty hinges and the grumbling of a dissatisfied pig.” A frightened or injured koala screams and “cries” like a child.
The size and color of this animal varies depending on where it lives. Thus, the koalas of Victoria are larger and heavier, they have thicker and denser fur of a dark gray color, often with a brownish tint on the back. In tropical and subtropical Queensland, koalas are much smaller and lighter in color, with less and shorter fur.
The appearance of the koala is a bit like a bear (hence its name - marsupial bear); and the vestigial tail, the location of the brood pouch and the dental formula bring it closer to wombats, with which it apparently had a common ancestor.
Spreading
Koalas are found in eastern Australia - from Adelaide in the south to Cape York Peninsula in the north. Koalas South Australia were exterminated already in historical times - in the 20s of the XX century, but this state was again populated by individuals from the state of Victoria.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Koala with baby
Koala eats eucalyptus leaves
The koala's metabolic rate is almost half that of most mammals (with the exception of wombats and sloths), which helps it compensate for the low nutritional value of its diet. A koala requires from 0.5 to 1.1 kg of leaves per day, which it carefully crushes and chews, accumulating the resulting mass in its cheek pouches. Like all mammals that feed on fibrous plant feed, koalas have a rich microflora in their digestive tract, including bacteria that convert indigestible cellulose into digestible compounds. The cecum, where the digestion process takes place, is extremely developed, reaching a length of 2.4 m. Toxic substances, getting into the blood, they are neutralized in the liver.
Social structure and reproduction
Baby Koala
Female koalas leading single image life and stick to their areas, which they rarely leave. In fertile areas, the sites of individual individuals often overlap each other. Males are not territorial, but even less sociable - when they meet, especially during the breeding season, they often attack each other, causing injury.
Only during the breeding season, which lasts from October to February, koalas gather in groups consisting of an adult male and several females. At this time, males often rub their chests against trees, leaving odorous marks, and emit loud calling calls, sometimes heard a kilometer away. Since fewer males are born than females, harems of 2-5 females gather around male koalas during the mating season. Mating takes place on a tree (not necessarily eucalyptus).
Pregnancy lasts 30-35 days. There is only one cub in the litter, which at birth are only 15-18 mm long and weigh about 5.5 g; occasionally twins. The cub remains in the pouch for 6 months, feeding on milk, and then “travels” for another six months on the mother’s back or stomach, clinging to her fur. At 30 weeks of age, he begins to eat his mother’s semi-liquid excrement, consisting of a kind of gruel from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves - in this way microorganisms necessary for the digestive process enter the digestive tract of young koalas. The mother excretes this pulp for about a month. At the age of one year, the cubs become independent - young females at the age of 12-18 months go in search of sites, but males often remain with their mothers until they are 2-3 years old.
Koalas breed once every 1-2 years. Sexual maturity in females occurs at 2-3 years, in males at 3-4 years. On average, a koala lives 12-13 years, although there are cases where they live up to 20 years of age.
Population status and conservation
Before the arrival of Europeans, the main causes of mortality for koalas were epizootics, droughts and fires. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the koala became an object of hunting because of its thick fur. In 1924 alone, 2 million pelts were exported from the eastern states. The sharp decline in the number of this animal forced the Australian government to first limit and in 1927 ban koala hunting, but only by -1954 did their population begin to gradually recover. Although the koala has been given the status lower risk(low risk), they remain threatened by fires, eucalyptus deforestation, and ticks introduced to Australia from Japan and Indonesia. In Australia, koala parks have been created: Lone Pine Koala near Sydney and Kounu Koala Park near Perth.
Notes
Media
Koala jumping from tree to tree
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what “Marsupial bears” are in other dictionaries:
marsupial bears- koalos statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas gentis apibrėžtis Gentyje 1 rūšis. Paplitimo arealas – R. Australija. atitikmenys: lot. Phascolarctos engl. koala bears; koalas; native bears vok. Beutelbären; Koalas rus. koala;... ... Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
Interested in what continent does the koala live on? Correct answer - Australia.
This lives exclusively on the Green Continent unusual marsupial an animal that looks like a small teddy bear. Interestingly, many people consider the koala to be a bear, but is this true?
The appearance of the koala is unique. A small animal, depending on gender and age, weighs from 7 to 16 kilograms.
The koala's head is wide and large, the nose stands out and has a black back, the eyes are small, and the animal's body is covered with fur.
The color of the koala is gray. The coat is short, thick and soft. Koalas live in Australia, where spend their entire lives in trees.
That is why the paws of this animal are strong, and nails are long and sharp. Phascolarctos (from Greek - “bag”) is the scientific name for the genus of koalas. This name was proposed in 1816 year French zoologist Henri Blainville.
Settlers from Britain who settled Australia in the late 18th century they called the koala a bear, since the appearance of this animal is very similar to the appearance of a clubfoot. To this day, many people, out of habit, classify the koala as a type of bear, but this is incorrect.
Interesting fact! 34-24 million years ago, the Phascolarctidae family was quite diverse and included 18 species of marsupial bears. Among them was also the giant Queensland koala Koalemus. It was almost 30 times larger than a modern koala.
Koala is separate species , which is the only one modern representative family Phascolarctidae. It belongs to the basal family of wombats, related to marsupials.
Where does the koala live?
Koala lives on mainland Australia in its southeastern part, as well as on the nearby Australian islands.
Hundreds of years ago This animal lived throughout the continent, but settlers displaced the animal from its habitat.
Indigenous people of Australia very sensitive to this cute little animal.
Legend has it that the ancestor of the modern koala, which was gigantic size, helped people get to the mainland.
There is a beast in subtropical rain forests Australia. The preferred habitat of koalas are locations near water where eucalyptus grows. The koala feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.
Almost all my life This “bear” spends time in the crowns of this plant. The animal descends from the trees only to find another secluded place.
It is important to know! When koalas are kept in captivity and are forced to eat eucalyptus leaves, this can threaten the animal with poisoning.
Daily norm eucalyptus, which is eaten by a koala, contains a toxic compound(hydrocyanic acid) in such quantities that could become instant poison for any other animal. Zoologists suggest that it is precisely because of this that the koala is not a potential prey for predators.
They choose habitats for koalas in the crowns of eucalyptus trees that grow on fertile soils. Their leaves contain less poison, but you need to find useful plant helps the animal Great developed sense of smell . The daily requirement of eucalyptus leaves for a koala is 1 kg, and this animal practically does not consume water.
Characteristic features and lifestyle of the animal
There are a number of features of the koala that highlight it significantly even from endemics of Australia.
Firstly, papillary pattern fingerprints Koalas are practically no different from humans.
Another feature of the koala is that even a huge koala cub is always born the size of bean grain and weighs 6 grams.
First cub long period is in mother's pouch, and then climbs onto the mother’s back.
Since the koala lives in fairly quiet places where there are no arboreal predators, its movements are smooth and calm. Koala sleeps on eucalyptus branches up to twenty hours a day.
Interesting fact! The sedentary lifestyle of the koala is explained by the fact that the metabolism of this animal is quite slow. That is why koalas are able to remain motionless for three to four hours.
It is also interesting that, despite a fairly relaxed lifestyle, in life-threatening moments, these animals capable of jumping quickly and nimbly.
Koala conservation in Australia
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the koala, like the platypus, exterminated for fur.
Only for 1924 More than two million skins of this animal were exported from the eastern territories of Australia.
When the number of koalas decreased noticeably, and this happened by 1927, the country’s authorities prohibited from exterminating this beast.
The koala population is starting to bounce back only in the middle of the 20th century, although today this animal has a lower risk status and is considered endangered.
Threats to koala reproduction today include deforestation, fires and ticks. Most comfortable conditions for koalas to live - these are the Kounu (Perth) and Lone Pine (Brisbane) koala parks. Protects koalas throughout the country international organization entitled Australian Koala Foundation.
Australia is a territory of unique marsupial animals, including one of the most popular animals is a koala. A sedentary lifestyle, a strict eucalyptus diet and an appearance resembling soft toy, made this representative of the Australian fauna famous throughout the world.
In conclusion, we invite you to look at a few funny videos about cute marsupial bears:
If there were a popularity contest among animals, the koala would undoubtedly take one of the prizes. The appearance of this mammal is touching, because it looks so much like a small teddy bear!
Koala, or marsupial bear (Phascolarctos cinereus).
The appearance of this animal is quite unusual. Its coat is short and thick, usually smoky gray in color with a lighter belly, sometimes with a brownish tint. The eyes are small and look blind, but the ears are relatively large, widely spaced, with long hair around the edges. The koala's large, leathery nose is flattened. His tail is typically “bearish” - short and almost invisible, but the claws on his paws are very long and curved.
Because of this appearance Many people classify koalas as bears.
In fact, they belong to the order of Marsupials and are in no way, even distantly, related to bears. And the koala is alone in its group, because it is represented by only one species, and its “ cousin"can only be considered a wombat. The marsupial bear is endemic to Australia, which means that it lives only on this continent and nowhere else. The typical habitats of koalas are eucalyptus forests, with which these animals are connected by an unbroken food chain.
Koalas feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.
Interestingly, eucalyptus leaves contain greater or lesser concentrations of hydrocyanic acid, 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. They're just in different seasons year choose those types of eucalyptus in which the content of hydrocyanic acid is this moment 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. It is believed that these animals never drink. Allegedly, the word “koala” itself comes from this feature, which in the Aboriginal language means “non-drinker.” Previously, this statement was so widespread that it even penetrated the pages of academic publications. But in fact, koalas, although infrequently, still drink water.
The photographer caught a rare moment when a koala decided to “get its throat wet” in a country pool.
Marsupial bears spend most of their time in trees: there they sleep, eat and breed.
These animals rarely descend to the ground, only to move to the next thicket of eucalyptus.
IN modern Australia, where highways cut through eucalyptus forests, koalas often die under the wheels of cars while trying to cross the highway.
A koala walks busily along the road, apparently on very important business.
By nature, these mammals are very slow and phlegmatic.
Most of the time they sleep or simply sit motionless on trees; in search of food, they slowly climb branches and also slowly chew leaves.
Even in their sleep, marsupial bears manage to maintain their balance and never fall from branches.
Koalas are not fertile. They reproduce once every two years. Males climb to the tops of trees and fill the surrounding area with a roar that is unexpectedly low and loud for an animal of this size. Like all marsupials, pregnancy is short (30-35 days), females give birth to underdeveloped cubs weighing only 5 g. Usually one, or less often two, cubs are born.
Female marsupial bear with cub.
Their further development occurs in the mother's pouch, which, unlike other marsupials, opens backwards.
The grown cub climbs onto the mother's back.
After 6 months of milk feeding, the cubs switch to feeding... no, not eucalyptus leaves, as you thought! They consume the excrement of the mother, whose body during this period secretes a pulp from semi-digested leaves. This is due to the fact that koalas consume a large number of roughage, so bacteria live in their intestines to help them cope with such indigestible food. For a newborn the only way acquiring useful microflora is the only way. Babies are very attached to their mother and in captivity they often “cry” when left alone. By the way, koalas are silent and usually do not make any sounds. Only a wounded or abandoned koala begins to scream, and this cry really resembles the cry of a baby.
Young koalas love to sit, clinging to their fellow koalas like a train—a friend’s shoulder makes them feel more confident.
In the trees, koalas have neither food competitors nor enemies, but on the ground they are sometimes attacked by domestic dogs or dingoes. However, predators do not eat the meat of marsupial bears due to the strong eucalyptus odor. Despite this, koalas are not immune to trouble. These are sickly animals: both in nature and in captivity they are susceptible to conjunctivitis and colds, and often die from complications. It is also difficult to treat marsupial bears because they do not tolerate anesthesia well. These animals are friendly and easy to tame. In captivity, koalas show touching affection for their caregiver, which is quite unexpected, because in general they are no different high level intelligence.
The marsupial bear Alinja is being weighed at the Duisburg Zoo (Germany). Leave little koala one thing is often possible only by offering him “ surrogate mother- some kind of soft toy that he could hold on to.
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).
Jimmy the Koala is caught off guard by the photographer.
Koala numbers are still at undesirably low levels. Of course, nowadays no one would think of shooting koalas on the collar. But the danger lies elsewhere. Due to the densely populated areas, koalas have less and less natural habitats, and man-made pressure is constantly increasing. Often, due to human fault, fires occur in eucalyptus forests (already dry and waterless). There is simply no escape for slow-moving koalas in the fire.
The burnt corpse of a koala looks like a toy thrown away as unnecessary.
The only thing we can hope for is the timely work of special rescue teams. During massive fires, they patrol forests and provide assistance to injured animals. There are several large rehabilitation centers, where comprehensive veterinary supervision is carried out. We can only hope that people’s efforts will lead to the long-awaited result and that “teddy bears” will not be in danger of extinction in the future.
This marsupial bear was lucky. Veterinarians from the rehabilitation center came to his aid.
Many tourists are interested in the question of where the koala lives. The unusual animal spends most of its life in the trees, only occasionally descending to the ground.
When climbing trees, the animal's claws are locked into a strong lock, which allows it to stay on any trunk. The cubs also have exactly the same claws, which move by tenaciously grasping the mother’s fur.
Where does the koala live? This funny animal lives in the dense forests of the Australian wilderness. Although koalas are considered marsupial bears, they are similar to their close relatives, wombats. The koala's fur is softer and thicker than that of its relative. The ears and limbs are also much larger. There are claws on the limbs that allow the animal to easily move through the trees.
What does a koala bear eat?
The question “what does a koala eat” has long been an open secret for people. The koala is a herbivore whose main diet is leaves and young shoots of eucalyptus. They spend their entire lives on the treetops. This is where they eat, sleep and reproduce. Only occasionally can you see an animal that has descended to the ground.
At night, the animal moves in search of fresh leaves and shoots on the tree. Then it settles comfortably on a fork in the branches and sits there until the shoots run out. The leaves and shoots of not all eucalyptus trees are suitable for nutrition. The koala eats leaves, which contain little protein, but are also poisonous to other animals. For this reason, koalas have no food competitors. Trees from coastal zones are mainly suitable for animal food.
The very name “koala” translated from the Aboriginal language means “non-drinker”. For a long time Scientists, having found out what the koala eats, thought that he did not drink water. But this myth has been refuted by modern science experts. Occasionally the animal still drinks water.
It is worth noting that the slow animal exhibits unusual agility when fleeing from a predator. At the same time, he deftly jumps from tree to tree. Another amazing ability of the koala is the ability to swim.
What does a koala and its baby look like?
When asked what a koala looks like, everyone unanimously declares that it looks like Teddy bear. And the very definition of koalas as marsupial bears is not entirely correct.
Externally, the koala and its cubs look like teddy bears. Large expressive eyes, huge ears and soft fur - everything resembles a toy. The coat color is predominantly gray with a light belly. The only similar feature between a koala and a bear is their very small tail.
What does not only a koala look like, but also its home? The animal is inextricably linked with its habitat. The koala receives all the nutrients necessary for the body from eucalyptus leaves. Occasionally, they eat soil to replenish microelements. The only predators that hunt them are wild dogs and dingoes. But in case of danger, the koala manages to climb high into the tree. A population decline can only occur due to animal disease.
How long and where does a koala sleep?
The koala is a slow animal. He sleeps most of the day, sitting comfortably on a branch. So how long does a koala sleep? According to some reports, the animal can sleep for more than 16 hours. He sleeps mostly during the day. At night it descends to the ground to find another tree or to climb higher. Sometimes you can find a koala sleeping hanging on one leg.
The low-calorie food that the animal eats is quite nutritious for its lifestyle. This makes him look like a sloth. Only they can sleep as much as a koala sleeps. Metabolism occurs very slowly; one kilogram of leaves per day is enough for it. Amazing Feature The nature of the animal is that they are silent and phlegmatic. IN in rare cases When injured or lonely, they may “cry.” The sound is similar to a baby crying.
Despite their diet, animals are susceptible to colds, which are the main cause of death. They are difficult to treat for two reasons:
- the animal climbs high into a tree and clings tightly, it is impossible to remove it from there;
- They tolerate anesthesia very poorly.
But volunteers are doing everything possible to prevent koalas from disappearing from the face of the earth. After all, these animals are liked by everyone without exception.
Phascolarctos cinereus) - the only one now existing look family of koalas of the order of two-incisor marsupials. European conquerors of Australia discovered the animal at the end of the 18th century. early XIX centuries and was called “koala bear”. But the koala is not a bear at all. The kinship of the koala with wombats and kangaroos was obvious to scientists already in the first quarter of the century before last.2. Koala can run
Or maybe not run. The metabolic rate in the koala's body is almost two times lower than that of most mammals (with the exception of wombats and sloths), and koalas are usually sedentary, and can go 16-18 hours a day without moving at all. But if necessary, these animals are able to jump from tree to tree, swim and run well.
3. Eating eucalyptus leaves is not easy
Koalas feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus shoots and leaves. These leaves are fibrous and contain little protein. And there are many phenolic and terpene compounds that are poisonous to most animals. In addition, young shoots, especially closer to autumn, contain hydrocyanic acid. It would seem like terrible food - but there is a lot of it (as long as there are eucalyptus forests), and you don’t have to compete with other species for it.
Koala habitat. 
Koala. Photo: Kwing Kwing ( National Geographic).
Eucalyptus leaves, in addition to being poisonous, are very tough. Bacteria living in the intestines help koalas digest them. Immediately after weaning from mother's milk, the body of koala cubs does not yet have the necessary bacteria. Therefore, at first, the cubs feed on their mother’s droppings, thus immediately receiving both semi-digested eucalyptus foliage and the necessary microbiota, which gradually takes root in their intestines.
4. Koalas, similar to cute Cheburashkas, can be aggressive
The koala usually does not waste energy on aggressive behavior. But they are solitary animals, and if a male koala encounters another male, especially during the breeding season, a bloody fight can occur.
Here, even the people who come under your paw will not be happy.
Pregnant and lactating females can also show aggression towards humans.
5. Koalas have good PR, and it's been going on for 100 years.
The world learned that the koala is a nice, harmless animal in late XIX- beginning of the 20th century. Then a book for children by the Australian writer Ethel Charlotte Pedley, Dot and the Kangaroo, was published, the main message of which is the necessity careful attitude To wildlife. Since then, koalas have constantly become heroes of books, films and songs.
Tourists go to Australia, among other things, because koalas live there. Koalas are popular, but they are difficult to keep in zoos due to the feeding habits described above.
Rare man refuses to be photographed with a koala. 6. Koalas were game animals
Koalas were killed for their skins. This animal has thick and beautiful fur. However, already in the 1920s, public opinion in Australia so disapproved of koala hunting that the hunt was stopped.
7. Only dogs hunt koalas
In nature, only dingoes and feral dogs attack koalas.
The video below shows the treatment of an injured koala.
Dog attacks and collisions with cars kill four lives thousands of koalas annually.
8. Koalas often get sick
Although koalas do not have too many enemies, their life cannot be called safe. Koalas often get sick. They suffer from cystitis, periostitis of the skull, conjunctivitis, and sinusitis. A specialized koala clinic has opened near Sydney, where animals in trouble are treated.
More than 90% of koalas suffer from chlamydia.
9. Koalas have their own immunodeficiency virus - KoRV
Among the threats threatening the species is the koala-infecting retrovirus (KoRV). This is an exogenous virus that can integrate into the koala genome. Research has shown that 80% of captive koala deaths in Queensland are linked to the virus. Weakened animals die from leukemia, lymphoma, malignant tumors and immune system disorders.
10. Koalas are usually silent, but not because they can’t make sounds.
As already mentioned, koalas are solitary animals, often spending most days in immobility, and the rest of the time eating. Therefore, as a rule, they simply have no need to make sounds. However, if necessary, koalas can scream, and very loudly, and also growl so menacingly that others would envy big cats, if found in Australia.
This roar of a koala that wins a fight for a tree is achieved by the presence of an additional pair of vocal cords.
11. Koalas have a small brain
The ratio of brain mass to body mass in koalas is one of the smallest among all marsupials: the weight of the brain is no more than 0.2% of the koala's weight, while the rest of the cranial cavity (about 40%) is filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
Perhaps it was necessary to choose between beauty and intelligence. Photo: Julian G. Wilson, National Geographic.
In the ancestors of the koala, the brain filled the entire skull.
12. The koala genome was sequenced in 2018
For more than five years, an international team of scientists has been sequencing the koala genome. That's over 3.4 billion base pairs and over 26,000 genes (slightly more than humans). An article about this was published in the magazine Nature.
13. Koala population control - relocation and sterilization
Sometimes there are too many koalas. Overpopulation is dangerous for these animals, but they cannot be killed - the measure is too unpopular. Therefore, if necessary, koalas are moved to places where eucalyptus trees grow, but there are no koalas. Sterilization is also practiced.
There are even a lot of koalas. Photo: twitter Queensland Australia.
14. Koalas hug trees for thermoregulation
Observation of koalas using a thermal imager showed that, clinging to a tree trunk, the animal fights high temperature environment. It has been noticed that in hot weather, koalas tend to climb acacia trees - and this is the “coolest” tree available for climbing.
Koalas on the screen of a thermal imager. 16. A koala cannot be a pet.
The koala cannot be legally kept as a pet in Australia or any other country.
Representative of the so-called British royal family Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, his wife Megan and a koala. Australia, 2018. 17. Koalas have two “big” toes on their front paws
The koala is ideally suited to life in trees. The animal’s paws are arranged in an interesting way: on the hand of the front paw there are two “big” toes (with two phalanges) set aside, opposed by three “regular” toes (with three phalanges). All toes of the front paws end in strong claws. On the foot there is one “big” toe, without a claw, and four ordinary toes with claws.
Koala paw. Photo: Javier Delgado Esteban, National Geographic.
18+. Maybe you don't want to know the whole truth about koalas
Male koalas have a bifurcated penis, while females have two vaginas and two separate uteruses.
But in a litter, as a rule, there is only one cub. At birth, the koala is only 15-18 mm long and weighs about 5.5 g. The cub remains in the pouch for six months, feeding on milk, and then “travels” for another six months on the mother’s back or stomach, clinging to her fur.
At 30 weeks of age, he begins to eat his mother's semi-liquid excrement, consisting of a kind of gruel from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves. In this way, microorganisms necessary for their complex digestive process enter the digestive tract of young koalas. The mother excretes this pulp for about a month.
Koalas in the forest. Photo: Marin Paunov, National Geographic.
Koalas breed once every 1-2 years. During the breeding season, which lasts from October to February, koalas gather in groups consisting of an adult male and several females.
Such a smart face - you wouldn’t think that there’s almost no brain behind it.
20. Koala guards and studies a special fund
Since the late 1980s, there has been a non-profit organization Australian Koala Foundation, the goal of which is to preserve the koala population. The foundation studies koalas and their diseases, fights to preserve the habitats of this animal, and comes up with legislative initiatives.
Deborah Tabart - director Australian Koala Foundation since 1988. And again about koalas
"Koala" is a word in Russian general kind, that is, the combinations “cute koala” and “evil koala” will be equally literate.
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