Koala is a small, cute, meek animal that lives on only one continent - Australia. In the Aboriginal language, the word "koala" means "does not drink." The animal really practically does not drink water, being content with the moisture contained in eucalyptus leaves. Its Greek-Latin generic name "Phascolarctos" means " marsupial bear". The koala was indeed 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 belongs to the marsupials, it is the only modern representative of the Koal family (Phascolarctidae).

Today, the koala is Australia's most beloved marsupial, one of the recognized symbols of Australia, but this has not always been the case. The first European settlers destroyed millions of these defenseless animals for the sake of thick fur. However, eucalyptus deforestation, 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 skins were exported. By that time, koalas had disappeared from South Australia and most parts of Victoria and the New South Wales. As a result of public protest, a ban on hunting was introduced starting in 1944, and only after 10 years their population began to gradually recover. Currently, in a number of areas, in particular in the south of the range, the koala has again become a common species, and this animal is listed by the IUCN as causing the least concern. However, intensive deforestation poses a threat to northern populations.

Description and photo of the koala

The appearance of koalas is characteristic: the body is short and stocky, the head is large, rounded, 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 thick and soft fur on the dorsal side varies from gray to reddish-brown; on the chin, chest and inner surface of the forelimbs, the fur is white. The ears are fringed with long white hair, the sacrum is covered with white spots. In the north of the habitat, the fur of the animals is shorter and less frequent.

The body length of a koala is 70-85 cm, weight is 7-12 kg. Males are more massive than females, they have a wider muzzle, and the size auricles 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 that opens backwards with two nipples.

The koala is remarkably adapted to a sedentary arboreal lifestyle. 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 provide any shelters or shelters. Large paws are equipped with strongly curved claws, thanks to which the animal can easily climb the highest tree with smooth bark. The photo shows good views of the powerful and strong claws of the koala. If the beast plunges them into a tree, it will not fall down.

Climbing up the eucalyptus, the koala grabs the trunk with strong front paws, moving the body up and at the same time pulling the front limbs. On the hind legs, the first toe is opposed to the rest, the second and third are almost fused. On the front paws, the first and second toes are opposed to the others, providing a firm grip when climbing. The soles of the paws are bare, with a palpar pattern. An interesting fact is that the fingerprints of koalas are almost identical to those of humans.

In total, the koala has 30 teeth, three pairs of incisors and rudimentary fangs are preserved in the upper jaw. The teeth are well adapted to feeding on eucalyptus leaves, which contain a large amount of fiber. The chewed leaves undergo microbial fermentation in the caecum, which is the longest in relation to body length among all mammals (its length is 1.8-2.5 meters).

In the photo, the koala habitually absorbs the leaves of his beloved eucalyptus.

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

Where does the koala live?

Koalas live only in Australia, where they are found on 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 expanses of cleared forests. Koalas have chosen humid mountain forests in the south, vineyards in the north, copses and semi-desert landscapes in western Australia. The density of populations depends on the productivity of the land. In the south, in rainforests, it reaches 8 animals per hectare, and in the semi-desert zone on a plot of 100 hectares, only one individual can live.

How does a koala live in nature?

The life of koalas is closely connected with the 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, 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 slowly absorbing eucalyptus leaves. The movements of the animals are usually very slow, lazy, although a frightened animal is able to move very quickly.

Koalas lead a sedentary lifestyle. Most are singles, they rarely live in pairs. Adult animals occupy certain areas of habitat. Under 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 plot of a male can be more than 100 hectares. The territory of a dominant male can cover the territories of up to 9 females, and also the territories of subordinate males. Each animal has several favorite fodder 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 serve as a constant source of food for koalas. An adult eats about 500 grams of fresh leaves per day, and although more than 600 species of eucalyptus grow on the Green Continent, only 30 of them feed on koala leaves. Preference is given to different regions different types eucalyptus, but mainly 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 poor 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, they get the moisture they need from the leaves they eat. Thus, evolution has given koalas a source of food available all year round and also spared them food competition.

procreation

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

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

The breeding season is in spring and early summer (September-January). At this time, males move over very long distances, and when they meet, skirmishes often occur between them. During "weddings" "grooms" constantly roar. These screams, consisting of loud breaths followed by gurgling exhalations, are meant to attract the attention of brides, as well as warn competitors. The call of one male usually causes a response from nearby relatives. During this period, males often mark the boundaries of their territory by rubbing their chest against trees.

The female brings in a year one litter from one, less often from two cubs. Pregnancy lasts 35 days. The cub at birth is extremely small - its weight is less than 0.5 kg. The newborn climbs into the bag, where it is securely attached to one of the two nipples. In a bag, a small koala spends about 6 months, where it grows and develops. For some time, the mother wears it on her back.

From the age of seven months, the baby switches to eating a special gruel from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves, secreted digestive system mothers, getting used to the food of adult animals. A young koala becomes independent by 11 months of age, 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 recorded these marsupials, according to unofficial data, their number is from 40 thousand to 1 million. Habitat destruction is the main threat to most koala populations in the northern part of the 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, this problem remains relevant for the agricultural regions of central Queensland.

In contact with

Koala (lat. Phascolarctos cinereus) is a mammal of the marsupial bear family (Phascolarctidae) of the Diprotodontia order, living in Eastern Australia. The animal feeds on eucalyptus leaves, therefore, in captivity outside of Australia, it is kept only in the San Diego Zoo (California), where a eucalyptus forest is planted specifically for them. The name of this animal in the language of the local Aborigines simply means "do not drink."

Previously, koalas were widespread throughout the Australian continent, but at the beginning of the last century, their fur became very fashionable in Europe. In 1924 alone, more than 2 million skins were exported from Australia.

Hunting was carried out so actively that already in 1927 these animals were recognized as an endangered species and taken under state protection. Currently, their natural habitats are practically destroyed, so only a few scattered populations have survived.

Behavior

Koalas spend almost their entire lives on trees, walking in their crowns. The animal grazes on one tree with pleasure for several days. Only thoroughly eating the foliage, he slowly moves to another tree.

Periodically, the koala descends to the sinful earth to eat a handful of soil or small pebbles to improve digestion.

On the ground, the animals move very slowly, so they become easy prey for wild dingo dogs. Many koalas die under the wheels of cars, trying to force freeways. They feed at night for several hours in a row, and then doze peacefully, sitting on some fork in the branches.

These marsupials sleep very sensitively and react to the slightest rustle. They prefer to live alone, and in order to discourage competitors from crawling onto privatized trees, they intensively mark the territory with a rather sharp release of odorous glands. Their fur smells strongly of a mixture of eucalyptus and musk, which helps them repel insects. Insects sniff such a creature and fly away from it with a feeling of deep personal hostility.

Nutrition

Eucalyptus leaves contain life-threatening hydrocyanic acid, therefore, koalas are fed very responsibly, in an incomprehensible way, choosing only those leaves where the poison is least contained. A mistake can be fatal for the eater.

During the night, the animal eats about 500 g of young leaves and shoots.

To digest such rough food, special bacteria living in the appendix of the intestine help him to digest. Beneficial microorganisms not only convert the eaten leaves into a liquid slurry, but also produce protein compounds necessary for the body. Stocks of chewed food are stored in special cheek pouches. They can be used during short awakenings in the daytime.

Eucalyptus leaves are rich in essential oils, which in a koala cause constant intoxication and inhibition of movements, so seeing a sober mammal is simply not realistic.

Koala drinks water only during the hottest months of the year. The rest of the time it completely manages with the moisture received from food. Despite the peaceful nature and nocturnal lifestyle, the animal loves to draw everyone's attention to itself, screaming piercingly and barking loudly.

reproduction

The mating season lasts from December to March, when spring ends in Australia and summer begins. The upbringing of offspring is carried out exclusively by females. After 25-35 days of pregnancy, a tiny cub is born, completely dependent on its mother.

The baby is born blind and naked, the size of a bean grain and weighing only about 0.3 g. Its hind legs are not yet formed, but the front legs and claws are already developed. With their help, he crawls into the mother's bag along the path, which the mother licks in her wool.

The cub spends the first six months of its life in a bag, securely attached to the nipple and feeding on milk. A caring mother begins to feed a growing baby with her feces, in which there is a lot of semi-digested slurry of eucalyptus leaves.

At the age of six months, the baby leaves the pouch and moves onto the mother's back.

Together they continue to wander through the trees. The offspring up to 8 months still periodically hides in a bag, and at nine it can only stick its head into it to drink milk. Soon he leaves his mother and moves on to an independent existence.

Description

The body length of males reaches 78 cm, and females - 72 cm. Males weigh up to 12 kg, and females up to 9 kg. The short body is covered with completely soft silky fur. On the back, the fur is gray, and the belly is lighter. The back is decorated with blurry spots.

Koalas have a rudimentary tail no more than 2 cm long. The head is large and wide. Large round ears are densely covered with hair. The large black nose is devoid of vegetation.

Front and hind legs have 5 toes. The first and second fingers of the front paws are opposed to the rest. All fingers are armed with sharp claws, facilitating climbing trees and a strong grip. On the hind leg devoid of a claw thumb opposed to all the others. The second and third fingers are fused and serve to comb out the fur.

The life expectancy of koalas is 15-20 years.

Koala - "does not drink", something like the name of this animal is translated from one of the local Australian dialects. Many years passed before biologists established that this plush bumpkin occasionally, but still drinks water.

Description of the koala

The discoverer of the species was the naval officer Barralier, who in 1802 discovered and sent the preserved remains of the koala to the governor of New South Wales. A live koala was caught near Sydney the following year, and a couple of months later, readers of the Sydney Gazette saw its detailed description. Since 1808, the koala has been considered a close relative of the wombat, being part of the same squad of two-bladed marsupials with it, but being the only representative of the koala family.

Appearance

The comical combination of a flattened leathery nose, small blind eyes and expressive, widely spaced ears with hair sticking out at the edges adds charm to the appearance.

Outwardly, the koala slightly resembles, 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).

It is interesting! Few people know that koalas are rare mammals (along with primates), whose fingertips are drawn with unique papillary patterns, just like in humans.

The teeth of the koala are adapted to eating plants and are similar in structure to the teeth of other two-incisor marsupials (including kangaroos and wombats). Sharp incisors, with which the animal cuts leaves, and grinding teeth are separated from each other by a diastema.

Since the koala feeds on trees, nature has given him long, tenacious claws on his front paws. Each hand is equipped with two (set aside) two-phalangeal thumbs, opposing three standard fingers (with three phalanges).

The hind legs are arranged differently: on the foot there is a single thumb (devoid of a claw) and four others armed with claws. Thanks to the grasping paws, the animal clings tightly to the branches, locking the brushes into the castle: in this position, the koala clings to the mother (until it becomes independent), and having matured, has lunch, 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.

Character and lifestyle

The whole life of the koala takes place in the thick of the eucalyptus forest: during the day he sleeps, sitting on a branch / fork of branches, and at night he climbs the crown in search of food.

Females live alone, rarely going beyond the boundaries of personal areas, which occasionally (usually in food-rich regions) coincide. Males do not set boundaries, but they do not differ in friendliness either: when they meet (especially during the rut), they fight until they are tangibly injured.

Koala is able to freeze in one position for 16-18 hours a day, not counting sleep. Numbly, he sits motionless, clasping the trunk or branch with his forelimbs. When the foliage ends, the koala jumps easily and dexterously to the next tree, descending to the ground only if the target is too far away.

In danger, a retarded koala demonstrates an energetic gallop, thanks to which it quickly reaches the nearest tree and climbs up. If necessary, swim across the water barrier.

It is interesting! The koala is silent, but when frightened or injured, it makes a loud and low sound, surprising for its small build. For this cry, as zoologists have found out, a pair of vocal cords (additional), which is located behind the larynx, is responsible.

AT last years on the Australian continent, many highways have been built that cross eucalyptus forests, and slow koalas, crossing the road, often die under the wheels. The low intelligence of koalas is complemented by their incredible friendliness and good tameability: in captivity, they are touchingly attached to the people who care for them.

Lifespan

In the wild, the koala lives up to about 12-13 years, but in zoos with good care some specimens lived up to 18–20 years of age.

Range, habitats

As an endemic to the Australian continent, the koala is found only here and nowhere else. The natural range of marsupials includes coastal regions in the east and south of Australia. At the beginning of the last century, koalas were brought to Western Australia (Yanchep Park), as well as to several islands (including Magnetic Island and Kangaroo Island) near Queensland. Now Magnitny Island is recognized as the northernmost point of the modern range.

In the first half of the last century, many marsupials that lived in the state of South Australia were exterminated. The livestock had to be restored with animals brought from Victoria.

Important! Today, the total area of ​​​​the range, which includes about 30 biogeographic regions, is almost 1 million km². Typical habitats of koalas are dense eucalyptus forests, which are in close food connection with these marsupials.

Koala Diet

The animal has practically no food competitors - only marsupial flying squirrel and ring-tailed couscous show similar gastronomic preferences. Fibrous shoots and leaves of eucalyptus (with a high concentration of phenolic / terpene substances) - this is what the koala eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is little protein in this vegetation, and hydrocyanic acid is also formed in young shoots (with the approach of autumn).

But the animals, thanks to their keen sense of smell, have learned to select the least poisonous species of eucalyptus, growing, as a rule, on fertile soil along the river banks. Their foliage, as it turned out, is less toxic than that of trees growing in infertile areas. Biologists have calculated that only 120 species of eucalyptus out of eight hundred are included in the food base of marsupials.

Important! The low calorie content of the food is quite consistent with the energy consumption of a phlegmatic animal, since its metabolism is two times lower than that of most mammals. In terms of metabolic rate, the koala is comparable only to the sloth and the wombat.

During the day, the animal plucks and carefully chews from 0.5 to 1.1 kg of leaves, putting the grated mixture into its cheek pouches. The digestive tract is well adapted to the digestion of plant fibers: their absorption is helped by a unique microflora with bacteria that easily decompose coarse cellulose.

The process of food processing continues in the long caecum (up to 2.4 m long), and then the liver takes over, neutralizing all the toxins that enter the blood.

Periodically, koalas are taken to eat the earth - this is how they make up for the lack of valuable minerals. These marsupials drink very little: water appears in their diet only when they are sick, and during periods of prolonged drought. In normal times, the dew on the leaves and the moisture contained in the eucalyptus leaves are enough for the koala.

Reproduction and offspring

Koalas are not particularly prolific and start breeding every 2 years. During this period, which lasts from October to February, the males rub their chest against the trunks (to leave their marks) and yell loudly, calling for a partner.

Females select the applicant according to the exhaustion of the scream (audible per kilometer) and in size (the larger, the better). Male koalas are always in short supply (fewer are born), so one chosen one fertilizes from 2 to 5 brides per season.

It is interesting! The male has a bifurcated penis, the female has 2 vaginas and 2 autonomous uterus: this is how reproductive organs all marsupials. Sexual intercourse occurs on a tree, gestation lasts about 30-35 days. Koalas rarely give birth to twins, much more often a single naked and pink child (up to 1.8 cm in length and weighing 5.5 g) is born.

The cub drinks milk for half a year and sits in a bag, and for the next six months rides on its mother (back or belly), grabbing its fur. At 30 weeks of age, he begins to eat maternal excrement - porridge from semi-digested leaves. He eats this food for a month.

Young animals acquire independence by about a year, but males often stay with their mother until they are 2–3 years old, while one-year-old and one and a half year old females leave home in search of their own plots. Fertility in females occurs at 2-3 years, in males - at 3-4 years.

Now koalas live only in Australia - and even then not everywhere, but only in the southeastern part of the continent. Outwardly, they resemble small bear cubs: inactive with thick short hair of a gray-smoky or reddish color, small round, blind eyes, a flattened oval nose, a short tail and large widely spaced ears with long hair along the edges.

It is now that koalas are one of the symbols of Australia, and once European settlers quickly ousted them from the places of Australia and at the same time almost destroyed their soft fur coat with three centimeters of fur because of the rare beauty. But these animals appeared on the mainland more than 30 million years ago, and according to the beliefs of local aborigines, they were also once people.

How the animal appeared: the version of the natives

The ancient legends of the local natives tell about an orphan boy Kub-Bor (Tashy Bear), who, although raised by his closest relatives, did not like him very much, so they constantly offended him. The boy was taught to survive in the forest and get food. Therefore, he had no problems with food, but it was difficult with water, since Cour-Bor was constantly thirsty.

When once all the adults went hunting and gathering food, forgetting to hide the buckets of water, a child saw them and gradually drank all the contents, leaving the tribe without water. After that, he climbed onto a eucalyptus tree and began to sing a monotonous song, from which the tree, on the top of which he was sitting, began to grow extremely rapidly, and by evening it turned out to be the largest in the entire forest. And then the daens (natives) returned.

They did not find water, but found a child hiding in a huge eucalyptus tree. At first they could not reach Cour Bora, because the branches of the huge tree were extremely high. But then two of them managed to climb the tree. The boy was seized by them, beaten right on top of the tree, and thrown down.

Naturally, Kur-Bor crashed to death. But when the natives approached him, they saw that the boy gradually began to turn into a koala. Having completed the transformation, the animal came to life, rushed to the eucalyptus and climbed up.

The last words that the daens heard from the koala were that if he and his kind were killed in order to eat, it would only need to be cooked whole. If anyone disobeys, his spirit will come out of the carcass of the killed beast and severely punish the guilty - such a drought will come that neither people nor animals can survive it. Only koalas will survive, for which the moisture contained in eucalyptus leaves will be quite enough.

The koalas themselves, according to the beliefs of the natives, have not been drinking water since then. Their ancestor, being human, drank plenty of it. This belief arose for one simple reason: before, almost no one had ever seen these animals at a watering hole.

Scientists version

It is believed that the koala family appeared more than 30 million years ago, and consisted of at least eighteen species (and some of them were thirty times larger than koalas). As for the "modern" animals, they are much younger. Their age is only 15 million years.

Europeans discovered this animal in the early 19th century. These were the remains of a koala found among the natives. Officer Barralier, who discovered them, alcoholized them and sent them to the Governor of New South Wales. A year later, not far from Sydney, the animal itself was caught.

At first, koalas were found only in the southeast of Australia, as well as in the south of the continent (but they were quickly exterminated there at the beginning of the 20th century in pursuit of profit). It is believed that these animals also lived in the west of the mainland, as evidenced by the remains found there.

Type characteristic

Scientists still have not really been able to determine what kind of animal the animal that lives in Australia belongs to. At first they thought it was a panda or a bear, then they decided that its relative was a wombat, a kangaroo or an opossum (all of them, like the koala, are herbivorous marsupials). But if the relationship still exists, then the researchers have not yet been able to trace their roots.

Animal features

By itself, the koala is a medium-sized animal. The weight of a large male from the southern part of the continent is about fifteen kilograms, a female from the north is ten kilograms less. The average length of an adult koala is about eighty centimeters.

The marsupial sleeps on trees for about twenty hours a day. Active activity leads at night, climbing on the tops in search of leaves. During the day, even if the animal is awake, it sits motionless or sleeps, hugging the eucalyptus with its paws.

The animal has interesting characteristics that distinguish it from other animals, because of which it was assigned to a separate species.

Paws

The paws of the koala are ideal for climbing trees and allow the adult to grasp tree branches without any problems, and the baby to hold on to the mother's back. The animal sleeps only on eucalyptus, tightly clasping the tree with its paws:

• The koala has two grasping fingers on its front paws, located slightly apart from the rest;
• Three other fingers are along the brush;
• All fingers on the forelimbs have extremely strong claws;
• The thumb on the foot of the koala does not have a claw (unlike the other four).
• All koala fingers have fingerprints that are extremely human-like.

Teeth

The teeth of the animal are designed to chew grass. Therefore, their incisors are like a razor and are able to quickly cut leaves. The remaining teeth are grinding, they are separated from the incisors by a wide gap.

Mind and ingenuity

Alas, modern koalas are stupid. If the brain of their ancestors completely filled the cranial cavity, then in animals that have survived to this day, it is much smaller. According to one theory, this happened due to the fact that koalas feed mainly on eucalyptus leaves and shoots, which contain an extremely small level of energy.

Therefore, the brain of modern koalas is only 1.2% of their total weight, and forty percent of the cranial cavity is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The lack of intelligence negatively affects the life of the animals themselves. For example, accustomed to seek salvation in trees, they do not always consider it necessary to get down from them and run away from the fire. Instead, they only press closer to the eucalyptus trees.

Character

Koala is an extremely calm animal. He sleeps from 18 to 20 hours a day, the rest of the time he devotes to food. The koala lives on a tree, and descends to the ground mainly only in order to move to another eucalyptus, to which it is not able to jump through the air.

From eucalyptus to eucalyptus, they jump extremely easily and confidently. If they decide to flee, they are even able to go to a fairly vigorous gallop to climb the nearest tree.

Nutrition

As for the slowness of the koala not in an emergency, this is primarily due to its nutrition. It feeds only on the shoots and leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The metabolism of the koala is twice as slow as that of other mammals (except for wombats and sloths) - this feature compensates for the insufficient nutritional value of eucalyptus leaves.

The question of why koalas prefer eucalyptus leaves baffles many. Because eucalyptus leaves are not only fibrous and low in protein, but they also contain phenolic and terpene compounds and even hydrocyanic acid, which are extremely poisonous to almost all living organisms.

As for koalas, the deadly poisons that enter the bloodstream from the intestinal tract are completely neutralized by the liver. The animals have a very long caecum - almost two and a half meters (in humans - no more than eight centimeters). It is in it that poisonous food is digested. There are many bacteria in the intestines of koalas that process the leaves into compounds that are digestible for the koala.

On the day the animal eats about one kilogram of leaves, while crushing and chewing them very carefully. And interestingly, the resulting mass is stored in the cheek pouches.

Koalas do not eat leaves from every tree: their extremely good sense of smell allows them to choose only those plants where there are fewer poisonous compounds. Therefore, out of eight hundred species of eucalyptus, koalas eat only one hundred and twenty. And then, when their nose tells them that the food has become too poisonous, they go looking for another suitable eucalyptus for themselves (if the koalas did not have the opportunity to change the tree in time, they often became victims of poisoning).

They give preference to trees that grow on fertile land - they are less poisonous. To compensate for the lack of minerals in the body, animals sometimes eat the earth.

Eucalyptus leaves for koalas are also a source of moisture. They drink water mainly during a drought or when they are sick. In Australia, these animals have recently been increasingly caught near their pools when they come to drink water.

Temperature

Koalas do not have a layer of subcutaneous fat that can protect them from the cold. Firstly, if the temperature is too low, they are rescued by wool (their fur is water-repellent), and secondly, in order to keep warm, their blood circulation, like in humans, slows down.

Communication

Koalas are considered almost the most defenseless and harmless animals in the world. They do not attack anyone and absolutely do not know how to protect themselves. If you hurt them, at best they will run away, most likely they will not hit back and bite.

But this animal can cry. And he can cry as long as the pain causes him discomfort. And the koala cries like a child - loudly, tremblingly and angrily. The same sound can also symbolize the presence of danger.

Koalas are surprisingly silent. Since they live quite far from each other, in order to communicate with their own kind, they use a fairly wide range of sounds.

Males, in order to show their social and physical position, grunt in a peculiar way, and thus find out which of them is cooler (they are not going to waste strength and energy on fights, and if this happens, it is quite rare). Females yell much less often, but sometimes they are able to express aggression with a roar-grunt, and also use this sound to express sexual behavior. But mothers and their cubs do not roar - they make quiet, quiet sounds, reminiscent of clicking (to "talk to each other") or grumbling (if they are dissatisfied or annoyed with something).

Cries during the mating season

When the mating season begins, the males give such a loud calling sound that it can be heard for a kilometer. Interestingly, this sound is extremely loud and at the same time at a low frequency, which is not typical for small animals the size of a koala. They manage to publish it only with the help of the vocal cords that are behind the larynx.

The female chooses a groom for herself, based precisely on such invocative calls (in any case, preference is given to larger individuals). Despite the fact that the songs of the male remind us of the snoring of a drunkard, the angry grumbling of a pig or the creaking of rusty hinges, females are extremely fond of such sounds and attract them.

The better the koala screams, the more brides he will collect, since there are much more females than males. In one season, one male can have about five wives.

Offspring

Koalas breed once every one to two years. Females create a family already at the age of two, males - at the age of three or four years.

The mother carries the cub for thirty to thirty-five days. Usually only one baby is born, twins are extremely rare. The length of a small koala is from 15 to 18 mm, weight is about five grams, while it is hairless and completely blind. Immediately after birth, the baby climbs into the mother's pouch, where he spends the next six months. So that the cub does not get hurt and does not fall out, the “entrance” to the bag is not located at the top, like a kangaroo, but at the bottom.

At first, he feeds on mother's milk. Weaned from it gradually, and the transitional food is quite original: the mother regularly excretes special stools in the form of liquid porridge from half-digested eucalyptus leaves. The baby needs such food, because this is the only way to get the microflora he needs, since bacteria live in the mother's intestines that help the body cope with food that is indigestible for the child's stomach.

True, such a diet does not last long, after a month he begins to eat the leaves themselves, and at the age of seven months he moves from the bag to his mother's back. Finally, the grown koala leaves the mother's embrace in a year. But far from all leave: while young females go to look for sites for themselves, males quite often stay with their mother for up to three years.

dangers

Usually a koala lives from eight to thirteen years (although in captivity there have been cases when the animals lived to be twenty). Their number for some time (until the Australian authorities took up the solution of this problem) was declining very quickly. If at the beginning of the 20th century the number of koalas was 10 million individuals, then after a hundred of them only 100 thousand remained, most of which live in private territories. In the wild, according to various sources, only from 2 to 8 thousand live.

In nature, koalas have practically no enemies - apparently, the animal soaked in eucalyptus aroma scares off enemies with its smell. Only people eat them, and wild dingo dogs can attack from animals, but this is also a rare occurrence, because koalas rarely go down, and dogs do not jump on trees.

More recently, these animals were on the verge of extinction. The main reason is human activity, as well as their extreme propensity to various diseases.

Diseases

Koalas are rather sickly animals - apparently, the monotonous diet affects. They are especially susceptible to cystitis, periostitis of the skull, conjunctivitis. Sinusitis often causes pneumonia in them, which at the beginning of the last century greatly reduced the population.

Animals are killed and viral bacteria Chlamydia Psittaci, which are tacitly considered 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 eventually to death.

Fur traders

Even before the beginning of the 20th century huge amount 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 - to import 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. And they are not used to life on earth, because they move here with difficulty, so they become easy prey.

Cars

In connection with deforestation, koalas in search of a new home are increasingly on the tracks. Cars rushing at great speed 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 are under the wheels of cars every month - and, unfortunately, many of them die in the process.

At the same time, the authorities are trying to solve this problem in a rather interesting way: they are stretching artificial lianas over the highway, which connect eucalyptus trees on both sides of the highway. The koalas have appreciated this idea and willingly cross the freeway.

Dogs

Once on the ground and seeing a wild dingo dog, the koala does not understand all the danger, and does not run away to the tree. As a result, it often turns out to be torn apart.

fires

The trees that koalas love to live on 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 population of koalas.

Pools

Many will be surprised to learn how many koalas die when they get into the pool. Contrary to the popular belief that they drink absolutely nothing, they still come to the watering hole, but often not to the source, but to the 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, so koalas deprived of water often die of thirst, especially those who live far from artificial or natural sources water.

animal rescue

If it were for the inactive activities of animal rights activists, we would only know about the koala from the schematic drawings of their textbooks. They managed not only to push through several laws to protect these animals, but also to attract patrons who are ready to donate money to save the "teddy bears".

In Australia, parks and reserves were created, special hospitals were organized for these animals with the latest equipment and highly qualified veterinarians. This is not much, but it helps - about 4 thousand animals are saved a year. Survive about twenty percent of the animals that fell into the hands of doctors.

Life in captivity

As already mentioned, most koalas live in private estates, the owners of which have nothing against such a neighborhood. People are often captivated by the appearance of these cute fluffy animals, similar to teddy bears, and they tame them. Koalas, although they love solitude, they are extremely friendly. They become attached very quickly, and if the person they are used to leaves somewhere, then the animal cries. If you pester them too much, koalas are able to begin to defend themselves with teeth and nails.

Keeping a koala at home is not easy - those who want to get this animal will be required to provide it with at least one kilogram of fresh eucalyptus leaves per day, which is quite difficult. For example, in Russia, these trees grow only in Sochi, but this type of eucalyptus is absolutely not suitable for koalas.

koala animal

Koala- this is a pretty cute fluffy 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 species of koalas is rather more suitable for wombats.

The name of this species of animal comes from the expression of the Australian Aborigines, which can be literally translated as "does not drink." This name did not happen by chance.

Koalas do not really consume water, and they take the moisture necessary for their body 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 among the laziest on the planet, so getting to a water source 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 the people who needed the expensive and soft fur of these animals were to blame for this. Today, koalas are especially protected, their extermination for the sake of 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 the wild is a great stroke of 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. In the wild, koalas can be observed 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 an average of six to 15 kilograms. Koalas are practically devoid of a tail, they have a very small one, 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 coat. Koala fur is soft and quite thick, has good strength. The color of the animals can be different, but basically, their fur is colored in shades of gray. Less common are animals with red or red-red hair.

Koalas are quite quiet animals, so their voices can only be heard at certain times. There are two of them - either the breeding season, or the approach of the enemy. If the koala is scared or injured, then her cry will resemble the prolonged cry of a baby.

Koala life

Koalas lead a leisurely and measured lifestyle., almost never leaving its main refuge - the eucalyptus tree. Koalas sleep almost all day (from 18 to 22 hours). Koala activity occurs at night, and does not last long. Basically, it is connected with the need to find food for yourself.

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 ended) to another. In addition, these animals are able to swim well.

Photo koala

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 proteins. Moreover, eucalyptus leaves for most animals are deadly due to a large number phenolic compounds.

Choosing a tree, koalas feel which of them has less 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. With 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.