Koala animal (lat. Phascolarctos cinereus). Where does a koala live, what does it look like, what does it eat? Species of marsupial koala Koala mammal or not

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

Nowadays, koalas are one of the symbols of Australia, but once upon a time European settlers quickly pushed them out of Australia and at the same time almost destroyed them because of the rare beauty of their soft coat with three-centimeter fur. But these animals appeared on the mainland more than 30 million years ago, and according to the beliefs of the local aborigines, they were also once people.

How the animal appeared: the Aboriginal version

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

When one day all the adults went to hunt and gather 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 the eucalyptus and began to monotonously sing a song, from which the tree, on the top of which he was sitting, began to grow extremely quickly, and by evening it turned out to be the largest in the entire forest. And then the Daens (aboriginals) returned.

They found no water, but found a child hidden in a huge eucalyptus tree. At first they could not reach Kur-Bora, because the branches of the huge tree were extremely high. But then two of them managed to climb the tree. The boy was grabbed by them, beaten right at the top of the tree, and thrown down.

Naturally, Kur-Bor crashed to his 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 tree and climbed up.

The last words the Daen heard from the koala were that if he and others like him were killed in order to eat, they would only need to cook him whole. If anyone disobeys, its spirit will come out of the carcass of a killed animal and severely punish the offenders - such a drought will come that neither people nor animals will be able to survive it. Only koalas will survive, for which the moisture contained in eucalyptus leaves will be sufficient.


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

Scientists' version

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

Europeans discovered this animal at the beginning of the 19th century. These were the remains of a koala found among the natives. Officer Barralier discovered them, preserved them in alcohol and sent them to the Governor of New South Wales. And a year later, the animal itself was caught near Sydney.

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 continent, as evidenced by the remains found there.

Characteristics of the species

Scientists still have not been able to clearly determine what species of animal the animal living 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 a relationship does exist, then researchers have not yet been able to trace their roots.



Features of the animal

The koala itself is not a large 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 in trees approximately twenty hours a day. It is active at night, climbing 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, distinguishing it from other animals, because of which it was classified as a separate species.

Paws

The koala's paws are ideal for climbing trees and allow an adult to easily grab tree branches and a baby to hold on to its mother's back. The animal sleeps only on the eucalyptus, tightly grasping the tree with its paws:

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

Teeth


The animal's teeth are designed to chew grass. That’s why their incisors are like razors and can quickly cut leaves. The remaining teeth are grinding, separated from the incisors by a wide gap.

Intelligence and acumen

Alas, modern koalas are stupid. If the brain of their ancestors completely filled the cranial cavity, then in the 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 only on eucalyptus leaves and shoots, which contain an extremely low level of energy.

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

Character

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


They jump from eucalyptus to eucalyptus extremely easily and confidently. If they decide to flee, they are even able to break into a fairly brisk gallop in order to climb the nearest tree.

Nutrition

As for the slowness of the koala not in emergency conditions, this is primarily due to its diet. It feeds only on shoots and leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The koala's metabolism is two times slower than that of other mammals (except wombats and sloths) - this feature compensates for the insufficient nutritional value of eucalyptus leaves.


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

The animal eats about one kilogram of leaves per day, crushing and chewing them very carefully. And what’s interesting is that 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 with fewer toxic 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 to look for another eucalyptus suitable 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 soil - they are less poisonous. To compensate for the lack of minerals in the body, animals sometimes eat soil.

Eucalyptus leaves are also a source of moisture for the koala. They drink water mainly during droughts or when they are sick. In Australia, these animals have recently been increasingly found near their swimming 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, their fur helps them out (their fur is water-repellent), and secondly, in order to retain heat, their blood circulation, like that of humans, slows down.

Communication

Koalas are considered almost the most defenseless and harmless animals in the world. They don’t attack anyone and have absolutely no idea how to defend themselves. If you hurt them, at best they will run away; most likely they will not hit or bite back.

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


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

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 scream much less often, but sometimes they are able to express aggression with roars and grunts, 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 irritated with something).


Cries during mating season

When the mating season begins, the males make a calling sound so loud that it can be heard a kilometer away. 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 produce it only with the help of the vocal cords that are located behind the larynx.

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

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

Offspring

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

The mother carries the baby 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. To prevent the baby from getting hurt and falling out, the “entrance” to the pouch is located not at the top, like in a kangaroo, but at the bottom.


At first he feeds on mother's milk. She gets used to it gradually, and the transitional food is quite original: the mother regularly excretes special feces in the form of a liquid porridge from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves. The baby needs such food because it is the only opportunity 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 baby’s stomach.

True, this diet does not last long; after a month he begins to feed on the leaves themselves, and at the age of seven months he moves from the pouch to his mother’s back. The grown koala finally leaves its mother's embrace at one year. But not all of them leave: while young females go to look for sites for themselves, males quite often remain to live with their mother for up to three years.


Dangers

Typically, a koala lives from eight to thirteen years (although in captivity there have been cases where animals lived to be twenty). Their number for some time (until the Australian authorities began to solve 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 there were only 100 thousand left, most of which live in private territories. IN wildlife According to various sources, their population ranges from 2 to 8 thousand.

In nature, koalas have practically no enemies - apparently, the animal, imbued with the eucalyptus aroma, scares away enemies with its smell. Only people eat them, and wild dingoes can attack animals, but that too a rare event, because koalas rarely go down, and dogs do not jump in trees.


Just recently, these animals were on the verge of extinction. The main reason is both human activity and their extreme susceptibility to various diseases.

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. Cars rushing at high 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 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 in a rather interesting way: they stretch artificial vines over the highway, which connect the eucalyptus trees on both sides of the highway. 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 where 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 a 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 out, so koalas deprived of water often die of thirst, especially those who live far from artificial or natural sources of water.

Animal rescue

If it were for the inactive activities of animal activists, we would only know about the koala from schematic drawings in their textbooks. They managed not only to push through several laws to protect these animals, but also to win over patrons who are willing 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 with highly qualified veterinarians.

This is not much, but it helps - about 4 thousand animals are saved per year. About twenty percent of animals that fall into the hands of doctors survive.

Life in captivity


As already mentioned, most koalas live on private property, the owners of which have nothing against such a neighborhood. People are often captivated by the appearance of these cute fluffy animals that look like teddy bears, and they tame them. Koalas, although they like to be alone, are extremely friendly. They become attached very quickly, and if the person they are accustomed to leaves somewhere, the animal cries. If you pester them too much, koalas can begin to defend themselves with their teeth and nails.

Keeping a koala at home is not easy - those who want to have 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. 34-24 million years ago, when, judging by fossil remains, there were at least 18 species of 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, which discovered the east coast of Australia in 1770. 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. However, the koala did not receive a scientific 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) animal 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 also 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 for climbing - the thumb and forefinger of the forelimbs and limbs are opposed to the rest, which allows the animal to grasp tree branches. The claws are strong and sharp, capable of supporting the weight of the animal. There is no claw on the big toe of the hind limbs. 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. The koalas of South Australia were exterminated already in historical times - in the 20s of the 20th 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 foods, 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, entering the blood, are neutralized in the liver.

Social structure and reproduction

Baby Koala

Female koalas lead a solitary lifestyle and stick to their own 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

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    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;... ...

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The koala is an absolutely touching, extraordinary and unique animal.

The marsupial koala bear is a symbol and endemic of Australia and, due to its rare beauty, lives in nature reserves and is listed in the Red Book. The bear resembles a plush toy that you never want to let go of. The touching animal was discovered by Europeans in the 19th century and since then has been considered the most popular on the entire planet.

General characteristics of the koala

Despite the fact that the koala is called an Australian bear, the animal has nothing in common with formidable animals. Representatives of herbivores belong to the family of marsupials. The appearance of the animal is quite unusual: thick and short hair of a gray or smoky hue, a white belly, low weight (up to 14 kg) and a body length of about 85 cm. The koala has poor eyesight due to small and blind eyes. This loss is fully compensated by excellent hearing and sense of smell. The animals have large ears located at the edges of the head and a flattened black nose.

Nature made sure that koalas easily eat grass, creating an ideal teeth structure for this process. The peculiarity of bears is their prehensile front paws and long claws, which allow the animals to move freely and live in trees. The animals have interestingly developed limbs: the front ones have two two-phalanx thumbs and three standard ones (with three phalanges). The hind ones have one thumb and four regular toes (without nails). Koalas also have a small tail that is almost invisible under their fur.

Animal lifestyle and nutrition

Koalas are dark-loving animals that prefer to sleep on tree branches during the day. Marsupial bears are calm, phlegmatic, good-natured animals. Koalas love a solitary, even solitary life and unite only for the purpose of reproduction. Each animal has its own separate territory, which must not be violated, otherwise an aggressive reaction may follow.

Koalas are vegetarians. They love to eat eucalyptus leaves, shoots and other plants. Many herbivores are not interested in these types of flora, as they contain a small amount of protein and hydrocyanic acid. An adult animal can eat up to 1.1 kg of leaves per day. Koalas drink very little and some only need to enjoy the morning dew to quench their thirst.

Koalas are considered sedentary animals, which is explained by the low metabolic rate in the body. However, marsupial bears are capable of running and jumping magnificently from one tree to another.

Many herbivores cannot eat eucalyptus because it contains toxic substances in harmful quantities. Negative compounds are neutralized in the body of koalas, and the bears feel great.

Koalas are peaceful animals. At the same time, they cannot boast of a safe life. Marsupial bears often suffer from illnesses, including from sinusitis, cystitis, cranial periostitis and conjunctivitis. Many cities have special centers where sick animals are treated.

Australian bears are motionless or eating almost all the time. They prefer to be alone, so they practically do not make sounds. However, if necessary, animals can scream and even growl.

When the animal is pressed against a tree, thermoregulation occurs. For example, in hot weather, koalas climb acacia trees, as this is the coolest tree.

Mammals have unique patterns on their fingertips that make them identifiable.

Koala breeding

Male marsupial bears have a forked penis, while females have two vaginas with a corresponding number of uteruses. Despite this, koalas usually give birth to one baby.

The bear breeding season begins in October and lasts until February. Females independently choose their partner. The selection criteria are influenced by the size of the male and the volume of his cry. In nature, there are significantly fewer males among koalas than females. Therefore, one male can have a relationship with three or five females.

A koala bears its young for 30 to 35 days. It is extremely rare for two bear cubs to be born. Interesting fact that a female can become pregnant only once every two years. At birth, koalas have no hair and in the first days are under the full care of their mother (they drink breast milk and sit in a pouch, like a kangaroo). Over time, the cubs climb onto the mother's scruff, securely clinging to the fur. By the end of the first year of life, young koalas are ready for independent existence, but for several more years they remain near their mother. In the future, bears will leave their home forever and go on a “free swim.”

Koalas are amazing animals that can feel and experience pain just like humans. They may cry loudly and hysterically, which is accompanied by trembling.

Video about koala

The message about the koala will tell you about this cute animal. Also, a report on the koala will help you prepare for class and deepen your knowledge in the field of biology.

Koala Post

The koala is a herbivorous marsupial that moves and lives on tree branches. She lives on the Australian continent. Sometimes the animal is called a “marsupial bear,” despite the fact that the koala has nothing in common with it. She is the only animal belonging to the Koala family. Today there are about 100,000 individuals, but their number is constantly decreasing.

Description of the koala

Koalas are small in size. The average length of their body is 70-73 cm, and the weight of an adult varies between 6-15 kg. It all depends on the amount of food consumed. The animal's muzzle has a flattened shape. It has small eyes and a black, large nose. The body is almost completely covered with fur. It can be of different shades - ashen, grayish, gray. The paws are equipped with sharp claws, with which the animal clings to trees. After all, they spend most of their lives there.

We mentioned above that the koala is the only species of animal that is part of the Koala family. Previously, it included several more species, but the remaining representatives became extinct. Interestingly, extinct species of koalas could weigh more than half a ton! This animal was first discovered at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries.

The average lifespan of a koala is 14 years. It is rare to find individuals that live to be 20 years old.

Where do koalas live?

The main habitat of the koala is eucalyptus forests. Koalas sleep in the first half of the day, sitting comfortably in the trees. And at night the animals climb trees, looking for food.

During the waking period, the koala can sit motionless for a very long time. These teddy bears can sit still for more than 15 hours a day. Animals hardly move on the ground. The only exception to the rule is when moving from one tree to another. And only in the case when it is impossible to jump onto the branch. By the way, at first glance the animals may seem clumsy, but they jump successfully and deftly. Plus, koalas are excellent swimmers.

What do koalas eat?

The diet of koalas is related to their lifestyle. They eat only fresh eucalyptus shoots and leaves. They contain little protein, and this does not allow animals to lead an active lifestyle. It is noteworthy that eucalyptus leaves contain poisons that are fatal to other animals. But koalas have a fairly well-developed sense of smell. This property allows them to choose less poisonous leaves for food.

Koala breeding

Koalas breed twice a year. During one period of pregnancy, the female gives birth to 1-2 cubs. Pregnancy lasts a month. Babies weigh about 5 grams. For about six months they are in the mother's pouch, which is located on the back. The cubs are strongly attached to their mother and when they feel lonely, they make a sound similar to a baby crying.

  • The animals practically do not drink water. They obtain the necessary moisture for the body from eucalyptus leaves. Only in case of drought do koalas still drink water.
  • When animals' bodies lack minerals, they eat soil.
  • They have poor eyesight.
  • There are fingerprints that are very similar to human fingerprints.
  • The animal's fur does not allow water to pass through. It also protects the koala from ultraviolet radiation, so it can stay in the sun for a long time.

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Koalas- endemic to Australia, the original representatives of the Koala family of the same name. Animals live on eucalyptus trees. They are only herbivores and true marsupials! They belong to the order of two-incisor marsupials. The natural habitat is mainland Australia. And only its southern and eastern parts. Previously, animals lived in the west and north, but this was before the arrival of Europeans to the mainland. Plus, koalas artificially populated the territory of Kangaroo Island.

The proper name of the family of small marsupial bears appeared as a transliteration from Darak. The word itself sounded like gula. But in the process of migrations through the wilds of English spelling, it began to sound like a koala. For a long time, the version was promoted that animals do not drink water, and their name, translated from the aboriginal language, means exactly this.


Crap! Yes, this is CHEBURASHKA! :-)

In Latin, the generic name of the animals is Phascolarctos. It combines two Latin roots - bag and bag. The meaning and appearance of animals, this is the name of the genus of marsupial bears, conveys perfectly. The name was proposed by Henri Blainville, a French specialist in animal anatomy and zoology.

Another conflict associated with koalas is caused by the external similarity of animals with representatives of bears. The first colonizers of the mainland, the English convicts, called them that - tree bear, local bear, koala bear. Although, in reality, real bears, koalas, and even people are united only by a common taxonomic unit - a class. In this case, the Mammals class.

The koala family is completely identical to the wombat family. The peak of their heyday, like that of all marsupials, fell on the Oligocene. The work of paleontologists has presented the world with about 18 different species of koalas. In Australia, they found the remains of their giant brother, which is 28-29 times larger than today’s typical animals. Common today, Phascolarctos cinereus has been delighting Aboriginal people, eucalyptus trees and Australia with its plush grace for the last 15 million years.

Their historical curiosities. Koala was overlooked by the captain of all times, James Cook himself. In those days, he opened the mainland to the world for the second time. And he did this precisely with east coast where animals are found in abundance. According to expedition reports, marsupial bears appeared in 1798. A certain John Price brought them there. And the scientific community received the remains of animals in 1802 in a jar of alcohol from the sailor Barrallier. He found the remains of an animal among the aborigines and became interested in them. A year later, a live animal was caught. It was described, drawn and published, a description with drawings, in a Sydney newspaper. Here the identity between koalas and wombats was revealed.


The geography of the family is as follows: the maximum distribution of the species is observed in New South Wales, individual specimens are found in Victoria and Queensland. Previously, there were koalas from the south of the mainland, but they did not survive to this day. At the beginning of the Anthropocene, in a different climate, koalas could be found in western Australia

In appearance, koalas resemble both small bears and very large wombats. Only their fur is thicker, softer and longer. Large round ears and elongated limbs. Long curved claws help support weight from 5 to 14 kg on tree branches. The limbs of koalas are perfectly adapted to life in the canopy. The hands of the upper limbs are divided into 2 parts. In them, 2 fingers in 2 phalanges and 3 fingers in 3 phalanges, closing, create an unbreakable lock that allows koalas to spend their entire lives in trees. Strong curved claws help them move better along, or migrate from one tree to another. The hind limbs are qualitatively weaker and shorter than the forelimbs.

As a curious fact, we can mention the presence of papillary lines on the fingertips. It is curious that the fingerprints of koalas are very similar to the traces taken by forensic experts from people.

The teeth are typical of the order of two-incisal marsupials. The same pattern as kangaroos and wombats. Sharp incisors, excellent at cutting leaves. A wide diastema separates them from the grinding teeth. The entire dentition is one hundred percent adapted for herbivorous food.

Another characteristic feature of marsupials is the binary nature of the genital organs. It is very clearly expressed in koalas. The forked penis in males, two vaginas that open the entrance to two clearly separated uteruses, cause delight among experienced and new zoology lovers.

A separate miracle is the brain of these animals. It is miniature, making up only 0.2% of the total weight of the animal. At the dawn of the evolution of the family, it was much larger and filled the entire internal cavity of the skull. Due to narrow specialization in the matter of food choice, the brain shrank, became shriveled and made koalas the negative leaders in the parameter of brain size among the order of marsupials.

Due to their specific lifestyle, animals are quite difficult to study. But in the zoo, some individuals lived up to 18 years.

They rarely make sounds when they are very scared or injured. Males make sharp calls during the mating season. Based on the strength and power of this sound, females choose the most worthy partner for themselves.

Koalas spend almost their entire lives, except for various unforeseen circumstances, in the crown of eucalyptus trees. During the day they are passive, spending time either sleeping or sitting motionless, clinging to a tree with their front paws. Thus, they spend about 16,17,18 hours a day.

If it is not possible to reach from the old tree to the new one, the koala reluctantly and very clumsily descends to the ground. But they jump from tree to tree deftly and gracefully. In case of danger, they climb the first tree on the way with lightning speed. By the way, koalas can swim.

The general passivity of animals, according to scientists, is associated with the peculiarities of the nutritional regime.

Specialization exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and shoots manifested itself in a decrease in brain volume and some inhibition of all processes in the body. This occurs due to the body’s tendency to not digest the poisonous, phenolic and terpene compounds of eucalyptus leaves.

Interestingly, eucalyptus leaves contain hydrocyanic acid to varying degrees, 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. It’s just that koalas in different seasons of the year choose those types of eucalyptus in which the content of hydrocyanic acid is currently 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. As we have already said, it is believed that these animals never drink, but in fact, koalas, although infrequently, still drink water.

Koalas have practically no competitors for such food, except for the flying squirrel and the ring-tailed possum. They are also marsupials and also like a small dose of hydrocyanic acid and phenol compounds for breakfast.

Although animals avoid overdosing with poisons and choose plants with reduced concentrations. Those eucalyptus trees that grow near rivers are less toxic on fertile soils. Of the 800 species of eucalyptus trees, only 120 species are eaten by koalas. A developed sense of smell helps animals navigate the level of poisons.

Due to the above nutritional characteristics, koalas the rate of metabolic processes is several times lower than that of ordinary mammals. Only wombats and sloths are also slow and inhibited. In one day, a koala eats from 0.6 to 1.1 kg of eucalyptus leaves. Before swallowing, she crushes and chews them, and the chewed plant mass, as in a depot, “settles” for some time in the cheek pouches. Like all animals that specialize only in plant foods, marsupial bears have many bacteria in the lower parts of their digestive system. This vital microflora helps to do an almost impossible thing - cellulose, which is not digested, it breaks down into digestible compounds. The cecum, in which the main enzymatic and bacterial processes occur, is greatly hypertrophied. It reaches a length of about 2.4 m. Poisons that are washed into the blood are then neutralized by the liver.

Although, one version of the origin of the animals’ proper name means “not to drink,” but animals remove dew from the leaves and squeeze moisture from the leaves of eucalyptus. In case of severe drought or numerous diseases, koalas are forced and reluctant to descend from the trees and go in search of water. Koalas relieve the lack of minerals and other substances in the body by eating soil.

Koalas are solitary by nature, both females and males. They do not have a clear territory. Only during the breeding season do animals gather in a kind of harem. They include one male and several females - from 2 to 5 pieces. They attracted the females by the smell that remains on the trees, against which the males rub their chests. In addition to smell, females react to the strength and power of calling calls. Having chosen a male by smell and cry, females agree to mating, which takes place in a tree.

Pregnancy in koalas lasts 30-35 days. Most often this is one cub. Females are born more often than males. It is very rare for koalas to give birth to twins. Babies weigh 5.5 grams. Their length is up to 2cm. After birth, they sit in the pouch for six months, feeding on milk. In recent months, they get out of the pouch and travel around the groves of eastern Australia, sitting on their mother’s back or stomach. At 30 weeks, the cubs begin to eat their mother's excrement. During this period, the female begins to excrete unconventionally liquid excrement. This is a long evolutionary path. It allows the introduction of microorganisms necessary for the digestion process into the intestines of the cubs.

After a year, females go in search of their personal area with eucalyptus trees, and males live near their mother for another 1-2 years.

Koalas breed only once every 1-2 years. Females enter puberty at the age of 2-3 years, in males - at 3-4 years. On average, a koala lives 12-14 years, although in zoology there are cases where animals lived up to 22 years of age.

Before settlers from Europe arrived in Australia, koalas died mainly from epizootics, various inflammatory processes, fires and drought, which is not uncommon in the tropical and subtropical climate zone.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, koalas began to be hunted because of their attractive color and fairly thick fur. In 1924 alone, 2 million koala skins were exported from the east of the country. Because of their gullibility and slowness, these animals were very easy prey for any hunters.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a global introduction of animals to Kangaroo Island was carried out. For a century, without natural enemies, in fertile climatic conditions, koalas have multiplied. The food supply quickly depleted on a small island and this caused concern among the government and environmentalists of the state of South Australia. The government was afraid to shoot animals, because it could damage the country’s image.

To study and popularize the species, Koala parks were created on the mainland. One near Brisbane, the other near Perth, and also on Kangaroo Island, where the animals were brought for settlement. In Australia, the Koala Foundation was founded, which monitors the state of the koala population, preserves its numbers and protects the animals’ natural habitat.

In captivity, they show touching affection for their caregiver, which is quite unexpected, because in general koalas are no different high level intelligence.

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).

sources
http://www.animalsglobe.ru/koala-ili-sumchatiy-medved/
http://www.proxvost.info/animals/australia/koala.php
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-27699/

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