| Many
people love the cute koala bear. This animal has been made into stuffed
toys all over the world. But it is rare to see this creature alive and moving,
because it’s gradually becoming extinct. This article will give an
overview of the koala bear, its living habits and the current war against
its extinction. |
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Size
Koala,
marsupial animal who's habits somewhat resemble that of the sloth. The
koala reaches a length of 60 to 85 cm (24 to 33 in) and has a maximum
life span of 13 to 18 years.
Koalas weigh only twenty pounds. But they gobble almost three pounds of food a day. That's like a sixty-pound kid eating nine pounds a day!
Eucalyptus leaves, you see, aren't very nutritious. So koalas need supersize servings to get enough energy. Bacteria in the marsupials' intestines turn the tough leaves into useful chemicals.
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Stout
Body
The
koala's stout body is covered with thick ashy-gray fur. The animal has
a vestigial tail. It's feet are large, and each has five toes, two of
which are opposable to the other three. Each toe bears a strong claw.
Head and body length: 2-3 feet. Weight: 10-30 pounds, males larger. Pear-shaped body, no tail, broad face with small eyes, large, black nose covered with dry hairs and large, rounded ears. Scent glands on chest (males); pouch opens to the rear (females). Each hand with 2 opposable thumbs; each foot with opposable toe and the first two digits joined together. Fur short to shaggy, color gray to brown, depending upon geographic variation.
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Babies
Baby
koalas are strongly protected by their mothers, and the familial bond
is very strong in the koala world. One can tell if a baby is separated
from its mother by tiny squeaks of panic.
Five or so weeks after mating, koala mothers give birth. Each mother has a single joey, or baby. Blind and hairless, joeys are no bigger than jelly beans. Like kangaroos, koalas keep their joeys in pouches.
After six months, joeys are strong enough to crawl out of their mothers' pouches. But they don't go off on their own until they're about a year old. Then it's time for the young koala to find its own "puzzle piece" to call home.
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Eucalyptus
Koalas
are found only in eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. Their source
of food is depleting, because the eucalyptus is susceptible to loggers,
pharmacists and changing weather.
For thousands of years, koalas' devotion to eucalyptus trees was actually
a good choice. Eucalyptuses were once the most common trees in Australia.
Their leaves contain toxins, or poisons. So few other animals eat eucalyptus.
That means more food for koalas. Their stomachs have adapted to remove
the toxins. Blood carries the toxins to koalas' livers, which get rid
of the poison.
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Feeding
The
Koala frequents high eucalyptus trees, feeding on the leaves and flowers
of certain species of eucalyptus, as well as on mistletoe and box leaves.
Koalas' problems stem from being picky eaters. These marsupials like just one
thing. They're hooked on eucalyptus, an Australian tree. Koalas use their
big noses to sniff out tasty eucalyptus leaves.
"If you offered them something else," says zookeeper Jennifer
Moll, "they wouldn't know what to do with it. They'd starve before
they'd eat a carrot."
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Lethargic
The
Koala is lethargic and often remains in the same tree for days.
Even eating as much as they do, koalas don't have much energy. So they rest about 20 hours a day. That doesn't leave them much time to search for mates.
Koala cools itself by licking its arms and stretching out as it rests in the trees (koalas have no sweat glands).
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Diseases
The
koala’s body chemistry is also delicate, and it is extremely susceptible
to diseases and bacteria not native to its environment. Finally, a certain
strain of venereal disease is killing off many Australian koalas, causing
deformity at birth and short life spans.
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Protected
Koala's
are highly protected animals, because their number has greatly diminished
in the last ten years. The koala has been hunted since the middle of this
century for fur and food, which has moved it from its normal habitats.
Today, anyone fund harming a koala is severely punished by the law.
To protect koalas, Australia has created reserves, or safe places. Wildlife workers have also moved some koalas to less crowded areas. New colonies have formed—an encouraging sign.
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