On Phillip Island, koalas are restricted to the existing mature vegetation – an area of about six hectares called the Koala Conservation Reserve. Read on to find out more about one of Australia’s most incredible native animals. Their natural habitat is the mainland of eastern Australia, but today they can also be found on several different islands like Phillip Island and French Island where they were brought across to protect them from hunting in the 1800s. Koalas are marsupials, which are mammals that give birth to very undeveloped babies who then complete development in a pouch. And although they’re super cute and cuddly-looking, there’s much more to these fascinating animals than their looks. Stress also has a negative impact on the weak immune system (the body’s defences) of the koalas.Koalas are recognised around the world as an Australian icon. Sometimes they even develop a nervous hiccup. Koalas wiggle their ears when feeling stressed. Now the little koala can explore the world on its mother’s back for another six months. Once the koala baby is strong enough to climb out of the pouch, this does not mean that the sweet life is coming to an end. After 22 weeks it opens its eyes and leaves the pouch after about six months. Instead of exploring the world, it crawls into its mother’s pouch directly after its birth. It doesn't have a coat and can't use its eyes yet. At the time of its birth it measures only about 0.78 inches (2 cm) and is rather helpless. It takes 35 days until a koala baby is born. Koala - Photo: robert cicchetti/Shutterstock Reproduction
Their habitat is getting smaller as more and more forest is cleared to build houses and roads. Yes, Koalas are considered an "endangered species". Now, that's practical! Enemies and Threats Are Koalas a Threatened Species? Koalas do not lick their fur as cats do, but use their claws as a comb to remove dirt and loose hair. On the ground they are not quite as skilled in moving around but when they have to escape from a predator, they can "gallop" really fast: up to 18 mph (30 km/h)! Koalas Use Their Claws as a Hand Comb They have two opposing thumbs on each hand, because they need to have a firm grip while climbing. Koalas spend most of their time in trees. Anatomy and Appearance Koalas Have Two Opposing Thumbs By the way: Did you know that koalas smell like eucalyptus sweets? Can Koalas Swim? They sometimes eat a bit of dirt, which helps them to digest the leaves. Koalas also prefer older leaves because they are less poisonous. They sniff very carefully and if they leaves are found to be ok, they are eaten. After a short sniffing test they can tell which leaves are “good” and which are “bad”. Koala - Photo: worldswildlifewonders/Shutterstock Senses and Abilities Do Koalas Have a Good Sense of Smell?įortunately, koalas have a good sense of smell. They lick the rain drops running down the trees trunks. In 2020, researchers observed them drinking water on a regular basis - when it rains. Until now, it was assumed that koalas exclusively take up the water contained in the eucalyptus leaves. Koalas Drink Water – But Only When It Rains Koala is a word from the language of the Australian aborigines and means "doesn’t drink”. They spend additional four to five hours relaxing, as they are mostly tired from foraging food for four to five hours. Some eucalyptus leaves are poisonous during springtime. The animals only like 30 out of 300 different sorts of eucalyptus. The little teddy bears would not accept anything else on their plate. Koalas fill their belly with 7-21 ounces (200-600 grams) of eucalyptus leaves every day. Together with the kangaroos they are Australia’s best known animal species. Koalas are nocturnal marsupials living in the eucalyptus trees of Australia.
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