DID YOU KNOW THAT:
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Koalas are not bears. They are MARSUPIALS, which means that they carry
their young in a pouch.
-
Koalas have two thumbs on their front paws - to help them climb, to
hold
onto the tree and to grip their food.
-
Koalas are NOCTURNAL animals. This means that they sleep in the
daytime,
and move around and feed at night.
-
Koalas' fur is different in different parts of Australia. In the
southern
parts of Australia it is longer and shaggier than in the north, in
order
to keep them warm in the cold southern winters.
-
The male koala has a dark scent gland in the center of his chest. He
rubs
this on the tree in order to mark his territory.
-
Koalas also communicate with each other by making a noise like a snore
and then a belch, known as a "bellow"
-
Koalas usually have only one cub per year. Older females will usually
have
one every two years.
-
Koala babies are known by several names - "pouch young", "back young",
"joeys" and "cubs".
-
When koalas are born, they are only 2 centimetres long, which is about
as big as a jellybean!
-
At birth, koala joeys have no fur and their eyes and ears are still
closed.
-
The koala joey rides in it's mother's backward-facing pouch for about 5
or 6 months, and drinks milk from its mother's nipple. after that, it
rides
on its mother's back until it leaves home to take care of itself at
about
1 year old.
-
Koalas are fully grown by their third or fourth year.
-
Koalas do not live in rainforests or desert areas. They live in tall
eucalypt
( gumtree ) forests and low eucalypt woodlands.
-
There are about 600 varieties of eucalypts. Koalas Australia wide eat
only
about 120 of these. Koalas in a specific area would prefer to eat only
about 4-6 different types.
-
An adult koala eats about ½ - 1 kilogram of leaves each night.
-
Koalas don't normally need to drink as they get all the moisture they
need
from the gumleaves. However, they can drink if necessary, such as in
times
of drought.
-
A forest can only have a certain number of koalas living in it,
otherwise
they get hungry and sick.
-
The biggest problem for koalas is that their bushland ( or "habitat" )
is being cut down to make way for houses and roads.
-
Eucalypts (gumtrees) are both food and homes for the koalas.
-
Koalas are protected by law, but their homes and food aren't.
-
When koalas become upset and worried ("stressed") by the loss of their
homes, they may get a disease called " Chlamydia".
-
Dogs and cars kill many koalas each year.
-
It's believed that less than 100,000 koalas left in the wild of
Australia.
Most of their habitat has already been lost. This makes it very
important
to preserve what is left.
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While koalas can be seen in many zoos, don't you think it would be
very
sad if there were none left in the wild where they are happiest? This
may
happen if we continue to allow their habitat to be destroyed at the
present
rate.
Last Update: 21-11-03