The marsupial bear, or koala, is a miniature furry animal that lives in Australia. The appearance of this mammalian animal evokes affection and admiration. The koala is often called a bear cub, although it has nothing to do with this type of animals.
Feature and Description
Koalas are small, dense animals, the growth of which ranges from 60 to 85 cm, weight is 5-16 kg. The head of these animals is large, the muzzle is flat. The eyes are small and wide apart. The ears are rounded, shaggy and large, always listening, alert. The paws of koalas are well adapted for grasping and climbing, the index and thumb are opposed to the rest, they are convenient for grasping branches. The tail of the animal is rather small, almost invisible.
The fur of koalas is thick and soft, its color depends on the habitat of the animal, therefore it can be gray, reddish or ginger. On the belly, the coat is always lighter than on the back. The most prominent part of the animal's body is its claws. They are quite powerful. Having plunged them into a tree, the koala will not fall, even if it falls asleep (and they sometimes sleep up to twenty hours a day). Koalas are phlegmatic animals, they can sit on a tree for hours, only occasionally turning their heads. Often the same imperturbable baby sits on the mother's back. These funny animals are usually silent, but males emit a loud calling cry that can be heard during the breeding season at a distance of a kilometer.
Nutrition and lifestyle
Koalas live in eucalyptus forests, spending almost their entire life on the crowns of trees. Animals sleep during the day, sitting comfortably on the branches, and at night they climb trees in search of food. Koalas go down to the ground only to go to another tree, to which they cannot jump (although koalas jump, surprisingly, confidently and easily). These sluggish and phlegmatic animals flee to an energetic gallop, quickly climbing the nearest eucalyptus tree.
The slowness of koalas is associated with dietary habits. Animals have adapted to eat only eucalyptus leaves and shoots, which contain little protein, but a lot of terpene and phenolic compounds (they are poisonous for most animals). Closer to autumn, hydrocyanic acid accumulates in young shoots. Due to the poisonous properties of the plant, food competition in koalas is extremely small.
Koalas choose for food only those types of eucalyptus that contain fewer phenolic compounds, and also prefer trees growing on fertile soil. Of the 800 species of eucalyptus, marsupials feed on only 120 species. A developed sense of smell allows koalas to choose the right food. Every day, the animal eats up to 1, 1 kg of leaves, which it carefully chews and accumulates the green mass in the cheek pouches.
All the moisture in koalas comes from the eucalyptus leaves and the dew on them. Animals drink water only during periods of prolonged drought, as well as during illness. To replenish the deficiency of minerals, these animals eat nutrient soil from time to time. The most common diseases of koalas: cystitis, conjunctivitis, periostitis of the skull, sinusitis.
Reproduction
Females adhere to their sites and lead a solitary lifestyle, rarely leave their place of residence. Males of koalas are not territorial, but when they meet, they often attack each other (especially during the breeding season) and injure them.
The mating period lasts from October to February. Animals gather in groups, which consist of several females and one male (as males are born much less). During this period, males emit loud cries and rub their breasts against trees, leaving marks. Mating between animals takes place in trees.
The pregnancy of the female lasts an average of 30-35 days. There is only one cub in the litter. At birth, the baby has a body length of up to 18 mm, a body weight of about 6 grams. The cub carries a koala in a pouch for up to six months. Then he travels for the same time on the mother's back, clinging to the fur and feeding on milk. At the age of 30 weeks, the koala baby begins to eat the mother's liquid feces. At the age of one year, he becomes independent and goes in search of sites (often stay with mothers up to three years old).
Koalas breed once a year or two. Sexual maturity in males occurs at 3-4 years, in females - at 2-3 years. These animals live on average for 13 years.
