Eucalyptus Leaves Facts regarding the Koala: Did you know that the Koala main diet consists of Eucalyptus Leaves? They are often called a Koala Bear?
Koala Bear?
- A Bear? The fact is being called a Koala Bear is totally incorrect.
- The reasons for this was when Europeans first came to Australia they thought that these looked like little teddy bears hence the name Koala Bear.
However this cuddly animal is not a bear at all, they aren’t even related to bears.
- The Koala is related to the Kangaroo and the Wombat which are marsupials or pouched mammals.
- The Koala’s scientific name is Phascolarctos Cinereus. However, Australians prefer to call them Koalas or just Koala.
- After giving birth, a female Koala carries her baby in her pouch for about six months.
- The babies are known as “Joeys” When they are born their size is about 2 centimetres long (.8 of an inch).
- They are also born blind and furless the ears are not developed as yet.
- The Joey leaves its mother between 1 and 3 years of age. This would also depend on whether the mother has another Joey.
- The Females mature around 2 years of age while the male takes longer (go figure) around the 3rd or 4th year.
Koalas and their Eucalyptus
When the infant emerges, it rides on its mother’s back or clings to her belly, accompanying her everywhere until it is about a year old.
Koalas live mostly on the Eastern Coast of Australia, where the Eucalyptus leaves they love are plentiful.
In fact, they rarely leave these trees, and their sharp claws and opposable digits easily keep them aloft.
During the day they doze, tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, sleeping for up to 18 odd hours.
When not asleep, Koalas feed on Eucalyptus leaves, especially at night.
Koalas do not drink much water and they get most of their moisture from these leaves.
Refer to the video below of Koala eating Eucalyptus Leaves.
Each animal eats a tremendous amount for its size—about two and a half pounds (one kilogram) of leaves a day.
Koalas even store snacks of leaves in pouches in their cheeks.
They love to snooze I mean really snooze.
They sleep for up to 18-20 hours each day. Long sleep is necessary due to the immense energy required in breaking down the Eucalyptus leaves.
They have a special digestive system—a long gut— this allows Koalas to break down the tough eucalyptus leaves and remain unharmed by their poison.
Koalas eat so many of these leaves that they take on a distinctive odour from their oil, reminiscent of cough drops.
To think the Eucalyptus leaves are tough enough to digest and it takes most of their energy to do so and stay unharmed by their poison.
Now Scientists have found gold being absorbed in the leaves of Eucalyptus leaves.
Gives you a different meaning to Golden Nuggets?
I mean how much can a Koala bear?
Click here for more information on The Uses And Benefits Of Eucalyptus Oil.
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