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Phascolarctos cinereus
Koalas of South Australia were largely exterminated during the early part of the 20th century, but the state has since been repopulated with Victorian stock. Native to Australia, the Koala is not found in Tasmania nor Western Australia. See map. Because early European settlers to Australia called the Koala the Native Bear, it is thought that the Koala is a bear. The Koala has a pouch instead of a placenta, making it a member of the marsupials. Their weight varies from about 14kg for a small male to 5kg for a northern female. A Koala’s fur is very thick and not soft and cuddly. Because of their slow metabolic rate, they sleep an average of 20 hours per day and hunt for food during the evenings. Their diet consists mainly of eucalyptus leaves that contain sufficient amounts of water. Therefore, the Koala rarely drinks water for survival. Sitting motionless in a tree, Kolas look so friendly and loveable. If disturbed, their sharp teeth and claws will harm a human. Kolas are considered to be a silent animal except during mating season when the males have a loud advertising call. Besides primates, the Koala is one of the few animals that have fingerprints; remarkably similar to that of humans. They have five fingers per paw with the first two as opposable thumbs. This provides better gripping ability high up into the eucalyptus trees. The Koala is the only animal on Earth with a unique, reduced brain. Their cranial cavity is 40% filled with fluid. The brain is like “a pair of shriveled walnut halves on top of the brain stem, in contact neither with each other nor the bones of the skull”. A healthy female Koala can produce one baby per year. Unknown in the wild, the life of a Koala in captivity has been observed to be about 15 years. Their existence has become sparse due to logging roads, spread of Chlamydia, feral and domestic animals, and loss of their habitat. Support for habitat conservation projects will ensure the survival of the Koala’s future.
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The Koala female breeds in the summer and her baby is born blind. The mother carries the new born in her pouch for 5 months. Although they appear motionless, a Koala can run as fast as a rabbit. |
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