Koala - marsupial and defenseless bear

These lovely little animals just want to take on the hands or at least just touch: they are cute, funny and outwardly very similar to a soft toy. Their appearance evokes emotion in everyone and conquers hearts at first sight. Of course, these are koalas, a description of the appearance and habits of which truly deserve attention! Let's get acquainted with these wonderful animals!

A bear or not a bear?

Many mistakenly believe that the koala is a bear, and the marsupial! In fact, this is not entirely true. Koala is a marsupial animal that has nothing to do with bears, except that its appearance is really like a teddy bear. The scientists did not agree, but it is assumed that the koala is a wombat evolved many years ago, which moved from the ground to a tree. But since it is generally assumed that the koala is a bear, we will not dispute this fact.

Description

This animal looks very funny: in length it reaches 82 centimeters, and weighs about 16 kilograms. The koala has a large head with large round fluffy ears and dense cheeks. Eyes small, round, brown or amber in color. The funny black nose is noticeably prominent - this is the only part of the koala body that is not covered with hair. The marsupial beast has 4 fingers on each limb. The wool is dense, thick and unusually soft, gray on the back and light on the abdomen. The bag, in which small koalas are removed, opens back. These animals do not like hurry, they are such phlegmatic people who live in pleasure. They like to sleep in the daytime, and to eat at night.

Fatal defenselessness

The only place of natural habitat of these unique animals is Australia, whose population loves these touching little animals. Another fact that allows one to doubt that a koala is a bear is its peace-loving and completely non-aggressive nature. This defenseless animal can not stand up for itself. There was a time when the koalas were mercilessly killed for the sake of fluffy skins that were in high demand and exported to other continents. In addition, these animals have weak immunity and poor adaptability to climate change and the environment.

In addition, koalas often die during fires, from time to time covering eucalyptus forests. The animals, frightened by fire, instead of fleeing to a safer place, only cling more tightly to the trunk of their native tree house, leaving no chance to survive.

As a result, the number of koalas is rapidly decreasing, and today there are very few of them - only about 80 000 individuals.

Menu for marsupials

It is also interesting what the koala feeds on. These animals are very picky in food and do not eat anything but eucalyptus leaves, which are very inadequate - they practically lack protein. In addition, eucalyptus leaves are poisonous - their fibers contain phenols and terpenes, and also prussic acid, which can cause an almost instantaneous death.

Why is this animal not poisoned by what it feeds on? Koala, after all the whole day slowly chews the poisonous eucalyptus and at the same time feels great! The fact is that animals only eat young leaves from those trees that grow along rivers - in them the concentration of toxic substances is much lower. In addition, the marsupials have a unique liver, which has a function that neutralizes the poison. Another interesting fact is that koalis practically do not drink water - it is enough for them that the moisture contained in the leaves.

Almost like people

Koalas live separately or small families, which consist of one male and several females. In a word - a harem. Koalas breed in the first half of autumn. Pregnancy of the female lasts about 30 days and ends with the birth of one cub, whose weight is extremely small - only 6 grams! Only the mother brings up the baby - the father does not take any part in this laborious process.

A small koala lives in the mother's brood bag for about 7 months and is fed there with milk and gruel from semi-digested eucalyptus leaves. At the age of 7-8 months, the cub leaves his cozy little world and moves to her on his back. Koalas are very good moms, you can say, an example for imitation. They patiently wear their grown-up baby on their backs for the next 5 months. In addition, the mother koala protects the cub from all sorts of misfortunes, and during sleep or dank weather presses his child to himself, warming him with his warmth. Baby koals adore to sleep in Mom's embrace, and only after they are one year old, they begin an independent life.

An amazing animal is a koala. Bear it or not, it is not clear, but one thing is certain: this marsupial does not tolerate any haste, including in its own growing: during puberty, the koala enters into 3-4 years, and in total its life expectancy reaches 20 years .

Home, home

Despite the fact that koalas are easily tamed and very attached to those who care for them, it is almost impossible to keep them in captivity - they need 1 kilogram of fresh eucalyptus leaves per day! And koalas can not eat the leaves of those eucalyptus trees that grow, for example, in Sochi or in the Crimea. They are only at home in Australia.

In connection with the threat of the complete disappearance of the cute fuzzy, the government of the country took them under protection and appropriated koalas to the status of vulnerable animals whose existence is threatened with extinction. Especially for these charming little animals in the parks are planted eucalyptus groves. In addition, koalas are listed in the Red Book of Australia, and there is a hope that the efforts of indifferent people will come true, and defenseless marsupials will please the planet for many, many more millennia.