Scientific classification: The koala is the only member of the family Phascolarctidae. It is classified as Phascolarctos cinereus.
Introduction
The Koala is a tree dwelling marsupial with a specialized diet consisting almost exclusively of the leaves of eucalyptus trees. Koalas are native to Australia, where they are sometimes called koala bears or native bears, although koalas are not related to bears. what do koalas eat, bears are placental mammals their young develop fully inside the mother’s body, nourished by a spongy organ called the placenta. As marsupial mammals, koala young are born while still in an undeveloped state. Newborn koalas complete their development inside a pouch on the mother’s abdomen.
Habitat
Koalas depend on eucalyptus trees, also known as gum trees, for shelter and food. Before Europeans colonized Australia, koalas were found in eucalyptus forests throughout the continent. what do koalas eat When European settlers arrived in Australia in the 19th century, they began clearing eucalyptus forests to create farmland. By the end of the 20th century, more than 80 percent of Australia’s eucalyptus forests were destroyed.
Today koalas survive in the remaining small patches of eucalyptus forests throughout eastern Australia, from the tropical northeast to the cooler southeast. These patches of forest are widely separated from each other, preventing koalas from moving from one patch to another to find new breeding partners or additional eucalyptus trees.
Physical description
Koalas resemble a miniature bear, with a large head above a stocky body, a tiny tail, and long muscular limbs. They have a round face with forward-facing eyes; a blunt, prominent nose; and two round ears on top of the head. Koalas range in size from 69 to 79 cm (27 to 31 in) in length, and from 5 to 12 kg (11 to 26 lb) in weight. Males are generally larger than females, what do koalas eat and koalas in the south tend to be larger than their counterparts in the north.
Thick, woolly fur covers the koala’s body. For most koalas, white fur covers the throat and chest and fringes their rounded ears, but elsewhere on the body fur color and length vary depending on where they live. what do koalas eat, Koalas living in the cooler climates of the south have long fur that is gray-brown or cinnamon in color. Those found in tropical northern ranges have shorter fur that is light silvery-gray in color.
Reproduction in Koala
Female koalas become sexually mature around 18 to 24 months of age. They can produce one offspring a year until they reach about 13 years of age. Males begin to produce sperm around age 2 and, in the absence of older, stronger males, they may breed at that young age. More often, what do koalas eat however, a male must grow big enough to compete with other males for females, and mating generally begins for males at about 4 years of age.
The breeding season for koalas is from October to May, during the spring and summer months in Australia. This seasonal breeding allows young to emerge from the mother’s pouch when food is abundant. Mating occurs during estrus, the brief stage in the female’s reproductive cycle when eggs are released and she is receptive to mating.