Koala Facts
Koala Facts
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Koalas are cute creatures that belong to Marsupials (sub-type of mammals). They are native to Australia and live in eucalyptus forests. Number of koalas is drastically reduced due to habitat loss. 80% of koala habitat is already destroyed. Despite that, they are still not on the list of endangered species.
| Interesting Koala Facts: |
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| Koalas in the northern parts of Australia are smaller and have grayish fur. Those in southern parts of Australia are larger in size, have longer, brownish fur. |
| Out of 700 different types of eucalyptus, koalas eat only 50 types. |
| They have poor eyesight, but excellent sense of smell, which helps them find type of eucalyptus they like to eat. |
| They are nocturnal animals and they eat 1.1-2.2 pounds of leaves each night. |
| Eucalyptus leaves provide moisture and they don't have to drink water. Eucalyptus is toxic, but koala's digestive system eliminates toxins without inducing damage. |
| Koalas spend most of their time in trees. They climb using powerful limbs and sharp claws. Two fingers are separated from other fingers, which help them grab and hold branches. |
| Koalas are the only animals, besides primates, that have fingerprints. |
| They sleep 16-18 hours per day. |
| Koalas are territorial animals. They have couple trees that are used as "homes". Area covered by these trees is called "home range". |
| They produce various sounds that are especially loud during mating season. They can snore and scream. |
| 35 days after mating, baby koala will be born. It is only 2 cm long, hairless, deaf and blind. It instinctively crawls to the mother's pouch where it will finish its development. |
| Babies leave the pouch first time after 5.5 months. It will keep on coming back until it becomes too big to enter (around 8th months). |
| Baby koalas are called "joeys". |
| Koalas live between 10-14 years in the wild and over 16 years in captivity. |
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