Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are undoubtedly iconic animals that, due to their cute appearance, have become very popular. Although they are sometimes called koala bears, they do not belong to the group of ursids, but rather belong to the family Phascolarctidae, which has only one genus and one species alive today. Furthermore, koalas belong to the Vombatiformes suborder, which they share only with wombats.
In this article on our site we want to present you with the most surprising curiosities of koalas, so be sure to read it to find out the facts interesting facts about these striking animals.
Koalas are marsupials
Koalas are characterized by being a group of marsupial animals, that is, the females have a pouch in which the young are protected, which is born without having fully developed, so it completes its growth in the pouch.
Gestation lasts about 35 days, then a fetus of about 0.5 g is born and inserted into the marsupial sac. After six or seven months is when the young koala first emerges from its mother's pouch
They are endemic to Australia
These peculiar mammals are endemic to Australia and, although previously widely distributed, are now more restricted to north-east, central and south-east Queensland, with a certain discontinuous presence in western regions. They are also in eastern New Wales to the south, in Victoria and the southern south-east. Additionally, they have been introduced to at least 12 nearby islands.
They are not all the same size
These cute-looking animals, despite their small size, are stocky. Although until now subspecies are not formally recognized, have different weights and sizes, depending both on the sex as well as whether they live to the north or south of the mentioned regions.
Thus, in the north, males weigh an average of 6.5 kg and measure 70.5 cm, while females weigh 5.1 kg and 68.7 cm. In the south, the first 12 kg and 78.2 cm, the second 8.5 kg and 71.6 cm.
They have opposable fingers and fingerprints
One of the curiosities of koalas that has drawn attention is that their front legs have five fingers, but the first two are opposable to the rest, being an adaptation to climb better, since its habits are arboreal. In the case of the hind limbs, the first toe is short and widening, the second and third are fused. In addition, they have sharp claws.
But the most curious feature of their extremities is that they have fingerprints like humans and, although they differ from ours, they coincide with us in that they are different from one koala to another.
They have a good sense of hearing and smell
Koalas have poor eyesight, however, given the kind of life they lead, this is not as important as hearing and smell, which are highly developed. With the first sense they manage to interact and develop socialization, mainly for reproduction. As for smell, their distinctive nose allows them to perceive and evaluate the peculiar food they consume.
His name means “without water”
The name "koala" comes from the Australian Aboriginal word "gula", which means "without water". For some time it was thought that these marsupials did not need to drink water because they were not often seen drinking this liquid. However, this is not true. Although they take part of the water from the plants they consume, they do need to ingest it, mainly when temperatures are high.
They eat up to 1 kg of toxic plants
Koalas are herbivorous animals that feed mainly on some species of eucalyptus plants, although a great variety of this types of plants are restricted to only a few species. Eucalyptus trees are plants that contain toxic compounds, which would be harmful to other animals, however, koalas have developed an anatomical and physiological system that allows them to feed on these leaves without causing damage. This is possible because, on the one hand, their teeth grind the food well, on the other hand, the liver separates the toxins from it to be excreted and, with the additional help of specialized bacteria, the remaining residues are processed.
As these plants are nutritionally deficient, koalas must consume between 0.5 and 1 kg per day in order to guarantee the necessary energy for the functioning of their organism. For more details, don't miss this other article on What do koalas eat.
They sleep most of the day
Koalas have a slower metabolism than is common among mammals, which is related to the need to store the energy they, as we already know, is linked to the low-nutrient diet they usually have. To optimize the maintenance of their energy, these animals need to reduce their daily activities, which is why they spend most of their time sleeping between 18 and 20 hours a day
They have a small brain
In relation to the size of the head, body and compared to other marsupials, koalas have a smaller brain than other marsupials. In addition, this structure is also smoother. It is estimated that this is because, If it had a bigger brain and more complexity, It would require more energy, so that there is greater conservation of it due to its type of diet.
Suffer from chlamydia
Sadly, Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is common in koalas. These animals usually have the bacteria that causes the disease, but without generating any complications. However, due to increased stress on these marsupials due to the alteration of their habitat due to the effects of climate change, vegetation fires and urban development, their immune system is depressed, giving way to bacterial infection that can lead to blindness and infertility.
They are in danger of extinction
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the koala as vulnerable due to population decline mainly caused bydue to the alterations suffered by the habitat , the recurring vegetation fires in the region, diseases and extreme droughts in some areas. Normally, they have few predators, but they are exposed to them due to the impact suffered by the ecosystems where they live. Despite the IUCN classification, Australia has declared it an endangered species due to the seriousness of its population situation, so it is necessary to establish conservation plans.
Now that you know the curiosities of koalas and their conservation status, tell us, what else will you add?
