Although they are often called Koala Bears, they are not bear-like at all as they belong to the category of marsupials. Its natural habitat is basically located in eucalyptus forests in Australia and America, where these creatures feed almost exclusively on the leaves of said tree. They require spending many hours eating them to stay nourished. To learn more about the places in Where the Koalas Live, continue reading this article.
Where do Koalas live?
Phascolarctos cinereus is the scientific name by which the popular koala is known, which is one of the 270 species that make up part of the marsupial family. Of this group, it has been calculated that some 200 million live in Australia and the remaining 70 million can be found on the American continent.
This creature is about 76 centimeters long and males can reach a weight of 14 kilograms, with some smaller specimens weighing 6 to 8 kilograms. In the following sections we will explain in more detail what is the habitat that this tender marsupial inhabits, as well as some of its other characteristics.
Distribution
If we exclude those koalas that are kept in captivity or in zoos, it is estimated that the total population of koalas in the wild is around 80.000 specimens and is located entirely in Australia, where this marsupial has been recognized as an emblem of the nation. . Primarily we can get it in:
- South Australia.
- New south Wales.
- Queensland
- Victory.
However, the gradual devastation of its natural environment has caused slight alterations in its distribution that are not of major significance, since this animal is not capable of moving enormous distances.
Habitat and Customs
The natural environment of the koala is highly relevant for this animal variety, since groups of koalas only manage to expand if they get an appropriate environment, which must have, as a primary requirement, the existence of eucalyptus trees, since their leaves They conform as their primary food. Of course, the presence of these types of trees depends on other factors, such as the type of soil and how frequent the rains are.
The koala is an arboreal creature, which means that it spends its time in the trees, where it sleeps for approximately 20 hours a day, far surpassing the sloth bear. The koala only leaves the branches to carry out small movements, since it usually feels uncomfortable staying on the ground, on which it crawls.
They are extraordinary climbers and usually swing to move from one branch to another. Since the climate of the Australian forests is very variable, throughout the day, the koala tends to locate itself in different places in different trees, either in search of sun or shade, as well as to shelter from the wind and cold.
What do they feed on?
Koalas eat, almost exclusively, eucalyptus leaves, although it is necessary they can also feed on other kinds of vegetables. The leaves of this tree are harmful to most animals, however, the digestive system of koalas is adapted to successfully digest and discard the toxins of this plant.
Even so, most eucalyptus species are still poisonous to koalas. In fact, of the almost 600 species of eucalyptus trees, these creatures can only eat from about 50.
How much and where do Koalas sleep?
Just as we have already mentioned, koalas are beings that usually live in trees, so they also doze in them. On the other hand, due to their low-calorie and low-nutrition diet, koalas spend 16 to 22 hours a day sleeping or resting.
In addition to the above, koalas only gobble 200 to 500 grams of leaves each day, which is really little if we have to take into account their average weight of 10 kilograms. For all the above, koalas are considered one of the animals that doze the most.
Social structure
Koalas are often thought of as extremely lazy creatures. Since they have a very slow metabolism, they tend to remain passive almost 18 hours a day, which they spend mostly sleeping. They prefer to remain alone, but this is not the case when the female is in charge of taking care of her offspring.
Most of us consider koalas as simple and peaceful creatures. However, they are usually distinguished by being very violent with each other, they get very angry if others seek to occupy their territory. As a result, it can be very difficult for young koalas to get their own space. They frequently nibble and fight with each other.
The funny thing is that these animals usually live close to each other by choice. With only one of them in a tree, excluding mothers with their young, they are usually close neighbors. However, they like to be apart as much as possible. When there are few koalas in an area and a cluster of trees, they will stay very close to each other. It is considered that this is how they get comfort.
They mostly socialize when looking for food. When there is abundance, they seem to show no interest in feeding in the same place as the others. In fact, they usually enjoy momentary encounters and later go their separate ways.
During the daytime hours it prefers to hide in the trees, for which there are various reasons. First to avoid predators, and second, their body tends to lose moisture rapidly if exposed to the hot sun. They need to be kept humid, so they look for shady places where they can be sufficiently protected.
There are different kinds of calls that the koala makes to communicate. They force sounds to travel long distances in order to get their partner's attention. They use bellows to attract attention and growls to show aggression and warn when they want to be alone. Mothers often use light clicks to communicate with their young, this is a sweet way to show the bond with their child, as well as to teach them to survive.
When a koala utters a high-pitched cry, it wants to express an alert to everyone in the area that there is danger. They may become frantic from the extra stress and even begin to shake violently. This is a behavior for which koalas need to get comfort from the rest of those around them. For this reason they usually make several sounds to each other to provide serenity until the fear has vanished.
The non-verbal communication mode they use is for marking the trees with their aroma. The males have huge scent glands that allow them to release a greater amount of their fragrance. This usually makes sense since they are shown as more bellicose. In general, the social structure of the koala is complicated and curious.
Why are they in Danger of Extinction?
It was in 1994 when it was determined that only the populations that populated New South Wales and South Australia were at serious risk of disappearing, being populations so small as to be under threat. Even so, this situation has deteriorated and currently the population of Queensland is also considered under threat.
Unfortunately, about 4.000 of these animals perish each year, since the devastation of their habitat has also increased the appearance of these small marsupials in urban areas. Although the koala is an easy creature to keep in captivity, it is still more convenient that it can live in its natural environment and in a totally free way, which is becoming more and more difficult. Therefore, it is important to be aware of their situation to stop the annihilation of this species.
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