Post by anaix3l on Mar 27, 2023 9:49:18 GMT -5
Since spring is in the air, let's talk koalas because now it's when they tend to start mating!
And since they have a short gestation period, of just a little over a month, joeys start to be born around May already. Generally just one, though twins may happen. They are tiny, only weigh about half a gram (!!!) at birth, even though their bodies already have a shape, distinguishable limbs, head... as well as functional internal organs.
But the fact that they're so tiny when they're born means that births may pass unnoticed for weeks in zoos... until a slightly bigger arm might be noticed sticking out of the pouch. The joey generally won't stick its head out, nor will it come out completely for the first five-six months of its life. After that, it starts leaving the pouch, at first clinging on to mom, then exploring the world on its own, doing this more often and getting more and more independent as it grows. It still stays with mom for at least a year and a half (which is about the time when the next joey leaves the pouch).
They have sharp claws that help them firmly grip tree branches and also with scratching/ cleaning themselves. Depending on the temperature, they'll either roll up in a ball to keep warm or let all their limbs hang loosely to cool down - something they probably need to do often in Vienna (where the photo was taken) during the summer months.
They are the only mammals that feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves... an odd choice for food, as these leaves are very poor in nutrients and are poisonous to most other animals. Koalas' digestive systems are specially adapted to deal with the species of eucalyptus from their region (but not necessarily with eucalyptus species from other places, which may still be poisonous to them).
In order to get by with just the little energy they get from this diet, they sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day.
Bushfires are the biggest threat to these fluffy little guys. Not only do they risk burning alive or dying of dehydration, but, as mentioned before, they depend on the eucalyptus trees from their area, as their bodies are often not equipped to deal with the leaves of other eucalyptus species. If their trees burn down, just dumping them in another eucalyptus forest won't help them that much.
And since they have a short gestation period, of just a little over a month, joeys start to be born around May already. Generally just one, though twins may happen. They are tiny, only weigh about half a gram (!!!) at birth, even though their bodies already have a shape, distinguishable limbs, head... as well as functional internal organs.
But the fact that they're so tiny when they're born means that births may pass unnoticed for weeks in zoos... until a slightly bigger arm might be noticed sticking out of the pouch. The joey generally won't stick its head out, nor will it come out completely for the first five-six months of its life. After that, it starts leaving the pouch, at first clinging on to mom, then exploring the world on its own, doing this more often and getting more and more independent as it grows. It still stays with mom for at least a year and a half (which is about the time when the next joey leaves the pouch).
They have sharp claws that help them firmly grip tree branches and also with scratching/ cleaning themselves. Depending on the temperature, they'll either roll up in a ball to keep warm or let all their limbs hang loosely to cool down - something they probably need to do often in Vienna (where the photo was taken) during the summer months.
They are the only mammals that feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves... an odd choice for food, as these leaves are very poor in nutrients and are poisonous to most other animals. Koalas' digestive systems are specially adapted to deal with the species of eucalyptus from their region (but not necessarily with eucalyptus species from other places, which may still be poisonous to them).
In order to get by with just the little energy they get from this diet, they sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day.
Bushfires are the biggest threat to these fluffy little guys. Not only do they risk burning alive or dying of dehydration, but, as mentioned before, they depend on the eucalyptus trees from their area, as their bodies are often not equipped to deal with the leaves of other eucalyptus species. If their trees burn down, just dumping them in another eucalyptus forest won't help them that much.