What do koalas eat?

Koala is Australia's national treasure, but also Australia's peculiar primitive arboreal animals, also known as koalas, etc., are not bear family animals, and are very different, belong to the koala family koala mammals, 18 hours a day in a state of sleep, docile, simple and honest posture, let's take a look at what koala food!

What kind of food does the koala eat?

Koalas feed on eucalyptus leaves and twigs, and eucalyptus leaves are their only food. Koalas get 90% of the water they need from eucalyptus leaves and usually drink only when they are sick and dry. Koalas' teeth are ideal for handling their special food, with long sharp incisors holding eucalyptus leaves from trees, molars cutting and grinding, and the gap between incisors and molars that allows koalas' tongues to stir and mix food balls efficiently.

The living habits of koalas

Koalas are generally classified as nocturnal animals and are active at night and at dusk because they save water and energy consumption more than when the temperature is higher during the day. They usually curl up on eucalyptus trees during the day and go out at night, climbing up and down the branches, looking for eucalyptus leaves to satisfy their hunger. He lived on eucalyptus trees for most of his life, but occasionally went down to the ground because of changing perched trees or swallowing gravel to help digest. The liver of the koala is very peculiar and can separate toxic substances from eucalyptus leaves, so the koala sleeps for a long time to digest toxic substances and needs 17 to 20 hours of sleep a day. Only 4 hours are left for feeding, activity, personal hygiene and communication with other koalas.

The growing environment of koalas

Koalas inhabit a variety of environments such as islands off the east coast of Australia, tall eucalyptus forests and inland lowland forests. However, millions of years ago, the ancestors of koalas lived in tropical rain forests, and long-term evolution led to the gradual withdrawal of koalas from their original habitat. Wild koalas can only be found in places suitable for their habitation, and there are two important factors that are essential. One is that there must be the preferred feeding of koalas and suitable soil and rainfall to ensure the existence of tree species (including non-eucalyptus species). The other is that other koalas have already settled here.

The level of protection of the koala

In 1930, the public hunting of koalas forced the government to declare that koalas were protected animals in all states. However, apart from the laws enacted in New South Wales, there is no law to protect the eucalyptus forests on which koalas depend for survival and concealment.

In 2012, Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke announced that the government would list koalas living in the eastern states of New South Wales, Queensland and the Capital Territory as endangered animals.