Koalas
You are a Koala in the harsh eucalyptus tree environment. Your joey in your pouch, eating. When all of a sudden the booming noises and sounds of humans. they strip you of your habitat and kill you for your fur. While they are at it they take your joey too. Koalas are an animal that have been poached and have suffered from habitat loss. Fortunately there are laws that protect Koalas now because they were going extinct, but now made a huge comeback.
Appearance Koalas are grey fuzzy creatures. It has large ears so it can hear very well. It also has a very large nose. This nose helps it pick up the sent of plants that are poisonous to them. The Koala also has a thick waterproof coat that stops moisture. Their coats are usually a light grey or brown.Their fur is thick and speckled on their bottoms for extra padding. The Koalas back legs have no claw on their big toe, and their 2nd and 3rd toes are attached. Koalas also have opposable thumbs. Their sense of smell is 10 times better than humans.
Life Cycle Koalas give birth about every other year. Koalas usually give birth to one joey at a time. Their breeding seasons are summer and spring. Koalas wander to find mates and the male will rub his sent against a tree to warn other males to go away. After mating the male will leave the female to raise the joey all by herself. Joeys are born 35 days after mating. They are born about the size of a bee. Joey stays in mothers pouch for 6 to 7 months. Koalas live 13 to 18 years. Males start to breed at 4 years old. Where It Lives Koalas live on the eastern coast of Australia. Koalas live in the tops of eucalyptus tree tops so they can get their food easily.  Why It's Endangered Koalas are endangered because of multiple reasons. One main reason is poaching. Many people poach Koalas for their fur. Another reason is Habitat loss. The koalas habitat is being is being lost for both natural and human causes. A third reason is diseases. Koalas can get diseases that can kill lots of koalas and can spread easily. | What They Eat Koalas eat eucalyptus. Eucalyptus is a poisonous plant that grows in eucalyptus forests. Eucalyptus is very hard to digest. There is not much energy to get from it. Koalas suck all the energy possible out of it. Koalas have a special digestive system to process the eucalyptus. Koalas are herbivores because they only eat plants. Koalas eat for about 4 hours a day and the rest of the time they are asleep. For 6 to 7 months joeys live on milk. After that time they start to wean. Joeys start by eating solid food such as their mothers feces because it has all the nutrients they need from the eucalyptus. When they move between tree clusters they will eat the soil and grovel because it helps them digest and process all of the eucalyptus.  What Are Its Predators Koalas are prey to many ground animals. Such as foxes, dingoes, and large lizards. Joeys and young koalas are prey to a bird by the name of the wedge tailed eagle.  What Are It's Adaptations Koalas have many adaptations to their habitat. One of these adaptations is being nocturnal. This can help them get away from some predators. Another adaptation is they have a large nose to decipher the smells of certain plants. Koalas also have strong leg and shoulder muscles for clinging to trees. The koalas feet are designed for climbing. They have a rough sole for gripping to trees. How Can We Stop It Koala poaching is protected by the law. It is illegal to hunt Koalas. Lastly we can stop cutting down the Koala's habitat. |
