What are some adaptations of the koala?

What are adaptations of a koala?

• Answer:

  Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are marsupial mammals and indigenous to Australia. Their closest relative is the wombat. They live in eucalyptus trees and eat only a few types of gum leaves from which they get all nutrients and water requirements. Eucalyptus leaves are tough, toxic and low in nutrition, but the koala has developed a stomach which is capable of removing the toxins from where they are filtered out by the liver. The caecum completes the process by changing the eucalyptus leaves into digestible nutrients. The caecum is similar to the human appendix. Koalas must eat over a kilogram of leaves per day to meet their energy requirements. Eucalyptus leaves contain approximately 50% water, 18% fibre, 13% tannins, 8% fat, 5% carbohydrates, 4% protein and 2% minerals. Koalas have been seen in 120 kinds of eucalypt tree including Manna Gum, Swamp Gum, Blue Gum, Forest Red Gum and Grey Gum. However, they are only able to eat from some 60 species of gum trees, and within these sixty, there are just a dozen that they actually prefer above others. Koalas have very strong claws suitable for gripping trees and climbing. Between their first and second "fingers" is a large gap, which enables them to also grip tree branches comfortably, whilst their hind legs have one toe set at a wide angle. They also have toes with thick pads which enable them to sit comfortably in a tree all day. In order to attract a mate, the male has a scent gland which emits a very strong scent. He also makes unusually loud grunting noises. As with all marsupials, the koala has a pouch, where the joey stays after birth for up to ten months. When the joey leaves the pouch, it stays for several more months on the back of their mother. The pouch opens backwards. After about 30 weeks, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves. Koalas in southern regions have thick, wool-like waterproof fur to keep them warm in cold weather and dry in rain. Koalas in northern regions are smaller, with less dense fur. Koalas are not solitary animals, but actually live in communities where the social structure is quite complex. Koalas are territorial, but each koala within the social group has its own specific range for feeding, which may or may not overlap the range of its neighbour. There is always one dominant male in each social group, but he is by no means the only male. Koalas feed alone and travel alone, but they understand their own social structure. When one of their community dies, another does not immediately move in and take its place. It takes about a year for the scent of the previous occupant to fade, and only then will another koala move in to its range.