Koalas

Koala mother and joey

                           Image from: http://www.americapeals.com/

Hi, it's Maya. Today I am going to talk about koalas. Koalas are marsupials, related to kangaroos. Newborn koalas are called joeys. Koalas have thick woolly fur that protects them from hot and cold weather, it also acts as a raincoat. People used to hunt koalas for their fur, now strict law prohibits that. They're protected, but their habitat isn't, it's disappearing as land is being developed. Sadly, more than four-fifths of original koala habitat has been destroyed, many people are doing what they can to protect the remaining habitat. Koalas spend maximum 18 hours a day napping and sleeping. They generally smell like cough drops because of their diet of eucalyptus leaves. There are many eucalyptus trees, koalas will only eat from a few of these. Koalas like many different areas of eucalyptus leaves. Koalas from the southern areas of Australia are bigger and have thicker fur than their northern relatives. Female koalas are smaller than male koalas. The koala has large, sharp claws to assist with climbing tree trunks. Weight varies from about 14 kg (31 lb) for a large southern male, to about 5 kg (11 lb) for a small northern female. Koalas live in trees, occasionally coming down to the ground to seek shade or another tree. They sometimes jump from one tree to another. Koalas have grayish fur and furry white chests, inner arms, and ears. They have big furry ears and leathery noses. The word koala may come from an Aboriginal word meaning drink. Koalas don't actually drink when necessary, the get most of the moisture they need from leaves. Hope you enjoyed this, bye!
Maya the Cat,