Worldwide, there is only one country fortunate to have the presence of Koalas, that is Australia, and especially only in the Eastern region of Australia, where there are many eucalyptus forests. There are many things that are quite interesting about this adorable animal. Let’s find out more with Vietworld!
1. Koala is not a bear
Although we are all used to calling them Koala bears, it is clear that this animal belongs to the ‘masrupials’ family, which is the same family as Kangaroo, Wallaby and Possum. This means that Koalas also have… pouches, and newly born koala babies will be raised in their mother’s pouch until they are fully developed.
2. Koala means “does not drink water”
An interesting feature about this adorable animal is that they almost never drink water. Since ancient times, their ancestors often avoided going to the banks of rivers, lakes or streams because these were places that were easily attacked by predators.
In the Aboriginal language, ‘Koala’ means ‘no drinks’ because they rarely drink water. Many people believe that koalas keep moisture in their bodies from eating leaves.
3. Koala’s main food is eucalyptus leaves
The only thing that Koalas eat are eucalyptus leaves, also known as eucalyptus trees. But this leaf contains poison. Only koalas can digest this type of leaf because their body has a part called ‘cecum’, which helps them digest this type of leaf without any harm.
For baby Koalas, because their digestive system is not yet complete, they will not eat eucalyptus leaves from birth but will stay in the mother Koala’s pouch until they are 6 months old.
4. Koala is a nocturnal animal
According to scientific documents, Koalas can sleep up to 20 hours a day, thanks to a low-energy diet. They are mainly active at night, as well as around dawn and dusk. They sleep so much because their diet is poor in energy from eucalyptus leaves. Not to mention that most of the body’s energy has to be used for…digestion, so it’s best to limit movement.
5. Koalas have poor eyesight
According to scientific documents, Koalas have poor eyesight and must rely heavily on other senses. Thanks to their excellent hearing, as well as their keen sense of smell, they can detect animals of the same species and other carnivores, or can find their favorite food…
6. Koalas can run as fast as rabbits
Surprising right? Don’t let their languid, slow appearance fool you. Koalas can actually run as fast as rabbits, but to save energy for digestion, they won’t run if they don’t have to.
7. Newborn koalas are only 2cm long
Newborn koalas are only 2cm long, but when mature, they can be up to 60 – 85cm long and weigh up to 14kg. Koalas can live up to 20 years if there are no factors that threaten them.
Females can live up to 18 years old, and their lifespan is usually longer than that of males. Males begin mating at around 3-4 years of age. Females begin to mate and can reproduce at about 2 years of age.
It must be said that Australia is very lucky to have the appearance of this lovely animal. They are almost a parallel symbol to the Kangaroo.
