What is it?
also known as the bear is a rare marsupial that can only be found in Australia, especially the eastern and southern regions of the country.
is the only extant species of koala in the family Phascolarctidae. They are closely related to Kangaroos and koalas. Although only small in size, it has become one of the most beloved and friendly animals in the world thanks to its cute appearance.
However, that cuteness doesn’t make bears more intelligent. In fact, they are considered one of the “dumbest” mammals in the world, with their brain accounting for only 2% of their body weight.
Koala appearance
The koala is a medium-sized animal with a flat snout and small eyes. Their noses are large and leathery, dark in color and slightly flat. They have incisors adapted for handling hard leaves, with exceptionally sharp edges. The bear’s ears are round and widely spaced, with long hair at the edges. Their tails are quite short and not too conspicuous.
Bears’ legs are long and slender, allowing them to move easily through tree branches. The upper brushes of the legs have parts that help them move. However, their legs are not too strong and are lower than their body size.
Bear’s claws have an arc shape and the right length, helping them climb on tree branches and withstand weights of up to 15kg.
What’s more special is that Bears have fingerprints equivalent to humans, and this is related to the structure of their sexual organs. Female bears have two vaginas and two uteruses, while males have two penises.
Although bears have surprisingly small brains, accounting for just 0.02% of their body mass, this doesn’t affect their cuteness. The bear’s fur is short and thick, smoky gray in color, and the underbelly is lighter in color, which may appear brown. However, the properties of this soft fur have caused this animal to be strongly hunted by humans.
Bear habitat
Bears are one of Australia’s symbols and their habitat is particularly dependent on eucalyptus trees – where they eat, sleep and breed. However, urban development and settlements have cut down the eucalyptus forest area and threaten the bears’ survival.
Currently, people are trying to increase the living area of bears by planting eucalyptus trees. However, to ensure the survival of this animal, it is necessary not only to create new forests but also to protect and restore the remaining eucalyptus forests. Only when eucalyptus forests develop and exist sustainably can bears have the ideal living environment and develop best.
General behavior of the species
is a quite interesting animal, not only in appearance but also in living habits of this species is quite different from other animals.
Daily activities of
One thing that perhaps few people know is that they operate mainly at night, spending most of the day sleeping. On average, each animal needs to sleep about 18-20 hours/day to get enough energy. When night falls, they begin their foraging journey.
Gấu ăn gì?
Thức ăn chính của loài vật này là lá cây bạch đàn, một loại thực vật giàu dinh dưỡng nhưng lại rất khó tiêu hóa. Mỗi ngày sẽ tiêu thụ hơn 2000 chiếc lá bạch đàn để nạp và duy trì đủ mức năng lượng cho các hoạt động của cơ thể. Và với lượng thức ăn này chúng cần phải mất từ 100 đến 200 tiếng để tiêu hóa xong.
Fertility?
When bears reach reproductive age of 2-3 years old, they will begin their journey to find their mate. Their breeding season usually starts from December until the end of March next year.The gestation period is usually very short, lasting only about 35 days and on average each adult will give birth to 1 child per year, with very few and almost no cases of twins.
Interesting facts about koalas
Below are some interesting things you may not know about this animal.
not a bear?
Although we often call them bears, this animal actually belongs to the “guinea pig” family, along with the Kangaroo, Wallaby, and Possum. Similar to other animals in this family, bears also have pouches, where newborn babies will be nurtured and develop for 7 months.
During that time, they will not leave their mother’s pouch until fully developed. The presence of a pouch is one of the lovely and unique characteristics of this animal.
means “don’t drink water”
An interesting feature of bears is that they can live without drinking much water. The ancestors of this animal often stay away from areas near water such as rivers, lakes or streams, because that is where many predators live and can attack them.
In the local language, ” ” means “don’t drink water”, because they are rarely observed drinking water. Instead, bears are said to keep moisture in their bodies from eating leaves.
Its main food is eucalyptus leaves
What do bears eat?This bear only eats the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, also known as the eucalyptus tree. However, this leaf contains compounds that are toxic to many other animals. Only bears can digest this type of leaf, thanks to a special organ in their digestive system, called the cecum.
Because the babies’ digestive systems are still immature, they do not eat eucalyptus leaves immediately after birth but are still nurtured in their mother’s pouch until they are 6 months old. At that time, their digestive system is healthy enough to digest this poisonous leaf.
can run as fast as a rabbit
Despite their scruffy and slow appearance, bears are actually capable of running as fast as rabbits. However, they usually only use their maximum speed when necessary to avoid danger or save energy for digestion.
Instead, bears like to rest and climb trees in search of food. They are capable of climbing trees up to 30 meters high with ease thanks to their special claws and nose. They can also balance on tree branches stably thanks to their large clawed feet.
At birth, it was only 2cm long
When born, bears are only about 2cm long. However, when they mature, their length can reach from 60 to 85cm and weigh about 14kg.
Despite living in harsh environments, bears can live up to 20 years without being threatened. However, in recent years, bear numbers have decreased significantly due to the degradation of their habitat. Therefore, protecting and maintaining the habitat of this animal is becoming a very important task.
can run as fast as a rabbit
Despite their scruffy and slow appearance, bears are actually capable of running as fast as rabbits. However, they usually only use their maximum speed when necessary to avoid danger or save energy for digestion.
Instead, bears like to rest and climb trees in search of food. They are capable of climbing trees up to 30 meters high with ease thanks to their special claws and nose. They can also balance on tree branches stably thanks to their large clawed feet.
At birth, it is only 2cm long
When born, bears are only about 2cm long. However, when they mature, their length can reach from 60 to 85cm and weigh about 14kg.
Despite living in harsh environments, bears can live up to 20 years without being threatened. However, in recent years, bear numbers have decreased significantly due to the degradation of their habitat. Therefore, protecting and maintaining the habitat of this animal is becoming a very important task.
Bear Image
Here are a few daily bucket pictures:
Frequently asked questions about Bears
Besides the above interesting facts, there are still many other questions surrounding this animal that few people know.
Where do bears live?
Bears mainly live in the Eastern and Southern regions of Australia, specifically Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
How many hours do bears sleep?
Bears sleep an average of 18 – 20 hours/day, most of their main activities during the day are sleeping and eating.
Do bears have pouches?
The marsupial bear, to be exact, is the only living Phascolarctos koala.
Where to buy bears?
is a rare animal, especially after the major forest fires in Australia. This animal is currently being preserved, so buying and adopting them is almost impossible and very difficult.
are you smart?
No, among the animals with the lowest IQ in the world, their brains only account for 2% of their total body weight and their brains have almost no wrinkles.
Epilogue
To sum up, through this article you have certainly learned a lot of interesting information about what species of bear is?If you are someone who loves to explore and learn about special animals, Australia is a destination not to be missed. There, you will have the opportunity to meet and observe firsthand the unique and diverse animals of this country.
