Perfect world The koala prefers to inhabit low-lying flood
develop in their mother’s pouch. Later, the joeys
plains and regions with volcanic soils. Both are very
travel on their mother’s back and begin pap feeding.
fertile zones that produce koala food trees and tend to
The main source of food for koalas in South
be inhabited by a wide range of other species. To assume that all koalas need are trees
East Queensland is Eucalyptus tereticornis (Red Gum or Blue Gum) and Eucalyptus robusta (Swamp
dramatically oversimplifies the koala’s present
Mahogany) that is usually found in swampy areas.
situation and reinforces a common misconception
Australia has more than 700 species of eucalyptus
that the koala is an animal that does not do allot.
yet the koala can only eat approximately 25 species
Koalas do not simply eat, sleep and breed. They are
within this group. The actual species eaten by koalas
complex and they are particular.
varies from area to area. Food tree species that koalas
Koala life follows a regular annual cycle. Males
select in one area may be totally different from those
bellow and scent mark in the spring. They fight with
that koalas select elsewhere. Koalas usually favour
each other in the lead up to the summer months
trees that are 20 years old or more.
which is when koalas mate and give birth. Into the autumn and winter months, young koala joeys
Koalas need a full suite of leaves to make up a balanced diet. They prefer to eat the tips of fresh new growth where there is more nutrition and less cellulose and tannin. Dr Steve Johnston of the University of Queensland says that younger koala food are unpalatable for koalas. This means that koalas will not use young trees for food. Generally, for a koala to select a tree as food, it must be 7-10 years old with a minimum diameter of 10 centimetres at chest height. Extracting energy and nutrients from eucalyptus leaves is exceptionally difficult which is why koalas have the largest digestive system of any tree-dwelling animal. When koalas appear sleepy, lazy and drunk, it is because they are putting maximum effort into digestion in order to gain just a little surplus energy. 7