When you think of koalas, you probably think about how cuddly they are or that their scientific name can be as complicated as Phascolarctos cinereus.
However, did you know that it’s also important to protect the habitats of these tree-loving creatures?
That’s where this article comes in!
Where Koalas Live
Koalas usually live in eucalyptus trees in Australia.
Koalas live in just a few parts of Australia, most notably Queensland and New South Wales.
There are several types of eucalyptus trees, but the koalas only live in certain kinds.
These include grey gum, narrow-leaved peppermint, mountain white gum, mahogany glades, and pink bloodwood.
Koalas live in these trees because their favorite snack, eucalyptus leaves, grows on them.
Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to most other animals!
In addition to eating eucalyptus leaves all day, koalas sleep for about 18 hours a day too!
The males are very territorial.
Usually, each male lives in a territory of about 4 to 30 eucalyptus trees.
In addition to poisoning most animals, eucalyptus leaves can actually poison the koalas too!
Most of the time, they eat only about 20-25% of the leaves because these leaves contain toxins that can harm them.
They spend almost all day and night eating and sleeping in the trees.
When they aren’t eating or sleeping, they are grooming their fur or resting!
These mammals usually live alone and it is unusual for them to play with other koalas.
Their habitat is slowly becoming smaller though, as humans take down trees to build houses and towns.
Koala Distribution
This means that the population of koalas is slowly declining.
There are about 8,000 to 10,000 of these animals in the wild today!
People started caring for them when they noticed how their numbers were decreasing.
Now, there are many organizations that try to protect them including Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors, the Koala Foundation, and the Australian Koala Foundation.
People are especially worried about koalas in Queensland.
It is estimated that there are only 45,000 of them left in this area today!
There are many subspecies of these animals, all of which live in Australia.
Some examples include the cinereus, rufous, and adelaidae subspecies.
If you have other lingering koala questions like if they have pouches or anything else, let us know!
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