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Koalas have unique pouches that are backward-directed and supported by material muscles which are along the opening. The babies hold on with their mouths so that they don't accidentally fall out of their mama's pouch. Koalas are one of the marsupials that don't have tails. Koalas are Austrailia's lovable mascot. They call it a koala bear, but it is not actually a bear. Koalas are active at night and sleep mostly in the day.
Koalas live in trees in Australia. Their favorite tree is the Eucalyptus because they eat the bark and the leaves as a food source. They live in eastern Australia among the wild Eucalyptus forests and woodlands that stretch from Cooktown in Northern Queensland . Koalas have been introduced into western Australia where they were not naturally found.
Koalas eat certain species of Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to some animals. Koalas can eat poisonous leaves that could harm other animals, but they can't eat the young leaves because the young leaves are still too poisonous. They eat two and a half pounds of Eucalyptus leaves per night. Since koalas don't drink water, they get water from the Eucalyptus trees. Koalas must live where there are plenty of trees. Koalas are picky eaters the eat only a few leaves of a tree at once, then they go to another one.
Koalas are endangered because their diet includes only one plant. They run out of plants to eat because it takes a long time for the plants to grow again. They are also very delicate and bacteria, diseases, and viruses effect them. Scientists are trying to separate healthy koalas from the sick ones so that they stay healthy. It also helps keep the babies from being born sick.
People from the Koala Preservation Society of Queensland, Australia planted trees permanently for the koalas to eat. This helps by providing more plants so that the koalas don't run out of food. Volunteers plant the trees, weed the trees , and harvest them to take to the koalas. Some koala lovers are trying to stop illegal traffic in places where endangered species live, as well as create and maintain reserves.
Koalas are pouched bears. They are marsupials and are related to Kangaroos . They grow to two and a half feet tall and weigh about thirty pounds. They are adorable marsupials that lack tails. Koalas have a small, rounded body and short legs with powerful claws. They are mostly gray with big black noses and big furry ears. Their fur is grayish-brown on the back, but white on its belly. Koalas have sharp claws and long toes so they can cling to trees.
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