Where do koalas live?
Koalas are native to and found in the wild only in the bush lands of Australia. Bush lands are any area in Australia that is mostly indigenous flora and fauna. They range from coastal islands, eucalyptus forests to inland woodlands. Koalas live above ground in Eucalyptus trees, which is also their diet. They only come to the ground when they cannot jump to the next tree because it is too far away, and during mating season.
Food chain
In Australia koalas that live in the wild have no natural predators. They are in fact at the top of the food chain in their habitat. Large birds such as owls have been known to prey on baby koalas, although such information is scarce. By definition koalas eat only eucalyptus leaves, they do not prey on other animals
Mating
In the fall males will attempt to attract females by rubbing their chest on trees to mark their scent and making bellowing calls. Males will fight for a mate and will breed with about several females within its home range. 34 to 36 until the female gives birth and the joey lives in its mother’s pouch for 22 weeks, then fed until it is old enough to climb onto it’s mother’s back and taken care of until it’s a year old.
Adaptions
Koalas sleep 18-22 hours each day, to help digest their food since it is difficult to digest. They eat eucalypts leaves which are poisonous so they have an adaption that neutralizes it and makes it edible. No other animal can eat this food so it makes the leaves plentiful. Koalas have heavily padded paws that are used for getting a grip on trees, but not on the ground. Since the amount of trees are decreasing in their area, more and more are forced onto the ground where they walk awkwardly and are vulnerable to dog attacks, bush fires, and cars.