Koalas+in+Port+Macquarie

=Koala Profile: = = = Identification: The koala (Phascolarctos Cinereus) is easily identified by its thick ash colored grey fur, white chest and round head with fluffy ears. These marks make the species unmistakable.

Conservation status: The koala has recently been listed as a vulnerable species in New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia they are considered rare

Classification: Species: Cinereus Genus: Phascolarctos Family: Phascolarctidae Order: Diprotodontia Subclass: Marsupialia Class: Mammalia Subphylum: Vertebrata Phylum: Chordata Kingdom: Animalia

Physical characteristics: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Weight varies from 14kg for a large southern male, to about 5kg for a small southern female. The size varies from abut 68-82cm.

<span style="color: #04be0d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 18px;">Distribution/Habitat: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">As you can see from this picture koalas are only distributed along the east coast of Australia. Koalas are situated in eucalypt forests so that dramatically reduces the koala population in Port Macquarie let alone Australia

<span style="color: #04be0d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 18px;">Feeding/Diet: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Koalas don’t actually eat all eucalypt leaves they eat only a number of eucalypt such as: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Tallowwood <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Swamp Mahogany <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Grey Gum <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Blackbutt <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Bangalay <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Flooded Gum <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Small Leaf Peppermint <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Lemon Scented Gum and <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Argyle <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">These are just a few of the eucalypt trees in Port Macquarie that koalas eat. So as you can see they only have a limited supply. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Koalas eat at all times but usually in the early morning or late afternoon and can consume up to 500g of leaves a day.

<span style="color: #04be0d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 18px;">Reproduction: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Breeding occurs during midsummer. Usually a koala only has one Joey a year but occasionally a koala may have two. After six months in the pouch the Joey gradually get weaned off its mother’s milk and is transferred to leaves and soft liquids. This is thought to provide the Joey with the right bacteria to build up its immune system.

<span style="color: #04be0d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 18px;">Life cycle: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Breeding season is generally from August to February. During this time the males will be heard bellowing as they compete for females. At this time the young from the previous year are ready to leave their mothers and become independent. Usually a female has one young each year, but may not breed in some years. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">About 35 days after mating, a tiny baby called a joey is born. It is about 2 cm long, weighs less than 1 gram and is pink, hairless, blind and without ears. Amazingly, this tiny creature travels up its mother's belly and finds the entrance to the pouch. Inside the pouch, it attaches itself to a teat that immediately swells inside its mouth so that the joey cannot let go and lose the teat. The female is able to tighten muscles at the opening of the pouch to prevent the baby falling out.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The female carries her baby in the pouch for 6 or 7 months after it is born. The baby, called a joey, feeds on its mother's milk inside the pouch. Between 22 and 30 weeks of age, its mother starts feeding the joey a substance called pap formed from pre-digested food and her droppings. This is important, because it trains the joey to be able to eat eucalyptus, which is poisonous to most mammals. After it leaves the pouch, the baby travels around on its mother's back, but continues to drink milk until a year old. Generally this is when a young one leaves its mother, but if she does not breed then the young one stays longer.





Bibliography: [] [] [|http://www.kidcyber.com.au] [|http://en.wikipedia.org]