koala

koala

The koala (scientific name: Phascolarctos cinereus) is a marsupial mammal of endemic phascolarctidae family from Australia. It was originally found in northern Queensland to the southeast corner of South Australia.

These marsupials are in the process of extinction since the British colonization of Australia, when the habit of killing them to use their skin appeared. Today, hunting is not the biggest risk but the fires in the forests, which kill many animals, and the removal of trees where they live, either by burning or by woodcutters. By losing your home and food, the koala moves and can reach settlements or cities, where he died from being run over or is hunted by dogs.

Geographic distribution and habitat

Koala bear climbing a tree
The koalas are marsupials that are only found in Australia, depending on where they live their coat fits in northern tropical eucalyptus his coat is shorter grayish, and the southern temperate eucalypt their coat is longer and brown . Its location is due to the separation between the continent and other land masses before placental mammals could be established there. The koala turned out to be a victim of hunting and destruction of their forest habitat. Before the arrival of the white man in the late seventeenth century, this marsupial occupied an area three times larger than the current. This animal has been recently introduced or re-introduced on some islands near the coast and in the countryside. These new populations were the result of scientific studies that gave valuable contribution to the knowledge of the behavior of the species.

Characteristics

The koala has a small head, short muzzle and eyes wide apart. The nose is thick and flat, and is provided with large nostrils V-shaped, with highly developed nasal cavities, that move in its thermal equilibrium.

Both the forelimbs and later have five fingers. The thumb of the hind legs is very small and does not have claws. The other fingers are strong and terminate in elongated jaws. On their hind legs, only the thumb is opposed to the other fingers.

The coat is dense and silky, it plays an important role in thermal regulation and protection from the weather. As the koala does not build a shelter, sleeping in the sun and rain. The hair of the back is very dense and of a dark color that absorbs heat. It becomes scarcer during the summer and longer in winter.

It has a good balance and powerful muscles in the thighs, and when climbing a tree, lack of tail is offset by very long fingers and the highly developed claws.

The large intestine where, by bacterial fermentation occurs cellulose digestion, is well developed. The cecum, located at the beginning of the large intestine, can reach 2.5 meters long. Besides, it has in the stomach wall a complex gland said cardiogástrica that plays an important role in digestion. The cloaca has three functions: it serves for mating, to urinate and defecate.