Koalas By Nicole and Emily
A day in the life of a Koala |
Introduction
Koalas can be found in the eastern parts of Australia. Some Koalas can be harmless but they may give you a painful scratch with there sharp claws. Koalas are marsupials. Baby Koalas are called Joeys. Koalas are nocturnal, so they sleep through the day and hunt through the night. Koalas eat gum leaves but they do not drink because the leaves give them moisture. Koala's can have different colour like white and gray ones. When Koalas are born they have no fur and they are also very ugly and only two cm long. Click here to view a video about the Koala. |
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The Koala Life Cycle.
The breeding time for the koala is between September and March. Koalas start breeding at three years of age. Once a female has conceived it is a short 35 days before birth. When the Joey is born it is the size of three jelly beans and weighs less then one gram. The Joey makes it's way into the pouch and stays there for 22 weeks. They drink mild from their mother's pouch for about one year. Then when it is three years of age the life cycle will start all over again. |
Life Cycle of a Koala |
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Profile on The Koala
Name: Koala Size: Females grow up to 70cm and Male grow up to 75cm Weight: 9kg Height: up to 80cm Food: They eat eucalyptus leaves. What they look like: It's fur is thick and usually grey, sometimes white. It has a big nose and sharp claws.
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| Climbing Trees
When approaching a tree to climb, koalas spring from the ground and catch their front claws in the bark, then bound upwards. Claw marks are usually on the trunks of the trees. On hot days it is in effort to keep cool they eat the eucalyptus leaves and lie still for most of the time. In colder times they curled up in a ball to conserve body heat. They climb trees so dogs, cats and foxes. |
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Skeletal System of A Koala |
Skeletal System
Koala digits are arranged differently on the front and hind paws, although they all have rough pads to aid their grip. On the front paw the first two digits are opposite to the other three ,and form a powerful pincer-like grip . On the hind paws only the first digit which has no claw is opposite the others the second and third digits are joined together for the most of their length and the fused claws are used for grooming there fur. In the skeleton the Koala has a small vertical tail and long limbs. The Koala has around 50 bones. |
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Quiz 1. What do Koalas eat? Dirt or Leaves 2. How many bones do they have? 50 or 65 3. How small are they when they are born? 2cm or 6cm 4. At what age do they breed? 3 or 10 5. How many sorts of Koalas are there? 2 or 6 6. What is a baby Koala called ? Joey or Calf 7. How many enemies does a Koala have? 3 or 9 8. What does a Koala look like when it is born? A jelly bean or a new born baby |
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