Koalas’ problems stem from being picky eaters. They like to eat only one thing-eucalyptus, an Australia tree. Koalas use their big noses to sniff out tasty eucalyptus leaves. ‘If you offered them something else,” says zookeeper Jennifer Moll, “they wouldn’t know what to do with it. They’d starve before they’d eat a carrot.’’ For thousands of years, koalas’ devotion to eucalyptus tree was actually a good choice. Eucalyptuses were once the most common trees in Australia. Their leaves contain toxins, or poisons so few other animals eat eucalyptus. That means more food for koalas. Their stomachs have adapted to remove the toxins. Blood carries the toxins to a koala’s liver, an organ that removes the poison.
Koalas weigh only 20 pounds. But they gobble almost 3 pounds of food a day. That’s like a 60-pound child eating 9 pound of food a day! Eucalyptus leaves aren’t very nutritious, so koalas need huge servings to get enough energy. Bacteria in the koala’s intestines turn the tough leaves into useful chemicals. Because they need so much food, room. A single animal’s home range, or territory, often covers several acres. If eucalyptus tree are rare, though, a koala may need dozens of acres to find its meals.
Koalas’ problems stem from being picky eaters. They like to eat only one thing-eucalyptus, an Australia tree. Koalas use their big noses to sniff out tasty eucalyptus leaves. ‘If you offered them something else,” says zookeeper Jennifer Moll, “they wouldn’t know what to do with it. They’d starve before they’d eat a carrot.’’ For thousands of years, koalas’ devotion to eucalyptus tree was actually a good choice. Eucalyptuses were once the most common trees in Australia. Their leaves contain toxins, or poisons so few other animals eat eucalyptus. That means more food for koalas. Their stomachs have adapted to remove the toxins. Blood carries the toxins to a koala’s liver, an organ that removes the poison. Koalas weigh only 20 pounds. But they gobble almost 3 pounds of food a day. That’s like a 60-pound child eating 9 pound of food a day! Eucalyptus leaves aren’t very nutritious, so koalas need huge servings to get enough energy. Bacteria in the koala’s intestines turn the tough leaves into useful chemicals. Because they need so much food, room. A single animal’s home range, or territory, often covers several acres. If eucalyptus tree are rare, though, a koala may need dozens of acres to find its meals.
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