Koala Australia’s Symbol

1. KoalaAustralia’s Symbol Power Point By: GW

2. Introduction • The name of my animal is Koala • It’s scientific name is “Phascolarctos Cinerus” meaning “furry pouched gray bear” in Latin • It is a marsupial • A marsupial is an animal that has a pouch

3. Physical Features • A Koala has shaggy grey ears • It has a big black shiny nose • 5 sharp claws • Rough pads on it’s feet • Females have pouches for young • They have grayish, soft fur & weigh up to 30 pounds • They look like stuffed animals with sharp teeth but you can’t see their teeth unless they open their mouth

4. Lifespan/Is It Endangered? • A koala may live up to 20 years in the wild • It’s territory is endangered because people have been cutting down the trees that koalas live in • Koalas used to be endangered because people would kill them for their soft and silky fur

5. Habitat /Where It Lives • Koalas live in Australia but many different places in Australia such as; Queensland , New South Wales , Victoria , and South Australia • They stay in eucalyptus trees where they eat , sleep , drink , and have their babies • They go to zoos in California and Japan where the climate is just right for them

6. Climate • Koalas have thick soft fur to keep them warm when it’s cold • When the climate is warm a koala sheds some of it’s fur • The shade of the eucalyptus tree also keeps it cool • It’s fur also serves as a fantastic rain coat

7. Food • A Koala eats eucalyptus leaves from eucalyptus trees • They are herbivores, a herbivore is an animal that eats only plants • It has a sense of smell that can smell out good eucalyptus leaves • Eucalyptus leaves have water inside them so that a koala can drink water

8. More About Food • They are very picky eaters because they only eat from trees that they like • They can store food in they’re cheeks while chewing • Eucalyptus leaves make them very sleepy • They eat from gum trees also

9. Reproduction - Babies • A baby is about the size of a jelly bean • It is called a joey just like a baby kangaroo • A mother koala is only pregnant for 35 days before giving birth • After a female mates with a male she has the baby and raises it on her own • A baby must travel to it’s moms pouch when born it has forelimbs to help

10. More Babies • The first 4 weeks a baby goes in & out of the pouch to see the world but gets scared when it does • After one month the baby is to big for the pouch and must ride on it’s mothers back • But, it dips it’s head into the pouch to drink it’s moms milk • A mom can only have up to 2 baby’s in 1 litter

11. Prey – Predators • One predator for a koala is a dingo • Another is an owl • A koala is very fast so it can move when on the ground • A koala doesn’t eat any animals, only eucalyptus leaves

12. Behavior • Sleep all day and very lazy • Growls when other koala comes near it’s tree • Only lets a family member near it • Wants to be alone except in mating season

13. Physical Adaptations [that help it adapt to environment] • Sharp teeth to bite it’s food • Sharp claws to hang on trees • Fantastic sense of smell to see if a leaf is not bad, if it is a koala will move on

14. Behavior [that helps adapt to environment] • Males make growling noises in mating seasons to attract females to it’s tree to make a family • Sometimes males fight for females [also to start a family] • Females don’t let anyone near the baby when first born

15. Physiological Adaptations -what’s inside of them • Females have nipples to feed their young inside their pouch • A pouch to carry their young • Cheeks that can store their food in

16. 3 Interesting Facts • Sleeps 18 hours a day and only wakes up to eat • 600 different species of eucalyptus trees • Koala’s are actually not bears