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Eucalyptus leaves are tough and indigestible to all but koalas.
To make the transition from mothers' milk to eucalyptus leaves, at about 6-7 months the joey begins to feed on "pap", which is actually a special form of the mother's droppings through which she can pass onto her joey the micro organisms which allow for digestion of eucalyptus leaves. No other animal lives solely on gum leaves, and special proteins are needed to digest them.
One of the reasons the koala has a backward-opening pouch is so that the joey can stick its head out and feed on this pap which comes from the mother's own digestive system.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThis is a necessary transition for the koala Joey to be able to feed on eucalyptus leaves.From about the age of 28 weeks, a mother koala produces a substance called pap. This substance is a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves.
Orphaned koala joeys that have been reared by peope do not get this same opportunity, and they have been known to die if required to exist on a diet of eucalyptus leaves. Modern methods of feeding orphaned joeys which involve the introduction of these enzymes have enabled human cars to successfully prepare joeys for release in the wild.
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How do get the ability to poop?
youre born with it you can poop in your mothers uterus too
How old are koalas when they can survive on their own?
Koalas can really only survive independently of their mothers at about twelve months old.
Do dogs eat koalas?
The correct name for e so-called native cat is "quoll". these animals, which are marsupials (like koalas) do not generally pose a risk to koalas. Koalas and quolls are around the same size, and quolls a unlikely to challenge adult koalas, or to even try and take a joey from a female koala's back. However, quolls are certainly a threat to juvenile koalas which have only just left their mothers. Non-native, feral cats are considerably more dangerous, and certainly eat koalas.
Do hawks eat koalas?
Yes, hawks may occasionally prey on young koalas.
Can koalas eat birds?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
Who gets the most food when Koalas eat?
koalas eat eucaluptus tree leaves
Do koalas eat geckos?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
Do koalas eat flowers?
Koalas sometimes eat the flowers of the gum trees in which they feed.
Do koalas eat insects?
No. Koalas do not eat any animal proteins. They are purely herbivorous.
How fast do koalas eat?
Koalas do not eat quickly at all. They are steady, methodical eaters.
How do koalas stay on their mothers back?
they hold on tight to the dense fur.
What do koalas eat in australia?
Koalas in South Australia eat what koalas elsewhere in Australia eat. Koalas eat from specific types s of eucalyptus, feeding on just 14 species as their primary food source, specifically, the subgenus Symphyomyrphus.
