Koalas!!
A koala is hands down the one of the coolest creatures in the animal kingdom. It is definitely my totem animal because we share several characteristics. We both love to sleep and eat greens. Koalas live in eastern Australia. They sleep for up to 18 hours in the branches of eucalyptus trees and spend the rest of the day eating, you guess it, eucalyptus leaves. Koalas can eat up to two and a half pounds of leaves a day, which is a lot considering their small size. Koalas are actually one of the few animals that can eat the poisonous eucalyptus leaves without any side effects. They actually have a "special digestive system," that allows them to break down the leaves properly. Yes, so both of us are pretty much invincible. Another interesting fact about these cute little animals, is that koalas are not bears! I know right, it's shocking. They are actually marsupials, meaning they are pouch animals. Koalas use their pouch to carry their babies (joeys) and snacks, which I can really relate to because I always have snacks in my backpack. What is really interesting about joeys, is that as soon as they are born they make their way to their mothers pouch right from the birth canal—a very impressive skill considering they are blind, naked, and have no ears. Joeys have to completely rely on small, touch, and complete instinct. My instincts are quite questionable, so kudos to the joeys! Joeys leave the pouch at about seven months but still hang out on their mothers backs and bellies until they are a year old. All in all, koalas are pretty cool because they have their own fanny pack, and sleep and eat the majority of their lives. What a dream! Well, that's my dream.
My younger brother used to have a stuffed koala bear when he was younger that he never let go of, and I remember learning about them in school. I didn't know that they spent so much time in their mother's pouches, and I love that they are a fan of sleeping (I am too).
ReplyDeleteWow they sleep a lot! I wish I can sleep little more like koalas. They are definitely living the life by eating and sleeping a lot. So interesting to know they eat that much leaves in a day.
ReplyDeleteI think my new spirit animal must be a koala. Sleeping 18 hours a day sounds like my kind of life.
ReplyDeleteI love koalas too! They are such interesting animals. I knew they slept for a long time but never realized it was 18 hours a day! When I went to the San Diego Zoo, they have a large space for the koalas and after standing there for 30 minutes, one decided to move to a different tree and it was the most I had ever seen a koala move!
ReplyDeleteI've gained a new interest in Koalas after reading this post. I knew they slept for a while, but 18 hours is a different story. Must be nice! I didn't know they can eat poisonous leaves without experiencing any of the deathly side effects!
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