Title: Koala Bear
1 The koala is a small marsupial that lives in
eucalyptus (gum) trees in Australia. It is a
nocturnal (most active at night) animal spending
18 to 20 hours each day resting and sleeping.
They are social animals who live in territories.
Koalas are not bears their closest relative is
the wombat. The genus and species of the koala is
Phascolarctos cinereus.
The koala grows to be 2-3 ft long, and it weighs
10-30 pounds. It has soft fur and is a light gray
to brown color. The koalas fur helps to protect
them from the cold weather and rain. They have
pads on their feet and hands to help them grip
the trees they live in. The babies live in their
mothers backwards-facing pouch for months.
Koala Bear
Koalas are herbivores. That means they eat plants
like eucalyptus leaves. They have a very good
sense of smell which helps them know if the
eucalyptus leaves are poisonous or able to be
eaten. They are able to store food in their cheek
pouches.
2The Tasmanian Devil is a marsupial that lives in
the dry Eucalyptus forests and brush in Tasmania.
It is the largest living carnivours marsupial.
They are at the top of the local food web. The
Tasmanian Devil is an endangered animal.
The Tasmanian Devil is nocturnal. That means it
is active at night time. During the day it stays
in a burrow or hollow log. The Tasmanian Devil
lives about 8 years in the wild. Tasmanian Devils
make disturbing noises. They shriek, snort and
snarl. This is why they were given their name.
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian Devil will eat almost anything. It
prefers carrion (dead meat that it finds). It
will even eat the fur.
It will kill animals for food such as wallabies,
kangaroos, wombats, lizards, frogs, birds,
crayfish, and eggs. The Tasmanian Devil is from
20 to 30 inches long. It can weigh anywhere from
13 to 22 pounds. Females are usually smaller than
the males. It has black fur with white markings.