|
Koalas do not get drugged out on gum leaves because their
digestive system is especially adapted to detoxify the poisonous
chemicals in the leaves. |
 Koalas survive
on a diet of strictly eucalyptus leaves. They
consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different
eucalyptus tree species. Each koala eats 200 to 500 leaves
per day. Eucalyptus foliage is very fibrous and low in
nutrition, and to most animals it is very poisonous. |
|
They also like
mistletoe &
box
leaves. |
Sometimes they
eat leaves
from
other trees such
as
wattle tree,
tea tree, and
paperbark tree.
|
|
Koalas seldom drink water,
but when they do the water
that they obtain comes from the eucalyptus leaves, which
are 50% water.
 |
Koalas
have a slow metabolic rate, due to their high-fiber, low
nutrient diet. The very slow metabolic rate allows koalas to
retain food within their digestive system for a long period of
time which maximizes amount of extra energy.
|
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