#vombatiformes

[animalids]

Tasmanian wombat (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis)

Photo by Ryan Francis

[sunkentreasurecove]

[animalids]

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Photo by Jon Atkinson

[animalids]

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Koalas are nocturnal marsupials famous for spending most of their lives asleep in trees. During the day they doze, tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, sleeping for up to 18 hours. This sedentary lifestyle can be attributed to the fact they have unusually small brains and survive on a diet of nutrient-poor leaves. Koalas have a special digestive system which measures a colossal two metres and is packed with micro-organisms that detoxify the otherwise poisonous leaves. The young koala spends its first six months inside its mother’s pouch. For the next two or three months it clings to its mother’s fur during the day, returning to the safety of her pouch at night. Classification Animalia - Chordata - Mammalia - Metatheria - Marsupialia - Australidelphia - Diprotodontia - Vombatiformes - Phascolarctidae - Phascolarctos - P. cinereus

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