Nice and amusing the koala usually raises affection and a smile at people. This slow and fluffy charming marsupial a bear belongs to family of koalas into which the only look enters. There lives a small animal only in Australia and on neighboring islands. It is interesting that he has no relation to bears, and treats family of primacies.
Europeans did not suspect long time about existence of these surprising animals. When famous James Cook moored to coast of Australia, he simply did not notice koalas. Only in 1798 they were found in the Blue Mountains by somebody Price. Natives called the small animals reminding idlers from South America, a koala that in translation means "teetotal". These nice marsupials really do not drink, except for the period of a severe drought and time when they are ill. In usual life they have enough moisture which they receive from leaves of an eucalyptus and the dew accumulating on them. By the way, except eucalyptus leaves of a koala do not eat anything. Because of it they are such sluggish. In foliage of an eucalyptus there is not enough protein therefore at marsupials of bears twice the metabolism, than at other mammals proceeds more slowly. Koalas have pleasant soft and dense fur, most often gray, but sometimes reddish. On a paunch wool is lighter, than on a back. Their big and forefingers are opposed to others that it was convenient to koalas to cling to branches. To the same purpose serves also strong, sharp claws. When the small animal sticks them in a tree, does not fall down even if strong fills up. And koalas much, nearly 20 hours a day sleep. However, even when they are awake, usually phlegmatically sit, having clung to a tree, and watch the events around. Only at night small animals become more active. They get over from a branch on a branch to find food. On the earth the bear marsupials almost do not go down. At the same time koalas in principle quite dexterous and strong, they can perfectly jump and if necessary run from danger heavy gallop. Marsupials bears are able even to swim. One more unique feature of koalas – on their fingers resembles papillary patterns, very much human. Live in the nature of a koala alone. Each female has the site, males move, without adhering to territorial borders, but are not eager to communicate with similar at all. Only when the marriage period begins, koalas gather small groups. As a rule, it is always more females, than males. Therefore around each gentleman a peculiar harem is formed of 2-3 ladies. The koala lover calls girlfriends the shout, horrible for a human ear, reminding mix of a scratch of rusty door loops and snore of the corpulent drunkard. But for shaggy ears of the darling this sound is similar to wonderful music because it is the song of love. However, from a koala lover the useless husband turns out. When the kid is born, the male abandons a female and a cub. Small the koala lives six months with mom in a bag and eats its milk. Then the koalchonok gets over to mother on a back and so year grows. Then daughters leave on search of the site, and sons remain with mother for one or two years. In the nature at the handsome koala almost not enemies. But small animals were almost exterminated by people: in the first half of the 20th century they sewed clothes from nice on the touch fur. Today the authorities of Australia try to correct a situation. They created several koala parks where rare animals live in the habitat. By the way, koalas are perfectly tamed. In the childhood they with pleasure sleep at owners on hands, and adult small animals strongly become attached to those who look after them. Koalas require love and attention, "cry" when they do not pay attention to them, and calm down, only having appeared on hands at the person.