![]() Johnson refers to their remaining territory as a "sliver" of coastline. Most of Australia's estimated 32,065 to 57,920 koalas live on the eastern and southeastern coast, as their habitat gets pushed farther and farther toward the sea. Phascolarctos cinereus, the single koala species left today, dates back just 350,000 years. Over that time period, as many as 20 species of koalas existed at various points across Australia. The first koalas date back 20 million years, says Johnson. "Unfortunately, we tend to find things out too late, you know, once an animal like that is gone," Tobey says. No one knows exactly what would happen if Australia's iconic marsupial went extinct, but everyone agrees on one thing: They don't ever want to find out. The number of koalas has dropped by half in the past 20 years alone, prompting the Australian government in February to change koalas' conservation status from vulnerable to endangered in most of the country. Other threats, such as deforestation, predators, disease and roadside accidents were already making things more difficult for koalas and their habitat, driving the population down. Those fires weren't typical, but they're part of a growing trend that could become Australia's new normal. In the devastating wildfires in Australia in 20, 61,000 koalas died and more than 28 million acres burned. Australia is a country of extremes, grappling with rising temperatures and an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires and droughts that are killing off eucalyptus habitats and koalas at a rapid pace.īecause of their unique reliance on one type of tree, koalas are "very likely to be at the pointy end of climate change," Smithsonian's Rebecca Johnson says. Similar projections are likely to follow in other parts of the continent. Koalas face extinction in New South Wales in less than 30 years. How complex can these little guys be? I'll tell you, we keep learning new and different things all the time about them." Koalas are no exception, though you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise, says Jennifer Tobey, a researcher with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All that energy spent eating and digesting the nutrient-poor leaves makes these understated tree-dwellers incredibly sleepy.Įvery animal plays an important role in a balanced ecosystem. Koalas have specialized digestive systems that enable them to eat certain varieties of the poisonous tree, but it takes a lot of effort. It's a natural response to their main source of food and water: eucalyptus leaves.Įucalyptus is a toxic plant. Koalas have sharp incisors and long claws and can be feisty if provoked, but they're mostly unbothered by what happens around them, says Rebecca Johnson, associate director for science and chief scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It's observing you quietly, half-heartedly, like a jet-lagged passenger watching a boring in-flight movie. Its bottom, a swirl of white, gray and brown fur, blends in with the multicolored bark, creating a camouflage that's tough to beat.īut the koala knows you're there. If you go strolling through one of Australia's ancient eucalyptus forests, you probably won't notice the koala perched high in the tree canopy. Scientists are trying various things to keep koalas from going extinct, from conservation efforts to following researchers' efforts to bring Australia's Tasmanian tigers back from the dead. Remove koalas, and you strip away some of what makes Australia special. It's also important to Australia's national identity. The marsupial is crucial to eucalyptus forests, providing a number of benefits to the ecosystem. ![]() Koalas in the Australian state of New South Wales are expected to go extinct before 2050, but scientists are racing to save them.
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