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Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves,
but their preferred eucalyptus species vary from region to region. On
Phillip Island, koalas prefer Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus
- pictured), Gippsland manna gum (Eucalyptus pryoriana), manna
gum (Eucalyptus viminalis), and swamp gum (Eucalyptus ovata)
(Phillips 1990; Phillip Island Nature Park 1998). Koalas have
occasionally been observed eating wattle, tea tree, paperbark, and pine
species. The nutritional value of these alternative foods and what
causes koalas to abandon their normal diet are not understood (Phillips
1990).
Do koalas get 'drunk' on eucalyptus leaves?
No. Contrary to popular belief, eucalyptus leaves do not make koalas drunk. Koalas appear drunk or lazy because they have developed a low-energy lifestyle to compensate for their extremely low-energy diet. The 600 to 800 grams of eucalyptus leaves that koalas eat each day provides them with as much energy as one serving of breakfast cereal does for us (Phillip Island Nature Park 1998).
Koalas rarely drink water. The majority of their water comes from that contained in their food or from dew or rainwater on the surface of leaves (Phillip Island Nature Park 1998).
References
Phillips, B. (1990). Koalas: The little Australians we'd all hate to lose. Australian Government Printing Service: Canberra.
Phillip Island Nature Park. (1998). Nature Notes: Everything you ever wanted to know about koalas. Phillip Island Nature Park: Cowes, Vic.
Site last updated Autumn 2008. © Friends of the Koalas