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Now we know how koalas drink (we didn't before)

Social Sharing

[106]Quirks & Quarks

Now we know how koalas drink (we didn't before)

Koalas have been observed licking rainwater as it cascades down the
smooth trunks of eucalyptus trees

Social Sharing

Koalas have been observed licking rainwater as it cascades down the smooth
trunks of eucalyptus trees

CBC Radio · Posted: May 08, 2020 4:46 PM ET | Last Updated: May 8
An adult female koala quenches her thirst on water cascading down a
tree trunk. Researchers used hoses to duplicate the effects of rain and
observe koalas drinking. (Valentina Mella)
(BUTTON)
comments
Listen8:00

One of the great mysteries surrounding one of Australia's most iconic
creatures - the koala - has been solved. Scientists now know how the
charismatic marsupial is able to access enough water to survive.

Researchers had long been puzzled about how koalas acquired enough
water. A certain proportion of their water needs must have been
satisfied by the moisture in the eucalyptus leaves they feed on.

But koalas didn't seem to exploit any other source of waters. They were
only rarely observed descending from their trees in search of water in
waterholes, streams or puddles.

A recent study led by [107]Valentina Mella, a researcher in the School
of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney has
revealed that koalas drink by [108]licking water running down smooth
tree trunks as it rains.

Thirsty marsupials

Solving this mystery has not been easy because koalas are nocturnal and
spend most of their time high up in tree tops.

But from 2006 to last year, a total of 44 observations of koalas
licking trees during rain, mostly by citizen scientists in two
locations: the You Yangs Regional Park in Victoria and the Liverpool
Plains in New South Wales.
A thirsty koala eagerly licks the trunk of a eucalyptus tree in the
rain. (Valentina Mella)

One adult female, with a joey, was observed drinking profusely and
uninterruptedly for 15 minutes. An adult male drank at a steady pace
for 34 minutes. Because other sources of water were readily available
in nearby locations, Mella believes that this method of licking tree
trunks is how koalas prefer to drink naturally. It saves the Koalas the
trouble — and risk — of descending from their trees.

Surviving drought and wildfire

Recently, during Australia's severe drought, record temperatures and
consequent wildfires, koalas have been approaching humans to drink out
of water bottles in desperation. This is considered very unusual
behaviour, and reflective of just how desperate for moisture the
animals are.

Mella is concerned that the lack of regular precipitation, as well as
the loss of habitat, will have serious consequences for the koala in
the future.

Video of koala drinking from the University of Sydney

IFRAME: [109]https://www.youtube.com/embed/PD0P7_-FZ8Q

More from this episode

* [110]What the ice storm can teach us about the prenatal impacts of
pandemic stress
* [111]An unseen black hole has been lurking in our galactic
neighbourhood
* [112]Now we know how koalas drink (we didn't before)
* Pathway to Mars
How to build habitats on Mars and how to live in them
* [113]FULL EPISODE: May 9: COVID stress and pregnancy, a black hole
in our backyard and more…

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