Koalas - When Occasionally Spotted on other Leaves for their Food
On some occasions and according to many observations, Koalas have been spotted on other leaves for fulfilling their food requirements. Undoubtedly the Eucalyptus is considered as the core food of the Koalas. But this can be very rare incidence and it prompts key question that can Koalas survive on other foods? Remember Koalas are one of the very few animals from the herbivores family who enjoy living on almost single food, but their spotting on many different trees for food intake can be a surprised package for the scientists and researchers. The observers believe that as many as 40 trees were found, where the Koalas were spotted eating a different food rather than relying entirely on the Eucalyptus leaves.
The names of such trees’ leaves upon which the Koalas were specifically spotted included the trees of Melaleuca, Hakea, Leptospermum, Callitris, Acacia, Allocasuarina, and Banksiaetc. It should also be noted that they were spotted occasionally, but who knows, how many more trees upon which the Koalas have already been feeding. This prompts a requirement of a great degree of study in this regard to confirm this fact that Koalas also rely on other leaves as well rather than the Eucalyptus leaves. The exact numbers of trees upon which the Koalas are still yet to be confirmed by the biologists and researchers until this point, however, with the advancements within the technology such things will be quickly possible to conclude for maximum certainty.
It is also not confirmed that whether Koalas who have been spotted on other trees' leaves also lived on those trees throughout their lives or not. There is a very little evidence about it, but the evidence is there and it is true enough to be considered as well. But the Question can arise is Koala adaptable to any changing ecology typically when it comes to the food? In this case, the evidence which we have got serves as too little to be considered to make a big conclusion out of it. It will almost be equivalent of imagining a mountain while spotting a moth-hill.
However, there can be a lot of reasons behind such switching of the Koalas from their original diet of Eucalyptus leaves to the diet of other trees’ leaves. One such reason could be the lack of availability of the Eucalyptus leaves within the surroundings. What is if the trees were burnt down through bush fires? Therefore, the lack of availability could be the reason, which might have prompted the Koalas to switch for other trees.
Finally, from all of these observations, it can also be concluded that it will still be too much early to associate the Eucalyptus leaves as the basic and core food diet for the Koalas. Moreover, it can also prompt different possibilities that Koalas can live on other plantation as well, but a proper investigation might still be required at this stage.
