Zoology

Adam has at last fully settled into his home and so he is now free to explore Sydney and its surroundings. Last weekend, given his love of animals, Adam initiated his touring with a trip to the zoo. In my mind, an excellent place to start learning about the uniqueness of Australia and its creatures. Adam was able to observe wombats, roos, and koalas in their natural state.


Koalas, though called bears, are really not, but they are bear-like in appearance. Koalas are tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial which averages about 9kg (20lb) in weight. The koala gets its name from an ancient Aboriginal word meaning "no drink" because it receives over 90% of its hydration from the Eucalyptus leaves (also known as gum leaves) it eats, and only drinks when ill or times when there is not enough moisture in the leaves. ie during droughts etc. The koala is only one of three mammals, which can survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves.


To the left (and up) is a photo, taken by Adam at the zoo, of a Koala napping in a tree. Koalas can most often be found napping. Eucalyptus leaves are very fibrous and low in nutrition, and to most animals are extremely poisonous. To cope with such a diet, nature has equipped koalas with specialized adaptations. A very slow metabolic rate allows koalas to retain food within their digestive system for a relatively long period of time, maximizing the amount of energy able to be extracted. At the same time, this slow metabolic rate minimizes energy requirements and they will sleep for up to 18 hours per day in order to conserve energy.


To the right is a photo Adam was able to capture of a roo in repose. While one might often expect to see roos on their feet, I do suppose that their legs get tired too. A kangaroo is a large macropod (the marsupial family that also includes wallabies, tree kangaroos, and wallaroos: 45 species in all). Kangaroos have large powerful hind legs, large feet designed for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. They are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion. Kangaroos are large herbivores, feeding on grass and roots, and they chew cud (I wonder if they are kosher?).


All species are nocturnal and crepuscular, usually spending the days idling quietly and the cool evenings, nights and mornings moving about and feeding, typically in groups called mobs. The life expectancy of a kangaroo is about 18 years. The kangaroo has been historically a staple source of food for native indigenous Australians. Today, in some areas, kangaroos are culled by licensed professional hunters. Both the meat (which is tasty, tender, and low in fat) and the hides are sold. Some restaurants and delicatessens serve or sell kangaroo meat, but there is considerable consumer resistance to eating the flesh of an animal which is seen as "cute" and as a national symbol. Hopes that kangaroo farming would become a major industry serving either domestic or export markets have not been realized.




Above we see a photo Adam took of a wombat burrowing. As I have already overwhelmed you all with facts of Australian marsupials and since I spoke about the wombat in an earlier posting, though I did not provide as many details as I have here with the koala and kangaroo, I will not bombard you with facts on my favorite Australian creature. But isn't he cute up there, burrowing away. I will leave you all with one last photo Adam shot during his recent exploration... the beach.


To the right is a photo of Bondi (pronounced bon-dye) Beach, which is the most famous and most crowded of all Sydney beaches. I can't wait to get out there this summer (or winter, which ever you prefer). I imagine it will be a total mess but should be great fun. Of course, I'll have to overcome my hatred of sand. Perhaps I'll find the annoying substance to be more tolerable down under. I'll let you know.