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Koalas Know What to Eat

Koalas may look dozy and stupid. However, they are really smart. Nature has given them a strong identification for what is good to eat. The nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves determines the koala population in a given area. Koalas need nitrogen to make energy, though they move very slowly. Without this valuable mineral they would simply not survive. Eucalyptus trees also contain toxins, a potential death threat to the animal. Eight species of eucalyptus were tested . It was found that koalas stayed away from trees carrying toxins and were attracted to those high in nitrogen.  They obviously know what is good them.  The search for food dominates their lives. If this identification of superior food is true for koalas it must be the case for other animals. They are intrinsically guided to sources of higher quality food. Dogs for example do know which type of grass to eat to solve a health problem. It is unusual for dogs to eat grass, but sometimes they do.

Big Nose Koala

  "What do you mean, I have a big doze?" Funny Animal Photos by Ty Buchanan http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/ http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml http://www.technorati.com/blogs/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos by Ty Buchanan Vista Computer Solutions Blog        Australian Blog ★                          ALL BLOG ARTICLES · ──► ( BLOG HOME PAGE) Share Article

Rain Forest in Northern Australia Doing Well

The northern part of Australia is getting hotter, but it is no drier. A comparison of data from the 1950s and the present shows the borders between rain forest and eucalyptus forest remained the same. However, the density of rain forest increased by 732 ha. Neither drainage, geology, topography, aspect or elevation are responsible. The climate has definitely changed. Despite a series o f El Nino dry spells since the 1950s, the country is becoming wetter. This rain forest expansion has slowed over the last 2000 years, with 25 per cent being tall open forest. Eucalyptus forests are spread out in irregular shaped pockets which are very stable. Higher CO 2 is responsible for the increasing density of rain forest. The humidity keeps damage from fires low. Overall, this is good news for the world generally. Brazilian rain forest stores 250-300 C ha –1 (carbon per hectare) . Though Australian rain forest stores less, it is still significant. There is a possibility that local f