4. A Unique Digestive System
We have talked a little bit about a koala’s diet and how it is primarily eucalyptus leaves. Unlike most animals, koalas have a minimal diet and are extremely picky eaters. It might be surprising to wrap your head around how koalas can only eat one specific type of leaf. We’ve also mentioned how difficult eucalyptus leaves are. They are tough and high in fiber. To effectively consume and digest the eucalyptus leaves, koalas have their very own digestive organ. This specific organ is known as a caecum. Its primary function is to help them digest their diet of eucalyptus leaves.
The organ is critical to koalas and their survival. Generally speaking, eucalyptus is poisonous and cannot be consumed by the majority of animals and humans. If it is finished by someone who does not have the necessary components to digest it, it could have extremely harmful side effects. In koala, the caecum works to detoxify the offending chemicals. By doing this, the substances become delicious and nutritious for koalas. Interestingly, all of the eucalyptus they consume does cause koalas to smell slightly like cough drops. Without this specific organ, the koala would not benefit and survive off of these particular leaves.