Koala earring in 925 Silver and Zircons

One of the most deeply rooted misconceptions, not only in Italy, is that the koala is closely related to bears. Not surprisingly, it is also commonly called "little bear" or "marsupial bear" . However, it is by no means part of the ursidae family . On the contrary, it is the only living representative of the climbing marsupials today: according to the scientific classification, in particular, the species is called Phascolarctos cinereus and is part of the Phascolarctidae family. As marsupials, and unlike bears, they raise their cubs inside the maternal pouch , for about a year and until the young have become self-sufficient.

Koalas are only peaceful when left undisturbed

Even if they sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day, and limit any social interactions to a few minutes, koalas do not always deal with relationships with conspecifics or other animals in a peaceful way. Sharp and sturdy teeth , and particularly strong chewing, are essential for a diet based on eucalyptus buds and leaves, but they can also be useful for unwanted encounters .

The aggression of koalas is manifested above all towards dogs (because the latter sometimes hunt koalas for food), but several cases of aggression have also been found against other species, including humans , when a threat is perceived to themselves or their puppies. In 2014, the story of Australian Mary Anne Forster, who was bitten in the ankle - probably because she was walking her dogs - and first forced to free herself from the bite by opening the koala's mouth with her hands, made headlines around the world in 2014. , then to have the wound sutured in the hospital with 12 stitches.

In most cases, however, the aggression of the koalas is unleashed on the rival males : often the encounters-clashes are compared to wrestling matches, and are characterized by bites in the back that continue until one of the two contenders has not the worst. The triggering reason most of the time is territoriality (who wouldn't want to grab the best eucalyptus?), And in general the males are more aggressive in nature than the females.

30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

are you not satisfied with your purchase? You will have the option to return it and receive a full refund within 30 days of payment.