Cuddly Koala

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Cuddly Koala
Photo Information
Copyright: Sue Thomson (SueThomson) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 102 W: 0 N: 168] (521)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-20
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, 75-300 Canon EF
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/8 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Great Workshops [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-04-24 2:41
Viewed: 687
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I caught this little fella sleeping during the day at the Alma Park Zoo, which is located in the North of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is a young male named Meja. Cute isn’t he!

About the Koala:
The koala is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial which averages about 9kg (20lb) in weight. Its fur is thick and usually ash grey with a tinge of brown in places.

Koalas are found in Queensland , New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia . Their range extends from the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns in Qld to islands off the coast of Victoria and South Australia in the south, and west to central and western Qld, NSW and Victoria.

Koalas live in societies, just like humans, so they need to be able to come into contact with other koalas. It is because of this they need to have areas of suitable eucalypt forest which are large enough to support a healthy koala population and to allow for expansion by maturing young koalas. Koalas are highly territorial and in stable breeding groups, individual members of koala society maintain their own "home range" areas.

In Australia there are over 600 types of eucalypts, but koalas will only eat 40-50 varieties with only about 10 being preferred. Within a particular area, as few as one, and generally no more than two or three species of eucalypt will be regularly browsed while a variety of other species, including some non-eucalypts, appear to be browsed occasionally or used for just sitting or sleeping in.

Koalas have a thick woolly fur which protects them from both high and low temperatures.It also acts like a 'raincoat' to repel moisture when it rains. The fur varies in colour from light grey to brown, with patches of white on the chest and neck, inside arms and legs and inside the ears. Mature males are recognisable by the brown 'scent gland' in the centre of their white chest.

The fur on the koala's bottom is densely packed to provide a 'cushion' for the hard branches it sits on, and has a 'speckled' appearance which makes koalas hard to spot from the ground.

An adult male koala can weigh between 8 and 14 kilograms and a female between 6 and 11 kilograms, with the heavier animals coming from the southern areas where they have adapted to the colder climate by an increase in body weight and thicker fur. If you see Koalas in Queensland, they look noticably smaller than Koalas from Victoria.

Koalas are mostly nocturnal animals and they are most active during the night and at dawn and dusk. This is because in the cooler hours they are less likely to lose precious moisture and energy than they would during the hotter daylight hours. An average of eighteen to twenty hours each day are spent resting and sleeping, and the remainder for feeding, moving around, grooming and social interaction.

The Koala's nose is one of its most important features, and it has a very highly developed sense of smell. This is necessary to differentiate between types of gum leaves and to detect whether the leaves are poisonous or not.

Source: http://www.thekoala.com/koala
pablominto, gerbilratz, Gert-Paassen, Jamesp, rcrick, gracious, flashpoint, NellyD, inked, SelenE, anel has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To flashpoint: Cuddly KoalaSueThomson 1 04-28 02:01
To jossim: Cuddly KoalaSueThomson 1 04-28 01:53
To Jamesp: Cuddly KoalaSueThomson 1 04-24 14:11
To gerbilratz: Cuddly KoalaSueThomson 1 04-24 13:48
To PaulH: Cuddly KoalaSueThomson 1 04-24 13:41
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Critiques [Translate]

Sue

Cute factor 10 to be sure. I like the way its hugging the tree.. Top shot all round.

Jai

very very cute, TFS Ori

Hi Sue,
i really like this shot, you caught this Koala doing what they do best - sleep! Very nice POV through the trees and very high on the cute factor too!
I did a workshop for you, as i thought the light was a little bit flat and could be changed a bit, i hope you like it :o)
Paul

Hello Sue,
I guess it is only a question of instinctive technique but still impressive to see him hanging and sleeping like this!
A true teddy bear indeed, and a superb capture of this typical behaviour, good focus on the animal and well done!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Good shot of this "marsupial", We do not get to see many of them on T nature, so 10/120 for this.

TFS regards h

P/S...any chance of a wombat next?

Hi Sue
Just cuddle!
Greetings, Lucja

Hi Sue,

what a nicely picture, the bear were sleeping.
Looks like a Teddy bear.
Well done.

Gert

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1175 W: 0 N: 4262] (12492)
  • [2008-04-24 14:00]
  • [+]

Hi Sue

Very cute - also typical koala pose! They are like lions - asleep nearly all the time. I have seen them active once - on Kangeroo Island - and some school kids started poking thenm with sticks - I went straight into teacher mode and they quickly left!!

Nice shot.

James

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 540 W: 39 N: 947] (3120)
  • [2008-04-24 15:51]

Hi Sue,

Lovely shot of one of our native creatures have to agree with Paulh looks a little soft may be the 1/8th of a sec hand held was enough to introduce some shutter motion, did you use a tripod? But all the same 10/10 for the cuteness factor, there are beautiful, this is well framed and composed.

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2674 W: 67 N: 9151] (28608)
  • [2008-04-24 21:10]

Hello Sue

What a wonderful capture.This is a gem!
Excellent POV and DOF.
The composition is superb.
A heart warming shot that is fun to look at.
TFS

Rob

Hello Sue,
Perfect size posting of this cute fellow to enjoy the closeness in perfect sharpness, beautiful colour and superb details!
very good exposure and focus in the shot
well done
greeting across the Tasman
cheers
Tony

a perfect timing for this lovely
capture,the nice pose in the sleep
thanks for sharing,Sue

greetings sERGIO

Bonjour Sue,

Adorable spécimen,bravo pour cette présentation.
Merci pour le partage.
Joseph

Hi Sue,

I just love cuddly animals like these, and this cute koala is going into my favorites :-)
I like how you've captured it sleeping like this, beautiful shot, thanks for sharing!

Greetings, Nel

  • Great 
  • inked Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 125 W: 0 N: 213] (634)
  • [2008-04-27 16:49]

Hi Sue,
great shot of this cute Koala. Really nice composition and sleepy pose.. nice furry details. Well focused. Nice natural looking pic. well done and tfs
Gethin

Hi Sue,
This is really a cute image!
TFS
Mark

  • Great 
  • Helio Silver Star Critiquer [C: 20 W: 0 N: 4] (264)
  • [2008-04-30 16:03]

Very cute sleeping baby bear.....

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2298 W: 58 N: 4010] (13114)
  • [2008-05-01 1:21]

Hi Sue,
How cute and innocent he looks :o)) Pose you've captured is lovely. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

  • Great 
  • eleana Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 203 W: 81 N: 70] (2105)
  • [2008-05-06 14:04]

Wow Sue! I think you are really lucky that can see such pretty animals by own eyes! Nice photo with beautiful "model" :)
Best wishes from Ukraine,
Elena

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1070 W: 0 N: 1612] (7022)
  • [2008-05-17 2:33]

hello Sue,
It is just too cute. Impossible to resist to this little fellow.
Thanks for this touching picture
Best regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1249 W: 103 N: 4148] (18897)
  • [2008-05-17 7:57]

Hello Sue! Wow that's a fine capture! I really like the tight crop and the details, well seen and done, thanks!

Mario

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