As many (if not all) of you know, Australia is on fire! One of the major concerns are the animals at risk, including Koalas. I decided today's Daily Doodle would be about Koalas, and I could also make sure to leave a link on where you can donate if you'd like to help.
First things first, these fires... They're devastating. A true animal lover and animal expert I have met and follow is Corbin Maxey, he has a podcast called Animals to the Max, and I trust him to know where donations can make the most impact. Visit his site for more detailed information about the fires and where you can send money to help.
Now for the lighter side of things, Koalas and their sleeping habits... Koalas are known to be cute and fuzzy! But did you know they sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day! Their diet consists of eucalyptus which has toxins making it difficult to digest. Koalas sleep for many hours of the day in order to conserve their energy.
There is a rumor going around that Koalas are basically drug addicts and the toxins in eucalyptus gets them "high". However, savethekoala.com says no, in fact it does not get them high, just that the toxins are difficult to digest... I'm in the boat that says, "how do you know if the Koalas are high, or seeing crazy colors (do Koalas see color?!), or if the Koalas like the eucalyptus because it makes them feel funny?!"
Bottom line, eucalyptus being toxic, high in fibrous material and low in nutritional value are some reasons Koalas sleep so much. Actually, Koalas and gliders are the only two mammals who can tolerate the toxins in gumleaves! Crazy right?
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