Findings from a feeding study of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) at the San Francisco Zoo

摘要

AbstractThe feeding behavior of four captive adult koalas was investigated at the San Francisco Zoo. This study examined the correlations between koala preference for selectedEucalyptusspecies and the nutritional and chemical components of those species. The total grams ofEucalyptusleaves consumed daily per animal were not significantly different, averaging 400 grams. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in consumption of the nine differentEucalyptusspecies across the 16‐day feeding study. Significant differences in chemical composition (percent) were found among allEucalyptusspecies examined. There was a significant positive correlation (P= 0.04) between quantity of a givenEucalyptusspecies consumed and crude protein level. A significant negative correlation was found between consumption and ADF (P= 0.01). No overall group pattern of correlation emerged between koala consumption andEucalyptusessential oil content, although there were associations between individual koalas and certain essential oils (including cineole). The results suggest that it may not be the amount of an oil that determinedEucalyptusselection by the koalas, but rather the presence of a single oil or a combination of oils in the leaves. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss,