Is it illegal in the state of California to have a pet Koala?

Question

Because i really want one as soon as possible and i want it as a baby so i can train it will it's young

well thanx for you answers i shall give best answer to the one how gave me the most logical answer and did a lot of research.Well i guess i'll be getting me a cute white scottish terrier

Answer 1

Koala eating eucalyptus leavesThe Koala lives almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves. This is likely to be an evolutionary adaptation that takes advantage of an otherwise unfilled ecological niche, since eucalyptus leaves are low in protein, high in indigestible substances, and contain phenolic and terpene compounds that are toxic to most species. Like wombats and sloths, the Koala has a very low metabolic rate for a mammal (which conserves energy) and rests motionless for about 19 hours a day, sleeping most of that time. Koalas spend about 3 of their 5 active hours eating. It feeds at any time of day, but usually at night. An average Koala eats 500 grams of eucalyptus leaves each day, chewing them in its powerful jaws to a very fine paste before swallowing. The liver deactivates the toxic components ready for excretion, and the hind gut (especially the caecum) is greatly enlarged to extract the maximum amount of nutrient from the poor quality diet. Much of this is done through bacterial fermentation: when young are being weaned, the mother passes unusually soft faeces, called pap, which is rich in these bacteria, thus passing these essential digestive aids onto her offspring. The Koala will eat the leaves of a wide range of eucalyptus, and occasionally even some exotic species, but it has firm preferences for particular varieties. These preferences vary from one region to another: in the south Manna Gum, Blue Gum and Swamp Gum are favoured; Grey Gum and Tallowwood are important in the north, and the ubiquitous River Red Gum of the isolated seasonal swamps and watercourses that meander across the dry inland plains allows the Koala to exist in surprisingly arid areas. Many factors determine which of the 800 species of eucalyptus trees the Koala eats. Among trees of their favourite species, however, the major factor that determines which individual trees the Koala chooses is the concentration of a group of phenolic toxins called formylated phloroglucinol compounds.


Habitat & Diet
'Habitat' refers to the types of bushland that koalas like to live in. They are found in a range of habitats, from coastal islands and tall eucalypt forests to low woodlands inland.

Koalas today 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.

A ‘home range’ consists of a number of ‘home range trees’ and ‘food trees’ which comprise the long-term territory of the individual koala. These trees provide the koala with food, shelter and places for social contact which will support it for the term of its natural life (assuming there is no habitat clearing).

A home range varies in size depending on the habitat quality of bushland. Habitat quality can be measured in terms of the density of key food trees. "Home range trees" define the boundaries of the individual koala’s home range and can be likened to surveyors pegs marking the extent of a property. They are not always apparent to the human eye, but koalas can tell whether a tree ‘belongs’ to another koala or not. Within a socially stable group, the home ranges of individual koalas overlap with those of their neighbours. It is in the shared, overlapping trees that the majority of social interaction takes place. These are very important trees.

Koala populations only occur if suitable habitat is available and because Koala's are very fussy eaters and have strong preferences for different types of gumleaves, then the most important factor which make habitats suitable are the presence of tree species preferred by koalas (usually eucalypts, but also some non-eucalypts) growing in particular associations on suitable soils with adequate rainfall.

Research has shown that socially stable koala populations occur only when there are favourite tree species present. Even if a selection of tree species known to be used by koalas occurs within an area, the koala population will not use it unless one or two favourite species are available.

In Australia there are over 600 types of eucalypts, but koalas will not eat a large proportion of these. 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.

Different species of eucalypts grow in different parts of Australia, so a koala in Victoria would have a very different diet from one in Queensland. Koalas like a change, too, and sometimes they will eat from other trees such as wattle or tea tree.

Eucalyptus leaves are very fibrous and low in nutrition, and to most animals are extremely poisonous. To cope with such a diet, nature has equipped koalas with specialised adaptations. A very slow metabolic rate allows koalas to retain food within their digestive system for a relatively long period of time, maximising the amount of energy able to be extracted. At the same time, this slow metabolic rate minimises energy requirements and they will sleep for up to 18 hours per day in order to conserve energy.

Each koala eats approximately 200 to 500 grams of leaves per day. The teeth are adapted to deal with for this. The sharp front incisors nip the leaves from the branches and the molars(back teeth) are shaped to allow the koala to cut and shear the leaves rather than just crush them. A gap between the incisors and the molars, called a 'diastema', allows the tongue to move the mass of leaves around the mouth efficiently.


Breeding
The main characteristics of marsupials which differentiate them from other mammals is that they give birth to immature young which then develop further in a pouch. The word 'marsupial' comes from the Latin word marsupium, meaning 'pouch.' Most, but not all marsupials have a pouch in which to raise their young.

The breeding season for koalas runs roughly from September to March. This is a time of increased activity, and sound levels increase as males bellow more frequently. This is also when the young from the previous year are weaning from their mothers.

Females generally start breeding at about three or four years of age and usually produce only one offspring each year. However, not all females in a wild population will breed each year. Some produce offspring only every two or three years, depending on factors such as the age of the female and the quality of its habitat. In the average female's life span of about twelve years, this means that one female may produce only 5 or 6 offspring over her lifetime.

Once a female has conceived, it is only 34-36 days before the birth of the new baby, called a "joey". The tiny baby which is roughly 2 centimetres long and weighs less than 1 gram, looks rather like a pink jellybean as it is totally hairless, blind and has no ears.

The joey makes its way from the birth canal to the pouch completely unaided, relying on its already well-developed senses of smell and touch, strong forelimbs and claws and an amazing sense of direction. Once inside the safety of the pouch, it attaches itself to one of the two teats, which swells to fill its mouth. This prevents the joey from being dislodged from its source of food. The mother contracts her strong sphincter muscle at the pouch opening to prevent the baby from falling out.

The young koala drinks only mother's milk for the first six to seven months and remains in the pouch for that time, slowly growing and developing eyes, ears, fur etc. At about 22 weeks, its eyes open and it begins to peep out of the pouch. From about 22 to 30 weeks, it begins to feed upon a substance called "pap" which the mother produces in addition to milk. Pap is a specialised form of faeces, or droppings, which forms an important part of the young koala's diet, allowing it to make the transition from milk to eucalyptus leaves, rather like a human baby is fed "mushy" food when it starts to eat solids. Pap is soft and runny and thought to come from the caecum(a blind ended pouch at the junction of the small and large intestines). It allows the mother to pass on micro-organisms present in her own digestive system which are essential to the digestion of eucalyptus leaves.It is also a rich source of protein.

The joey leans out of the pouch opening on the centre of the mother's abdomen to feed on the pap, stretching it open towards the source of the pap. The baby feeds regularly on the pap and as it grows it emerges totally from the pouch and lies on its mother's belly to feed. Eventually it begins to feed upon fresh leaves as it rides on her back. The young koala continues to take milk from its mother until it is about a year old, but as it can no longer fit in the pouch, the mother's teat elongates to protrude from the pouch opening. Young koalas remain with their mothers until the appearance outside the pouch of the next season's joey. It is then time for the previous year's joey to wean and find its own home range. If a female does not reproduce each year, the joey stays with her longer and has a greater chance of survival when it does leave its mother.

Females generally live longer than males as the males are more often injured during fights, they tend to travel longer distances with the resulting increase in risks such as cars and dogs, and they more often occupy poorer habitat. Putting a life span on the average koala can be misleading because some survive only for a period of weeks or months, while others survive to old age. Koalas living in an undisturbed habitat would have a greater life expectancy than those living in suburbia. Some estimates for the average life-span of an adult wild male koala are ten years, but the average survival rate for a dispersing sub-adult male living near a highway or a housing estate is closer to two or three years.

There are always some transient animals who hang around the edges of stable groups. They are usually young males and will often drift between breeding aggregations waiting for an opportunity to become a permanent resident.



maybe you read about animals before you want one and you never could take care of a koala, they should be stay in the wild


its interessting someone gave me a thumb down, just wondering why, its because i did a lot of research in the net to answer a question?if they don't appreciate the work then its better never to use this side here again and trying to help people

Answer 2

Koalas are not on the endangered species list. They are currently listed as vulnerable. The San Diego Zoo has koalas and they successfully breed them, but they grow their own eucalyptus/gum trees. Koalas only eat some types of gum leaves, and in order to keep them healthy they must be offered at least 3 varieties a day. I believe that the Columbus Zoo found it too difficult and expensive to provide that for them, and gave up their koalas a few years ago. Koalas, contrary to what you might think, are neither smelly...they smell pretty much like what they eat. Nor are they aggressive unless threatened. I have raised and rescued many koalas, including some very large males, and have only been bitten once, and that was while I was checking the teeth of a large male in order to determine his age.It isn't likely that anyone in the US would be permitted to keep a koala without proper zoo permits. It's not something that is permitted even in Australia except for zoos and wildlife parks.

Answer 3

Last I knew, it is illegal to have a pet koala in the USA. This may have changed. The best place to ask is the Department of Fish and Game. If it is not, they can direct you to where you can get a permit. All owners of wild animals in the US are required to have a permit to keep the animal. Remember that koalas have a very specific diet. You would have to import food for it and they eat fairly large quantities for their size. They are not very active or playful and spend much of the day sleeping. They need to because they do not get much energy from their food. Waking them is not good for them as it causes them to use too much energy. You really wouldn't get to spend much time playing with it or training it. They are not cuddly animals anyway. They can be VERY aggressive and inflict severe wounds if they feel threatened or annoyed. Overall, they are not the best choice for a pet, especially if you have not done alot of research. If you want something you can train, I recommend a puppy or kitten. If you want something different, get a ferret. No matter what you choose, do your research first.

Answer 4

Koalas come under the heading of Exotic Animals. It's illegal for a private party to own an exotic animal anywhere in the U.S. You must not have seen many wildlife documentaries about Koalas. They just "look" cute and cuddly. But they're definitely not "pet material".

Answer 5

Yes, I'm pretty sure a koala counts as an "exotic" or "wild" animal, so it isn't allowed as a pet. Baby koalas can't live without their mothers, so you wouldn't be able to have a baby koala anyway.
Any wild animal is really hard to train... you'd have much better luck with a puppy or kitten, you can train them to do all sorts of cute things.

Answer 6

It's illegal, and it's also stupid. Koala's are not the least bit cuddly no matter how they're raised, they're extremely aggressive towards humans, and oh by the way, they live in tall trees. Leave the poor wild animals alone for crying out loud. Stop trying to be cute and get a cat.

Answer 7

Koala's are protected,it's illegal in Austarlia to even hold one,unless you work at a zoo or sanctuary. They only eat leaves from a eucalyptus tree (were would you get that?)
Australia only lets zoo's around the world to have them,you would never be able to get one unless it's smuggled in.

Answer 8

Bad idea
U see his fukn teeth opens so widely man that thing is wild and could be dangerous to bite human. These fukers belong in wild tall tree. Like sum1 mentioned here. Only tall wild trees they belong
Bottom line.
Get a turtle instead.

Answer 9

I live in australia and we are not allowed them as pets, they are endangered and you could not give them proper care.
they need heaps of eucalyptus tree's as they only eat this and i'm thinking you don't have 10 or more in your garden at this particular time.

Answer 10

I suspect they are...also, since they eat eucalyptis leaves almost exclusively, food might be a problem...also, they are very, very dirty and smell quite bad...may want to re-think your choices or research them to be sure.

Answer 11

don't know but would assume so since ferrets are illegal there