Koala : a natural history and an uncertain future

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Clode, Danielle

Edition:

First American edition.

Physical Description:

xii, 322 pages : illustration, map ; 24 cm.

General Note:

"First published in Australia in 2022 as Koala: A Life in Trees by Black Inc., an imprint of Schwartz Books Pty Ltd."

Summary:

"A biologist takes us into the still mysterious world of koalas, from their marsupial ancestors to current threats to their existence. Koalas are one of the most beloved animals, but despite their celebrity, we are just learning much about their nature and history. Blending evolutionary biology, natural history, and ecology, biologist Danielle Clode tells us the story of these amazing marsupials. She looks at fossils of ancestral giant koalas three times modern koalas' size and explains why they are the lone survivor of a once diverse family tree. Clode investigates their nature-often affectionate but can also be belligerent-and their physiology-from their pouches to their gut bacteria, which can only digest leaves of the species of gum tree they were raised on. She also warns about the danger koalas have been in as humans have impinged on their habitats through land clearance and urban development. Now, Australia's explosive wildfires threaten them each summer, killing and harming them as never before. Clode takes us close to these extraordinary creatures and speaks to why and how we need to save them"--

Contents:

PART I - INTO THE WOODS -- Koalas Rare and Plenty -- PART II - FROM FOSSILS AND BONES -- Dropbears in the Family -- The Lakes District -- From the Gulf to the Sea -- A Giant at the Foot of the World -- PART III - LIFE IN THE FOREST -- Anatomy of a Climber -- The Eucalypt Empire -- You Are What You Eat -- The Guts of the Problem -- PART IV - A LIFE IN REFLECTION -- From Pouch to Piggyback -- Sociable Loners -- When It's Smart to Be Slow -- Sensory Overload -- PART V - EVERYTHING CHANGES -- Koalas Far and Wide -- A New Arrival -- The English Annexation -- War and Guns -- Saving the Koala -- PART VI - FUTURE TENSE -- Sex, Disease and Genetic Diversity -- Expansion and Retreat -- Under Fire -- In a Perfect World.

Subject Term:

Koalas -- Australia.

Koalas -- Australia -- Ecology.

Koalas -- Australia -- Habitat.

Publication Info:

New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2023.

Uniform Title:

Koala, a life in trees

Subject:

Koalas -- Australia.

Koalas -- Australia -- Ecology.

Koalas -- Australia -- Habitat.

Koala bears

Koala

Phascolarctos cinereus

SAILS ISBN:

9781324036838

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Attleboro Public Library	599.25 CLO	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fairhaven-Millicent	599.2 CLO 2023	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fiske Public Library	599.25 CLODE	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	599.25 CLODE	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	599.2 CLOD	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Koalas regularly appeared in Australian biologist Danielle Clode's backyard, but it was only when a bushfire threatened that she truly paid them attention. She soon realized how much she had to learn about these complex and mysterious animals.

In vivid, descriptive prose, Clode embarks on a delightful and surprising journey through evolutionary biology, natural history, and ecology to understand where these enigmatic animals came from and what their future may hold. She begins her search with the fossils of ancient giant koalas, delving into why the modern koala has become the lone survivor of a once-diverse family of uniquely Australian marsupials.

Koala investigates the remarkable physiology of these charismatic creatures. Born the size of tiny "jellybeans," joeys face an uphill battle, from crawling into their mother's pouch to being weaned onto a toxic diet of gum-tree leaves, the koalas' single source of food.

Clode explores the complex relationship and unexpected connections between this endearing species and humans. She explains how koalas are simultaneously threatened with extinction in some areas due to disease, climate change, and increasing wildfires, while overpopulating forests in other parts of the country.

Deeply researched and filled with wonder, Koala is both a tender and inquisitive paean to a species unlike any other and a call to ensure its survival.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Koalas "deserve better than to be simultaneously patronised as fluffy children's toys and left to suffer from increasing diseases in ever-reducing habitats," according to this entertaining paean to the marsupials. Australian biologist Clode (Voyages to the South Seas) digs into the evolution, biology, and behavior of koalas, examining their prehistoric ancestors, how marsupial brains differ from other mammal brains, and why some koalas appear drawn to humans. She highlights the creatures' extraordinary senses and notes that they are one of the few animals known to have fingerprints, which may enhance their ability to sense vibrations. Acute hearing enables males to detect whether a rival is larger based on the frequency of its bellow, obviating the need to engage in physical competition for territory. Warning of the dangers that climate change poses for the animals, Clode reports that forest fires over the past several years have killed off a large chunk of the species and that because koalas don't molt, they struggle to make it through the hot summers. Research offers an insightful peek into the world of koalas and makes a persuasive case that though they've been underestimated, koalas must not be taken for granted. Like Leila Philip's Beaverland, this is the outing animal lovers didn't know they needed. (Jan.)

Kirkus Review

Koalas are an icon of Australian wildlife, but there is much more to them than meets the eye. Even in a country filled with peculiar creatures, the koala stands out as one of the oddest. Cute and (largely) inoffensive, they attract attention from locals and tourists alike, but there is still a great deal of mystery about their lives. Australian biologist Clode, who has long been fascinated by koalas, sets out to fill some of the gaps, combining her own observations with the work of experts and researchers. Perhaps the strangest thing about the animals is that their diet consists almost exclusively of eucalyptus leaves, which are poisonous to most animals. However, notes the author, they have strong teeth that thoroughly grind the leaves as well as a remarkably complex liver. Clode sees koalas as a wonder of evolution in their suitability to the arboreal life. They seem to be designed for sitting in trees, with toughened skin on their rumps, and their hands--not paws, insists Clode--have an extra thumb, useful for climbing and gripping. There is, however, a downside to specialization. Even small changes to their environment can be devastating. For decades, it looked as if koalas might become extinct due to land clearing and bushfires, but laws to protect their habitats and innovative relocation programs have seen their numbers increase to sustainable levels. Some have even migrated into suburban parks. In a few areas, writes Clode, the problem is overpopulation, with so many of them that the food sources are depleted. In other areas, the numbers remain low, and the reasons are unclear. Diseases, particularly a dangerous strain of chlamydia, are a constant threat. Nevertheless, they seem to be a remarkably resilient species. In this charming and intelligent narrative, we get the sense that people will be happily interacting with koalas for a long time to come. A vivid journey into a fascinating corner of the natural world. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Cuddly koalas may be ubiquitous in children's literature, but there aren't that many adult tales out there, a situation that author and animal behavior specialist Clode seeks to redress in this engaging, authoritative overview. Koalas, a genetically unique Australian marsupial, were generally ignored for centuries but are now the subject of international convocations. Clode reviews current research findings on their origins, migration patterns, life cycles, historic and contemporary interactions with humans, conservation efforts, and chances of survival in the face of climate change and habitat loss (it's estimated that as much as 40 percent of Australia's koala population perished in the 2021 wildfires). Clode shares enlightening details about her numerous interactions with koalas, including encounters in the wild, zoos, animal sanctuaries, and her own backyard. She interviews experts ranging from animal biologists and park rangers to Indigenous storytellers, bringing in elements of Australia's social and political history as she describes how koala populations have migrated and adapted. She ends on a cautiously positive note, giving hope that koalas will be around for future generations.

Library Journal Review

Award-winning Australian biologist Clode frequently spotted koalas in her backyard but began studying them in earnest when they were threatened by wildfire. Here she charts the evolutionary biology and ecology of the beloved but endangered koala, the only survivor of a once-diverse family of uniquely Australian marsupials.