The Koala: Natural History, Conservation and Management

Front Cover
UNSW Press, 1999 - Nature - 132 pages
Perhaps the most long-awaited new edition in the Australian Natural History Series, this is a substantially different book from the previous edition by Tony Lee and Roger Martin. The contents cover the history of the koala; its distribution and abundance; nutrition; behaviour, sociality and life cycle; predators, parasites and pathogens; population biology; and conservation and management. Illustrations are widely used including eight pages of colour plates. The book places a strong emphasis on conservation and management issues, and candidly addresses issues of koala overpopulation in such.
 

Contents

INTRODUCTION
1
The need for a natural history of koalas
7
BEHAVIOUR SOCIALITY
8
Mythological history
14
DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE
28
Current distribution of the koala 29 Changes in koala
36
The constraints of herbivory 43 The koala digestive system
46
LIFE CYCLE
51
Sexual and physical maturity 68 Longevity
69
Chlamydial infection in koala populations
75
KOALA POPULATION BIOLOGY
83
Chlamydiafree populations 84 Fecundity levels and the rate
99
Legal status 103 Habitat loss 104 Disease
107
Management options 112 Management
119
INDEX
129
Copyright

Scent marking 54 The call of the koala 56 The breeding
62

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