Koala Babies Eat Poop
Discover how a mother koala prepares her baby's digestive system for an adult diet by feeding them her special poop! Baby Koala eats mother's poo - Animal Super Parents: Episode 1 Preview. Think koalas are cute? Think again. Here are five gross facts about koalas.
Number 1. Baby koalas, called joeys, eat their mothers' poop. For the first six months or so after they're born.
Baby Koala Eating Poop
As gross as it is, baby koalas don't just eat their mother's poop for fun. This facet of their diet is actually an important part of their young gut microbiome. In humans, we acquire gut bacteria essential for processing certain foods immediately after birth, according to the American Museum of Natural History.
Koalas need gut bacteria for processing their diet as well, but require a little. Koala moms make their kids eat poo. It's for their own good.
Why Koalas Choose to Feed Their Babies Poop: The Surprising Reason ...
Eucalyptus has toxins that babies can't digest, so moms help them out. It may sound gross, but for baby koalas, eating mom's poop is a crucial rite of passage. Known as "papping," this odd behavior isn't just expected-it's necessary for survival.
Do baby koalas eat their mums poo? Baby koalas, called joeys, eat their mothers' poop. She releases some normal poop pellets, followed by a runnier, protein-rich substance, called pap. The pap helps the baby grow, and is full of the mom's gut bacteria, which could help prepare the joey for its adult diet of eucalyptus leaves.
Baby Koala Eating Poop
Image by Rebecca Tregear from Pixabay You might already know that koalas carry their babies in a pouch just like kangaroos but did you know a Koala baby's first solid food is their mother's poop? This is the kind of startling information you want to have handy in your back pocket for when the conversation starts to lag at your next work social function or neighborhood cocktail party. The. Why do mama koalas feed their babies poop? A fascinating nugget of information, new every day.
Here, they both feed and hide out from predators. These are unusual little animals with an even more unusual way of nurturing their young. Let's uncover how mother koalas help their babies' gut health in a less-than-appetizing way!
