How Do Koalas Drink? Not the Way You Might Think

How Do Koalas Drink? Not the Way You Might Think
Australia's famous mascot is now on the "vulnerable" list as eucalyptus forests, which koalas depend on for food, are being cut down. Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times
Reuters
Updated:

Scientists have solved a lingering mystery about koala behavior - how these tree-dwelling marsupials native to Australia consume enough water to live.

A new study describes koala drinking behavior in the wild for the first time, finding that they lick water running down the smooth surface of tree trunks during rainfall - a phenomenon called “stemflow” - and do not rely merely on the water content of the leaves that make up their diet.