Following on the koala anatomy anomalies I've chosen a photo of a very male koala who is clearly showing the scent gland that runs down the centre of their chests.
The musky aroma the sticky cologne it exudes has two uses.
1. It marks their territory. The lads will hold a tree trunk and rub their chest up and down, often doing this at the bottom of a tree before climbing. So the smell tells other koalas that he considers it his.
2. The smell attracts females during the mating season.
So the theory is that the same smell will warn other guys that the territory is occupied and will advertise how sexy he is to the girls.
To us it just looks like a nasty brown stain that runs right down the centre of the chest.
Yep Clinger in this photo is eating a baby tree that really would have been better off left alone! (the tree guard has now been removed and he can't climb into it)
@hermann you are welcome Sally :) once you see the scent gland it's really obvious when you see a clear female chest indeed! Clinger features in a lot of my photos as he seems to pretty much live on the property permanently. Koalas have a large range, but with all the thousands of young trees coming up here Clinger seems to have decided to simply make a claim and stay.
I do get quite a few other males here, they don't usually share territory so well but again maybe there is enough feed to satisfy them easily.
@onlyme111@kathyladley@happysnaps@cocobella@alia_801
Thank you everyone for enjoying, commenting and favs!
That day I was in two minds. Should I make a noise and shoo him away from the young trees, or watch and document him...
I lay on the grass for about 45 minutes and took photos and video as he moved between 8 young trees. His behaviour was so fascinating :)
@gilbertwood He really likes the young trees, but now the guards have been removed he is leaving these really little ones alone. Actually these trees have looked a bit sad and stunted for so long and it wasn't until I saw this that I realised why! They are starting to recover now :)
Good shot of Clinger eating that poor tree. Thanks for all the interesting information, If i meet a koala in Sherwood forest I'll know if its male or female.
I do get quite a few other males here, they don't usually share territory so well but again maybe there is enough feed to satisfy them easily.
Thank you everyone for enjoying, commenting and favs!
That day I was in two minds. Should I make a noise and shoo him away from the young trees, or watch and document him...
I lay on the grass for about 45 minutes and took photos and video as he moved between 8 young trees. His behaviour was so fascinating :)