A really great capture with them in a line like that. Seems like koala mom's have an intense but short mothering time. Hard to believe how quickly the little one is becoming independent.
@gardencat yeah, when you consider raising one joey it is kind of short and intense. when you consider that once they have that first joey, they pretty much are never without a joey until they die, it feels a bit different. by the time this one separates from Ellie in the next couple of months, she will have mated again and will either be pregnant (only 25 days length) or have the next joey in pouch. and so it will roll over year after year much the same.
They don't usually even get the retirement of menopause, but tend to breed until the end (I've had girls older than 12 and 15 have their last joey and basically die at the end of raising that one).
Intense is really the word isn't it?
I was reading your description about koala mothers above and thought, "wow- talk about a 'woman's work is never done'"! No wonder Ellie looks exhausted.
They don't usually even get the retirement of menopause, but tend to breed until the end (I've had girls older than 12 and 15 have their last joey and basically die at the end of raising that one).
Intense is really the word isn't it?