Higgins Alexis L, Bercovitch Fred B, Tobey Jennifer R, Andrus Chris Hamlin
San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California 92027, USA.
Zoo Biol. 2011 Jan-Feb;30(1):52-8. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20312.
Koalas specialize on Eucalyptus leaves, but also feed selectively. Food choice is not random, but depends on various factors that are not well understood, although most research has focused on the role of secondary plant compounds. We studied the feeding choices of four adult male koalas housed at the San Diego Zoo. All subjects had a choice of nine types of Eucalyptus leaves over the eight-week study. The most preferred species was E. camuldulensis, but individual males exhibited different feeding preferences. We conclude that food selectivity among koalas is probably due to multiple factors, rather than only a consequence of secondary plant chemicals. A combination of intrinsic factors, such as developmental trajectory and reproductive state, as well as extrinsic factors, such as leaf chemical fingerprint and moisture, probably interact to shape koala foraging preferences. Koalas forage almost exclusively on Eucalyptus species, but have evolved an adaptive flexibility, enabling them to exploit various Eucalyptus species.
考拉专门以桉树叶为食，但也会有选择性地进食。食物选择并非随机，而是取决于多种尚未被充分理解的因素，尽管大多数研究都集中在植物次生化合物的作用上。我们研究了圣地亚哥动物园里四只成年雄性考拉的进食选择。在为期八周的研究中，所有受试考拉都可以在九种桉树叶中进行选择。最受青睐的品种是赤桉，但不同的雄性个体表现出不同的进食偏好。我们得出结论，考拉的食物选择性可能是多种因素导致的，而不只是植物次生化学物质作用的结果。内在因素（如发育轨迹和繁殖状态）与外在因素（如树叶的化学特征和湿度）的结合，可能共同作用形成了考拉的觅食偏好。考拉几乎只以桉属植物为食，但已经进化出了适应性灵活性，使它们能够利用各种桉属植物。
