Beautiful Hidden beach in South Goa

Cola is a stunningly beautiful hidden beach in South Goa that very few tourists know of. This is so remote that it feels like a private beach. It remains hidden by thick vegetation, palm trees, and hilly terrain.

On my recent trip to Goa  I chose to explore South Goa. Cola is a perfect choice to escape from the crowded beaches and the hustle and bustle of city life.

Our journey to Cola Beach began with a one-hour drive from Varca Beach (South Goa) which is 28 km from Cola Beach. This beach is 16 km from Palolem, which is further south. Getting to Cola isn’t very easy, to put it simply. The sign boards are non-existent. Just to make you aware, there is an unpaved off-road with bumpy rock formations, with red mud all over, that stick out along the path. Hence, coming here only in the day is advised.

But this arduous road to Cola Beach is what’s kept Cola Beach a serene, clean and pristine hidden oasis. The journey to Cola Beach helps filter out the crowds. 

However, by the time you get there you will know it is worth the trip! And you will very likely agree that it’s the best beach in South Goa!

The beach is divided into two parts – North Cola and South Cola, with a small hill separating the two. North Cola mainly draws tourists because of its beautiful lagoon. Trees and hills make this beach more beautiful.

Swimming is relatively safe. But remember, the depth changes abruptly and there are rocks on the bed of the Arabian Sea. So, it is best to stay close to the shore. And most times, there are no lifeguards on the beach.

The blue lagoon is the highlight of Cola beach. This is what distinguishes Cola from the other beaches of Goa. There is a small creek that comes out from the thick vegetation and meets the Arabian Sea here, but just before the confluence it forms a fresh water lagoon. I imagine it’s called an emerald lagoon because of its clear green colours and its calm swimmable waters. The lagoon is enclosed by tall palm trees and lush verdant borders along its canal. You can also go kayaking and fishing here. Just beside the lagoon, you will find couple of places that serve drinks and food.

Dolphin

Known for their playfulness and intelligence, dolphins live a very interesting life. But how long do dolphins live on average, and what types of dolphins live the longest? Their lifespan varies depending on age and species, but they enjoy life to the fullest. 

In this article, we will discuss some of the longest living dolphins and what their lifespan looks like. We will also talk about the average dolphin life cycle, from birth to old age. Finally, we will discuss some of the oldest living dolphins known to us today. Let’s get started! 

How Long Do Dolphins Live?

Dolphins live an average of 10-20 years in the wild, though they are thought to live much longer in captivity. The average lifespan of a dolphin also depends greatly on the species. For example, bottlenose dolphins live closer to 15 years in the wild on average, while orcas live closer to ten. 

Wild dolphins have very complex lives. They travel nearly 100 miles per day in their pod, and these pods are made up of dozens of dolphins. They travel in larger groups to protect themselves from predators and other enemies, such as sharks. 

For the most part however, dolphins are at the top of their food chain in the ocean. They consume fish daily, and communicate with one another using a variety of clicks and whistles, along with echolocation. Dolphins are known for being extremely intelligent, especially in regards to their social communication and understanding. 

The Average Dolphin Life Cycle

You may be surprised to learn about what life is like for a dolphin as a young calf, and even how things progress for them as they age. Whether they are in the wild or born in captivity, dolphins have a very similar life cycle. Let’s dive in.

Newborn, or Calf 

It takes a mother dolphin 12 months before her calf will be born. Dolphins know how to swim immediately after being born, as they are born in the water and live in the water full time. A baby dolphin or calf will need to feed extensively during its first week of life, often needing its mother’s milk two to four times an hour. 

Young dolphins are taught to swim behind their mother so that they can take advantage of slipstreams in the water. This helps them learn how to become strong swimmers without slowing the rest of the pod down. They will need nutrition from their mother for the first full year of their life, if not longer. 

Adolescent Dolphin

Despite still needing nutrition from their mother’s milk, most dolphins begin to eat crustaceans and other fish starting around the age of 6 months. However, once they approach a year of age, they are playful, strong swimmers, and proper members of their pod.

Dolphins take significantly longer to reach sexual maturity than many other species. It can take the average dolphin 5 to 10 years to reach sexual maturity, with female dolphins maturing faster than male dolphins. 

Adolescent dolphins will continue to grow until they reach sexual maturity, and by that point they will be their full size. The average dolphin in the wild grows to be anywhere between 7 to 8 feet in length and over 300 pounds!

Adult Dolphin

Adult dolphins are polyamorous, meaning they don’t mate for life. They are also one of the few animals that mate for fun, not just for species reproduction. Adult bottlenose dolphins swim an average of 2 miles per hour, unless they are hunting or otherwise swimming quickly. Then, they are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour. 

Many adult dolphins live to see the age of 7 to 10 years old. However, fishing is a huge threat to wild dolphins, and there is much debate as to whether or not captivity is good for dolphins. They are extremely social, and denying them their natural pod or family situation can potentially be harmful for their health. 

Dolphin Spirit Animal

 Dolphins are so intelligent that some people think they’re smarter than humans. If you’re drawn to the dolphin as your spirit animal, it means that you’re almost always the smartest person in the room. What are some other dolphin spirit animal symbolisms and meanings?

Every ocean and some rivers play host to a dolphin. This means that dolphin energy isn’t afraid to appear in your life whenever you need it, regardless of what’s happening. Since dolphins are so dynamic, their appearance may speak to more than one need.

While it isn’t exactly delphinology to discuss dolphin spirit animals, their symbolism and meaning are still vitally important if you’re called by dolphin energy. We’ll discuss it now.

Dolphin Spirit Animal Symbolism

Dolphin symbols come in different forms. Since dolphins are not an occurrence in terrestrial life, a dolphin spirit animal may communicate through objects, sounds, and media. If you’re noticing dolphin objects or information, the dolphin may be your spirit animal.

Dolphins are intelligent and playful. They’re often symbolized playing because they embody good humor and fun for no other reason than enjoyment. You’ll sometimes see playing dolphin symbols during this time which reaffirms to you that leisure is necessary.

Dolphins represent rebirth. Seeing dolphin symbols on objects during quiet moments means you’re about to have a life-changing shift in thinking. You may be on the cusp of a personal renaissance.

If you’ve been wondering if you just went through a reliable shift in thinking, encountering dolphin symbolism regularly in any way should be seen as a reaffirmation of your new paradigm. You did, in fact, experience a rebirth that is trustworthy.

Dolphin Spirit Animal Meaning

Dolphin symbols have deeper meanings that need to be pondered if the dolphin is your spirit animal. Taking on a dolphin as your spirit animal also goes beyond symbolism and speaks directly to your personality. Certain traits are common in individuals guided by dolphin energy.

The Positives

Dolphins are sometimes saviors. They keep sharks away from people stranded in the water, and sometimes they bring these people back to the shores or their ship. They’re capable of displaying genuine goodness.

A pod of dolphins was once seen guiding confused whales. These whales in New Zealand were beached and disoriented, and dolphins showed up to corral them together and lead them back out to sea.

Dolphins fiercely love the members of their pods. Pregnant dolphins and mothers with calves are protected by the other members of their group. The injured are also protected and fed.

Those with dolphin energy can infect other people with love. People trust that you love them, and you give people the benefit of the doubt in loving you. It’s easy for you to nurture anyone that you’ve decided is special to you.

The Negatives

Dolphins are very mean to certain animals. This gives them just a touch of evilness. They’re also deviously playful when the mood strikes them. 

This playful negativity is driven by their ability to fearlessly protect their own against predators like orcas. They will fight without hesitation instead of running away from a confrontation.

It’s easy for those with dolphin energy to get confused about the nature of aggression. If the dolphin is your spirit animal, you need to understand your rage and what causes it. Otherwise, you may misuse it and inadvertently traumatize others.

Are Dolphins a Good Omen?

Dolphins are considered good omens. Sailors have considered dolphins good omens for a long time. They’re known to rescue drowning sailors that have been swept away.

If dolphins are not an animal you think about often, yet they’re unexplainably on your mind, it may mean that good fortune is on its way. You may get a raise, you may meet someone special, or you might win a prize. Whatever is going to happen, it will be a surprise.

What Does It Mean if I Dream About a Dolphin?

Dolphins have complex thought processes and may be capable of higher thinking. It’s believed they create three-dimensional images in their heads when they echolocate, allowing them to precisely hone in on threats and prey in pitch blackness. 

Seeing dolphins while you sleep confirms your right to explore anything in your life that seems murky. If you find that you’re questioning yourself for feeling uneasy about something, a dolphin in your dream validates that you have the right to feel conflicted. It’s within your capabilities to analyze your emotions and hone in on the answer you’re seeking.

Seeing a dolphin while you’re sleeping also speaks to your relationships and your interactions with coworkers. If things seem difficult now, it’s prudent to hone in on one misunderstanding at a time until you achieve clarity. You’re doing a good job navigating these relationships, even if it seems impossible now.

Vocalization is a huge part of a dolphin pod’s day, and their communication is complex and mysterious. A dolphin vocalizing in your dream may mean you need to say the pressing thing that’s on your mind. That way, those around you can react appropriately.

The various clicks and whistles made by a dolphin allow for deep and individualized connections to develop between members of a pod. A dolphin in your dreams may be letting you know that someone you’re communicating with is becoming deeply connected to you.

Chumash Goddess: Earth Mother Hutash and the Dolphin

Sometimes when animal energy pulls at you, it’s because you’re hearing the calling of a god or goddess. The Chumash people from the Channel Islands of California believe that dolphins are related to the divine. Dolphins were seen as people in a different form and were considered kin.

Inventory Management Software of 2023!

 Have you ever been in a situation where you have run out of things just when you needed them the most? Like that time you reached into your bag of tissues only to realize there’s none left or the time you were making coffee and you realized that you’ve run out of sugar?

Such instances prove that not stocking up often leads to undesirable situations. This is true even for businesses. While it may be easy for you to go on a quick grocery run to stock up essentials at home, it’s not easy to do that in the case of a business.

And being out of stock when you’re running a business can lead you to lose customers and sales, tarnish your reputation and credibility, and ultimately result in loss.

That is why knowing your inventory level is crucial to the success of your business and its operations. However, keeping track of all your inventory across various locations is a complex and difficult process.

But gone are the days when inventory was monitored using calculations done by hand per item, per location. Technology has now blessed us with inventory management software to help gain visibility across multiple locations and conduct seamless transactions.

What is an Inventory Management Software?

First off, let’s try to understand what inventory management is.

Inventory management is a process that involves ordering, storing, utilizing, and selling the inventory of a company. It usually involves dealing with raw materials, components, finished products, warehousing, and the processing of all these items.

This is done to identify and keep track of all the company’s inventory from the time of its purchase to its sales. It also helps determine which and how much stock to order at what time.

An inventory management software, like its name suggests, is a web-based application that helps you manage and track your inventory throughout its journey, from manufacturer to warehouse to point of sale.

By using this software, you can monitor your inventory levels, material purchases, deliveries, and sales. You can compare it with your current inventory stock, then predict how much stock you will need, and simply ensure that you always have what you need.

An inventory management software also helps with several other processes such as invoicing, accounting, financial reporting, creating reports, tracking shipments, and lots more.

Benefits of Using an Inventory Management Software

1. Increases Productivity and Efficiency

An inventory management software offers a single location for you to view your inventory levels, track your sales, find vendor information, manage payments, and more.

This organized and systemic process lets you get done more things in less time. It cuts down the time spent on tracking, processing, and auditing your inventory. It also automates repetitive tasks so you can focus on more important matters. This, in turn, improves productivity and increases efficiency.

2. Prevents Overselling and Stock Outs

The problem with not having an accurate picture of your inventory or stock is that it can lead to overselling, which will, in turn, result in stockouts. This will cost you your customers, marketing budget, and reputation.

With inventory management software, you can manage your orders and inventory across various channels and gain visibility into when you need to replenish your stock. This will prevent you from running out of stock and help you maintain the right balance.

3. Brings in Higher Profits

With inventory management software, you can always keep an eye on your inventory and track which ones are performing well and which ones are performing poorly. You can gain better business insights and use this knowledge to make better decisions that will bring you a higher income and result in higher profits.

Additionally, accurate inventory tracking will also help reduce waste, detect thefts, and track productivity, which will also help you improve your income without adding anything to labor costs.

4. Reduces Errors

The best part about using inventory management software is that it automates all manual tasks that are prone to errors, such as data entry, calculations, expense tracking, and more.

In doing this, it prevents human errors and costly mistakes and provides precise and accurate information at your fingertips. No more running to the warehouse to double-check your stock or racking your brains over calculations.

5. Improves Customer Experience

Since using inventory management software ensures that you never run out of your stocks, it also means that you always have the most popular and sought-after products in stock.

It also lets you offer better customer service through a seamless and transparent purchase and shipping process. This improves your customer’s experience, which in turn, will help you retain your existing customers and turn your one-time buyers into loyal customers.

In short, inventory management software improves efficiency, provides higher profitability, and offers a better customer experience.

Now that we know the benefits of using inventory management software, let’s take a look at some of the best ones available in the market!

List of 9 Inventory Management Software

1. inFlow Inventory

Let’s start off the list with inFlow Inventory, a great inventory management software for businesses that are on a limited budget. It is great for retail, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

inFlow Inventory makes managing inventory a breeze and helps you track all your inventory across multiple locations in real-time and keeps everyone on the same page about inventory levels.

With inFlow Inventory, you can choose, pack, and ship orders, manage purchases and sales, track bills, link e-commerce, and accounting, and lots more.

inFlow Inventory is available as a mobile app and gives you the option to add smart scanners to facilitate barcode scanning features. It also provides support via live chat, email, and phone.

Pricing:

Free version available

Entrepreneur plan costs $89/month

Small Business plan costs $249/month

Mid-sized Business plan costs $499/month

Enterprise plan – custom pricing

2. Orderhive

Orderhive is a cloud-based inventory management software that helps manage inventory, warehouses, purchases, returns, and shipping. It is a great option for small businesses and e-commerce businesses.

Orderhive supports the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method and uses the Kanban approach for reordering or replenishing stock. It facilitates multi-channel selling and supports auto-synchronization of all inventory channels in real-time.

With Orderhive, you can bulk add, update, or delete products, link or unlink products with different stock-keeping units, generate and print labels of multiple shipping carriers, manage order payments, and more!

Orderhive offers hundreds of integrations with popular apps like eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, QuickBooks, WooCommerce, FedEx, and more. It even has a mobile app and works on all major browsers.

Pricing:

Free version available for Shopify users

Lite plan costs $49.99/month for 200 orders and one user

Starter plan costs $149.99/month for 1,200 orders and three users.

Growth plan costs $299.99/month for 3,000 orders and five users

Enterprise plan – Custom pricing and unlimited users

3. Zoho Inventory

If you’re someone who uses the Zoho suite, then Zoho Inventory is the perfect inventory management software for you. It offers effective management across multiple channels.

Zoho Inventory has an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface that is suitable for small and mid-sized retail businesses. It lets you handle orders, record deliveries, purchase orders, create sales, and manage invoicing and shipping.

With Zoho, you can keep track of the stock-flow of different products, which includes every unit in each warehouse. It also supports barcode scanning to ensure that the right items are packed and shipped.

What’s more? Zoho Inventory enables seamless integration with various e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and eBay.

Pricing:

Free plan available

Standard plan costs $59

Professional plan costs $99

Premium plan costs $159

Elite plan costs $239

 4. Ordoro

Here is Ordoro, a popular, time-saving inventory management software that makes multichannel selling easier. It has an intuitive and easy-to-understand interface and enables more than one user to use the software.

With Ordoro, you can create products within your inventory system and update descriptions, images, branding, and more across all sales channels. It also lets you manage, track, and sync all your incoming orders to your inventory.

Ordoro’s order tracking features keeps track of and gets accurate location details of all your products. It even sends you stock alerts to notify you about low stocks and helps prevent overstocking.

Some other features of Ordoro include dropshipping, batch-print shipping labels, multiple warehouse tracking, kitting capabilities, barcode scanning, and more. It also offers integrations with third-party sites like Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and more.

Pricing:

Express plan starts at $59

Pro plan starts at $499

Enterprise plan starts at $999

5. QuickBooks Commerce

QuickBooks Commerce is an inventory management software that fully integrates with the QuickBooks accounting tool. It streamlines your order management, tracks your inventory, and even helps with invoicing.

With QuickBooks Commerce, you can get a powerful view of your inventory by syncing with multiple sales channels and enabling live tracking of your inventory levels. It also helps you keep track of backorders and reorder stock when you have a shortage.

QuickBooks Commerce is great for restaurants as it helps track food expenses, automates invoice approvals, and easily integrates with software like Square Inventory. It also offers features like sales reporting, tax calculation, barcode scanning, accounting, expense tracking, and more.

Pricing:

QuickBooks Commerce starts from $40/month

6. Shopventory

Shopventory is a cloud-based, real-time inventory management software that helps track and monitor your sales and inventory management performance across multiple channel sales and locations.

What makes Shopventory unique is its forecasting and reporting capabilities. It provides a detailed view of inventory histories and inventory valuations, forecasts inventory with predictive analytics, identifies slow-moving inventory, tracks discounts and profitability, monitors how inventory has changed over time.

Shopventory is great for vendor management as it lets you tag and identifies vendors based on what they sell, shipping discounts, and location. It also lets you add notes to track important vendor information.

Moreover, Shopventory offers a highly-visual dashboard, condition-based alerts, barcode scanning, invoicing, and integrations with popular platforms like Shopify, Stripe, QuickBooks Online, Amazon Alexa, and more.

Pricing:

Shopventory pricing starts at $39/month

7. Katana

Up next on the list is Katana, a visual enterprise resource planning software that comes with inventory management, raw material tracking, production planning, stock support, and more. It focuses on small manufacturers or business owners.

This inventory management software has a centralized dashboard that provides complete visibility over your multi-channel inventory and sales orders. It offers business-related data such as sales status, warehouse status, low stock alerts, and more.

Katana lets you manage orders, raw materials, and manufacturing operations across multiple channels. It also tracks your products and materials at all stages of their lifecycle, ensuring that you maintain optimal inventory levels everywhere.

Moreover, Katana provides extensive customer support and offers integrations with numerous CRM and e-commerce tools and other third-party apps.

Pricing:

Price starts from $99/month

8. Fishbowl Inventory

Here we have, Fishbowl Inventory, a top-notch warehouse and inventory management software that streamlines manufacturing, distribution, selling, servicing, and other business operations. It is designed for small to medium-sized businesses.

Fishbowl Inventory tracks inventory from order to delivery and monitors asset levels in multiple locations. It sends you real-time inventory updates to help you understand your inventory levels and sets automatic re-order points to avoid stock-outs.

In addition to inventory management and tracking, Fishbowl Inventory helps manage accounting systems and FIFO tools. Its integration with QuickBooks helps with the efficient handling of accounting and shipping.

What’s more? Fishbowl Inventory stores vendor information for vendor management and generates custom reports to give you an insight into your business.

Pricing:

Offers a one-time payment of $4395

9. Cin7

Cin7 is a cloud-based inventory management software that simplifies your business operations by linking all your inventory, sales channels, stock locations, and customers. It is suitable for e-commerce platforms, retailers, and wholesalers.

Cin7 offers a proprietary automation platform that provides end-to-end control over your selling process and helps you with inventory and order management. It also gives great visibility into your inventory.

In addition to inventory tracking and barcode scanning, Cin7 offers advanced demand forecasting and omnichannel support that syncs multiple channels every five minutes.

It comes with an integrated POS system, manufacturing features, e-commerce features, and even a payment portal.

Pricing:

Small business plan starts at $299/month

Business plan starts at $539/month

Advanced plan starts at $999/month

Enterprise plan – Contact for pricing

Conclusion

Whether it is a successful e-commerce business or a small retail business or a huge enterprise, inventory management is for everyone.

And since we have listed out the benefits of having inventory management software for your business, you don’t want to go another day without utilizing it for managing and tracking your inventory.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter- silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed , and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun- split clouds, – and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air…

Up, up the long , delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-wept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew-

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespasses sanctity of space,

-put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

Always About You

You’re going to realize it one

day- that happiness was never about

your job, or your degree, or being in 

a relationship. Happiness was never

about being like the others.

One day, you’re going to see it- that

happiness was always about the

discovery, the hope, the listening to your 

heart and following it wherever

it chose to go. Happiness was always

about being kinder to yourself, it was

always about embracing the person

you were becoming. One day, you

will understand. That happiness was

always about learning how to live

with yourself, that happiness was never 

in the hands of other people.

It was always about you. It was 

always about you.

INNER PEACE

I’m slowly learning that even

if I react, it won’t change anything,

it won’t make people suddenly love

and respect me, it won’t magically

change their minds. Sometimes it’s

better to just let things be, let people

go, don’t fight for closure, don’t ask

for explanations, don’t chase answers

and don’t expect people to understand

where you’re coming from. I’m slowly

learning that life is better lived 

when you don’t center it on what’s

happening around you and center

it on what’s happening inside you

instead. Work on yourself and your inner peace.

I’m the kind of girl

Who is quiet in large groups or around

people I don’t know; you only see the real

me if we’re close. I smile and laugh a lot

especially at the most inappropriate times.

   I’m a hopeless romantic.

I trip over air, up stairs and over 

people’s feet. I am the hardest person to

offend, but it is all too easy to make me

feel horrible. I hate telling people about

my problems; they don’t need

      to worry about me.

I’m the one who listens to other people’s 

problems. I believe people should not be

judged before one takes the time to get to

   know them, yet I am guilty of doing

        that exact thing.

I love to think rather than talk.

I’m awkward, clumsy, shy, starnge….

  but this is me. Take it or leave it.

I Believe

I believe in trusting myself,

When they all say I am wrong,

I believe in hiding my pain,

And always staying strong,

I believe the ones you trust,

Are the ones that tear you down,

I believe that always smiling,

Makes you forget the need to frown,

I believe in the little things,

The flowers and the breeze,

I believe the weakest people,

Are ones that beg upon their knees,

I believe that broken trust,

Is the reason there is hate,

I believe in perfect timing,

Never early, never late,

I believe in many things,

And the reason that I do,

Is if I believe something,

Maybe it’ll believe in me too.

Koala

Koala: the koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Diprotodontia
Family: | Phascolarctidae
Genus: | Phascolarctos
Species: | cinereus

There are two subspecies of koalas: adustus, the northern or Queensland koala, and victor, the southern koala.

Size and Weight:

On average, koalas are 2 to 3 feet in height. Southern koalas are typically larger than northern koalas. Northern koalas weigh 9 to 19 pounds and southern koalas weigh 15 to 29 pounds. Males weigh about 50 percent more than females.

Appearance:

Koalas are known for their teddy bear-like appearance. They are often referred to as “koala bears,” but koalas are actually marsupials, not bears. Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals most commonly known for their pouches, which includes wombats and kangaroos.

Koalas are arboreal, or tree-dwelling, marsupials and have a number of adaptations for tree living. Their bodies are lean with long, muscular front and hind limbs and large, sharp claws to help with gripping tree trunks, and rough skin on the bottom of their feet to provide friction good for climbing. The koala has five digits on their front paws, two of which are opposable, which would be like a human having two thumbs. This allows the koala to grip branches as it moves from tree to tree. The koala has thicker fur on its rump, which provides a cushion when sitting on branches.

Diet:

Koalas are folivores or leaf eaters. They primarily eat eucalyptus leaves, but will occasionally branch out to non-eucalypt plant species. They eat approximately a pound of leaves daily and rarely drink water, as they obtain water from their leafy diet.

Eucalyptus leaves are highly toxic to most mammals, but koalas’ digestive systems are specially adapted to detoxify the poisonous chemicals in the leaves. Eucalyptus leaves are high in fiber and low in nutrition, so they take a while to digest. To conserve energy, koalas spend anywhere from 18 to 20 hours of their day sleeping. Koalas are nocturnal and do the vast majority of their eating at night.

Habitat:

The species lives in tall eucalypt forests and low eucalypt woodlands. They also live in coastal and island woodlands.

Geography:

Koalas are native to Australia and are found in the eastern and southern regions of the country. The majority can be found in the four Australian states: South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales.

Breeding:

The koala gestation period is only 34 to 36 days. The joey is born blind, furless, earless and only about an inch long. Immediately after being born, it crawls up from the birth canal into the mother’s pouch. There, the joey attaches to one of two teats. It will not emerge from the pouch for approximately six months. After six to seven months of solely feeding on milk, the joey starts consuming its mother’s protein-rich pap, which inoculates the baby’s gut with the necessary microbes for eucalypt digestion.

At about a year old, the young koala no longer drinks milk or fits in its mother’s pouch. Female koalas do not always reproduce annually, in which case, the yearling joey may stay with its mother longer. Once independent, the joey remains near its mother’s territory before claiming its own. Koalas become sexually mature at around two or three years, but non-alpha males are far less likely to breed successfully.

Social Structure:

Koalas are generally solitary animals and live in well-defined home ranges. Each home range is often controlled by a single alpha male, with a number of females also living inside that area, These females will mate almost exclusively with the dominant male, who will defend his territory against outside males that may move into the area. Females generally want to reproduce with the largest male and rely on male vocalizations to assess the potential mate’s size.

Although home ranges may overlap, koalas are mostly solitary animals that avoid confrontations and interactions whenever possible. When males aren’t bellowing to attract mates, communication through sounds and scents is often meant to alert wandering koalas of their presence and prevent encounters. Males are generally more vocal than females, but females will communicate vocally with their young, and both sexes make a variety of noises when in distress.

Lifespan:

Koalas generally live an average of 13 to 17 years. Females often live longer than males, whose life expectancy is often less than 10 years due to injuries during fights, attacks by dogs and being hit by cars.

Threats:

Habitat loss and climate change are among the largest threats to koalas. Human activity, such as agricultural and urban development, have led to the destruction and fragmentation of koala habitat. They are spending more time on the ground moving from tree to tree. While on the ground, koalas are much more vulnerable to being hit by cars and attacked by predators like dogs. They also have elevated levels of stress, which makes them more prone to diseases like chlamydia.

Increasing evidence links the changing climate to lower to significant koala range contractions in western Queensland and New South Wales. Climate change is linked to reduced nutrient levels in Eucalyptus leaves, rendering them of lower quality. Droughts and extremely high temperatures will likely increase in incidence and severity, which will likely have an impact on koala populations.

From late 2019 to early 2020, deadly wildfires raged throughout parts of Australia, largely as a result of high temperatures and severe drought. Billions of animals are estimated to have died in the fires, including other unique Australian species like wombats and kangaroos. These massive bushfires burned more than 26.4 million acres, including koala habitat. Thousands of koalas as officials estimate up to 30% of their habitat was destroyed by the fires.