Temporal effect of feeding on the body temperature and behaviour of captive koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)
D. Adam A H , S. D. Johnston A , L. Beard B , V. Nicolson C , A. T. Lisle D , J. B. Gaughan D , R. Larkin E , P. Theilemann F and W. Ellis G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Wildlife Science Unit, School of Agricultural and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
B School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
C Dreamworld, Coomera, Qld 4209, Australia.
D School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
E Ipswich Koala Protection Society, Mt Forbes, Qld 4340, Australia.
F Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Environment and Science (DES), Moggill, Qld 4070, Australia.
G Koala Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
H Corresponding author. Email: d.adam@uq.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 44(1) 16-23 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM20024
Submitted: 11 March 2020 Accepted: 12 January 2021 Published: 1 March 2021
Abstract
Free-ranging koalas generally feed at night; however, captive koalas are usually fed during the day in order to encourage activity for display purposes. We studied the temporal effect of feeding on body temperature of captive koalas in Queensland, to determine whether nocturnal feeding may be beneficial for koalas in warmer climates. Six adult koalas were implanted with thermal transmitters and data loggers, waxed together as a single package, to record internal body temperature. Koalas were exposed to two treatments: koalas were fed in the morning (between 0730 and 0830 hours) during the AM treatment or late afternoon (between 1700 and 1800 hours) for the PM treatment. The body temperature of koalas fed in the mornings was on average 0.5°C higher at its peak (P ≤ 0.01) when compared to koalas fed in the evening. Furthermore, the body temperature maxima of morning-fed koalas was reached ~2 h earlier in the afternoon, compared with those fed in the evening. There was no significant difference between behaviours associated with the two feeding regimes: inactivity (P = 0.840), feeding (P = 0.472) and activity (P = 0.634). We postulate that nocturnal feeding by koalas may be an adaptive mechanism that reduces diurnal heat load during times of high environmental temperatures.
Keywords: behaviour, body temperature, captivity, extreme weather, feeding, koala, nocturnal feeding.
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