Koalas - an amazing umbrella species that make a difference!

Koala Gardens Patrons’ Top 10 Reasons to Save Koalas – Reason 2

Umbrella species

Protecting koala habitat means we are protecting other endangered species too. Another way of saying this is that koalas are an umbrella species.

Umbrella species are key species in an ecosystem. It’s recognised that any work done to protect them and conserve their habitat will impact many other species who share that same ecosystem.

Take, for example the hollows that form in older eucalyptus trees. Koalas need these trees but they don’t use the hollows. However by preserving their trees we are protecting the habitat for other vulnerable species that do use hollows, such as gliders, cockatoos, parrots and other birds. In fact a host of species including vulnerable ones, use hollows as well. A lot of birds, marsupials native bees and reptiles all need hollows in order to be able to survive.

Koala Gardens alone provides habitat for 16 vulnerable species that are known to be found in the Tuckurimba area.

Other species found here

These include a vulnerable species of grass called Hairy Joint Grass which is a wetland grass. Birds such as the Wompoo Fruit Dove who make an amazing noise that sounds like “wompoo, wompoo”. The Little Lorikeet; Squirrel Glider and a microbat called the Little Bent-wing Bat. These are so small they can actually look like a large insect when they fly around.

Lush, vibrant green grass — *Hairy Joint Grass (Arthraxon Hispidus) at Koala Gardens*

Wompoo Fruit Dove with green upper-wings and back, a pale grey head, bright yellow underwings and belly and a purple chest shown on a branch against a background of green leaves and red berries — Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus),, also known as wompoo pigeon and “magnificent fruit dove”. It is one of the larger fruit doves. The birds do not travel large distances, but move around in small, localised areas in search of fruit-bearing trees (stock photo)

A tiny green lorikeet with a black bill and red patch covering its forehead/throat, but not ear-coverts. Shown in a flowering eucalypt. — Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla), also known as Red-faced or Tiny Lorikeet, the smallest of Australia’s lorikeets, forages mostly on flowers, specialising in those growing at the tops of tall eucalypts and paperbarks. (stock photo)

A Squirrel Glider, a mid-sized gliding possum with greyish (blue-brown) upper body fur and a white-cream belly, a dark stripe which starts near the nose and finishes at the mid-back, and a wide bushy tail. Shown on a branch against a black night sky. — Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus Norfolcensis) live in tree hollows, generally eucalyptus. They create cup-shaped, leaf-lined nests in tree hollows (dens). They sleep in these hollows during the day and emerge at night to hunt for food. Squirrel Gliders can have numerous den sites and can use multiple trees within one area. They are highly social and a single hollow can contain up to ten gliders at a time. (stock photo)

Small chocolate -brown bat with long thick fur. Shown against rock and facing camera giving a view of its short muzzle, and short, rounded, roughly triangular shaped ears. — Little Bent-wing Bats (Miniopterus australis) roost in caves and mine tunnels, and also tree hollows. Many hundreds of these bats may roost together in a colony. These insectivorous bats often share their roosting site with colonies of Common Bent-wing Bats.(stock photo)

Flying foxes and koalas

The Grey Headed Flying Fox. Some Australians don’t want them living near them in large numbers because due to odour from their faeces. They are the primary pollinator for the three primary koala food trees. So, koalas and the grey headed flying fox are really important to each other. Luckily there are a lot of people in Australia working hard to save the grey headed flying fox.

Shown against a background of leaves, a female and her pup are hanging from a branch, the female has her black wings around the pup. Their eyes are open and bright against the dark fur of their fox-like faces. The collar of orange/brown fur that fully encircles their heads can be seen. — Grey Headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) with her pup. These bats are the largest Australian fruit bat with a wingspan of up to one metre. They have sophisticated vocal communication, making more than 30 specific calls. (stock photo)

Suspected to be on the property

Other vulnerable species finding suitable habitat at Koala Gardens are the Rose Crowned Fruit Dove, the Red Backed Buttonquail, the Pale Vented Bush Hen, the Grey Crowned Babbler.

A a small, compact dove, with a short tail and rounded wings, a deep pink forehead, a bright green upper body and an orange and yellow under-body with a rose-coloured patch. The throat and upper breast is rough grey. Shown on a branch against a background of green leaves. — The Rose Crowned Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus regina), also known as Pink-capped Fruit Dove or Swainson’s Fruit Dove, is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales. Threats include: rainforest clearing and fragmentation, logging. This increases weeds and the need for fire regimes altering habitat. (stock photo)

Shown on the ground in long grass contrasting the bird's reddish-brown collar, yellow bill and clear black spots extending down from below the eye to the wing. — The red-backed buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) is a ground-dwelling species, mostly active at dusk and at night. These secretive birds feed on the seeds of grasses and sedges, other seeds, green plant matter and insects. They probably consume more insect prey than other members of the genus. (stock photo)

Shown on the ground surrounded and partially obscured by leaves, with a dull grey-blue body, brown wings. — The pale-vented bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana), also known as the Rufous-tailed Bush-Hen or Rufous-tailed Waterhen. They are very secretive birds that inhabit dense vegetation around wetland habitats. As a result, they are rarely seen away from cover. They are best seen at dawn, dusk or when overcast. (stock photo)

Shown on a twig against a background of grass the Grey- crowned Babbler has a dark brown-grey body with a distinctive grey crown stripe and a dark face. it's dark tail feathers are edged with white. — A key reason for the decline in the Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) has been the historic loss and fragmentation of its preferred woodland habitat. They generally have a poor ability to migrate across unsuitable habitats. As a consequence of fragmentation, breeding success and group size decline. (stock photo)

Bats and microbats

Then there are the bats: a little microbat called the Southern Myotis, the Greater Broad Nose Bat and the Eastern Long Eared Bat.

Against a black night sky the bat is shown in flight with wings outstretched. — The southern myotis (Myotis aelleni) is a species of vesper bat. Threats to them include loss or disturbance of roosting sites. This is usually because of clearing and/or application of pesticides in or adjacent to foraging areas. This impacts the reduction in stream water quality affecting food resources. (stock photo)

A large bat with dark reddish-brown fur, a broad head and a short square muzzle. — The Greater Broad- nosed Bats (Scoteanax rueppellii) are large powerful bats, up to 95 mm long. They roost in hollows in old trees and occasionally in roofs of buildings. They are vulnerable to loss of roost sites in tree hollows and loss of feeding grounds.(stock photo)

A brown to tan in coloured bat with long ears , and hairless ridge on the muzzle behind the nose is shown in flight against a black night sky — The Eastern long-Eared Bats (Nyctophilus bifax), also known as the Northern Long-eared Bats. These bats like to live in wetter areas where they roost under peeling bark, hollows and in depressions on tree trunks. They live in colonies of no more than 10 individuals. They are vulnerable to predation and to the loss of trees through land clearing and wildfires. (stock photo)

and the koala!

Valentine, a large male looks around from behind a pink bloodwood tree. he is holding the trunk with his right hand and both eyes are visible. — *Alpha male koala Valentine*

Above all, of course, there are the koala. The reason that Koala Gardens has conservation status and the reason why Katrina and her work is followed by people throughout the world. The other species really do live under the koalas umbrella!

So by saving koalas and their habitat, we could be saving hundreds of other vulnerable species. The particular species that share koala habitat change between regions soil and terrain types. Koalas are found right along the East Coast of Australia down into Victoria and then there are some in South Australia. This means there are different species sharing habitat with them all along those areas. For example koalas in a forest with a good waterway would also give umbrella species protection to vulnerable species such as the platypus, turtles, yabbies, frogs, and fish.

How great is this, by saving Koalas and their habitats we can save so many other species!

Join the Colony and get involved

You can become part of the Koala Gardens Colony by adopting one of the resident wild koalas. You can also become a Patron, and one level has an adoption option.

Come and discuss Koala Gardens and all things koala on Discord where we hold lots of interesting and often in-depth discussions there. Lots of fun!

You will become part of the family and help provide much needed koala habitat.

You can also follow Katrina and the Koalas on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Koala Gardens publishes a small number of delightful illustrated children’s books in the The Adventures of Mist series. Check out the beautifully engaging and educational design. Our mission is to help children to “Fall in love with Nature”.

You can even find some great Koala Gardens gifts over at Redbubble where there is huge range of designs on an even bigger range of items.

Alternatively, you can find quick access links to everything Koala Gardens via Link Tree.

Koalas are an amazing umbrella species tha make a difference!