Green tree ants swarm over oak blue caterpillars but they are not attacking them. They are drinking a sweet liquid that the caterpillars give off especially to attract the ants. The ants act like living armor, shielding the caterpillar from wasps that might lay eggs on it. The ants and the caterpillars are partners in nature.
Koalas are protected, but population is declining
Koalas are protected, but population is declining Koalas are marsupials who live in tall eucalyptus
trees in Australia. They have thick fur, a large nose and no tail.
Their fur is grey and brown on their backs and black and white on
their bellies. Koala babies are called "joeys" or "pouch young" and
are fully grown by about the time they are 3 or 4 years old. Koalas
today face the problem of destruction of their habitat. They are a
protected species, but the trees that they live in are not
protected. Not long ago there were about 3 million koalas living in
Australia. Today there are less than 80,000 koalas living in the
wild. 22 JANUARY 1999
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