✗ The myth everyone repeats
Koalas are always sleepy because they eat eucalyptus leaves which contain a natural sedative that makes them drowsy.
✓ What is actually true
Eucalyptus leaves are low in nutrition and high in fibre, requiring enormous energy to digest. Koalas spend 18-22 hours a day resting to conserve energy for this digestive process. While eucalyptus contains compounds that can be toxic, koalas have evolved special liver enzymes to detoxify them. The sleepiness results from energy conservation, not sedation.
Reception
The receipts 2 sources
- National Geographic: Koala SleepREFERENCE
- PLOS One: Koala Digestive EcologyPRIMARY