Many people believe that the animal that sleeps the most is a lazy animal. However, there is another creature in the animal kingdom that spends almost the majority of its life sleeping, and this is truly surprising.
Medianews.az, citing Lent.az, reports that this is about Australia's furry symbol, the koala; it can sleep up to 22 hours a day.
Scientists explain this by their diet. Koalas feed on eucalyptus leaves, which are low in energy and contain toxic substances. Their bodies expend a lot of energy to digest these leaves. Therefore, koalas are forced to conserve energy to the maximum.
Sleep helps reduce the burden on their digestive system. The less movement there is, the easier it is for the body to fight toxins.
Experts state that koalas remain awake for only a few hours during the day. During this time, they feed and travel short distances.
Their slow movements are not laziness but a biological necessity. Because rapid movements could quickly tire and exhaust them.
Interestingly, koalas sleep not only at night but also during the day. They choose comfortable parts of tree branches to settle on. Scientists emphasize that koalas have very deep sleep. They almost do not react to external stimuli. This makes them more vulnerable. Therefore, koalas prefer to stay in tall trees where there are fewer predators.
Koalas rarely change their resting places. They become attached to certain trees and return to the same place repeatedly.
Despite sleeping for long periods, they are quite active during short waking intervals.