Ezo Marsupial Zimangalisayo ZaseOstreliya

Ngumbhaleli kaVukani! eOstreliya

KANYE kanye yintoni imarsupial, ibe yintoni eyenza iimarsupial zibe zezimangalisa⁠yo?

Ngokulula, imarsupial luhlobo oluthile lwesilwanyana esanyisayo, oko kukuthi, isilwanyana esinegazi elishushu esiwanyisayo amathole aso. Noko ke, ngokungafaniyo nenkoliso yezinye izilwanyana ezanyisayo, iimazi zeemarsupial azibi nayo imigcantsi kwizizalo zazo ngexesha lokumitha kwazo. Zizala amathole amancinane nangaboniyo, zandule ke ziwanyise zize ziwakhusele kwizingxobo ezingaphandle. Ngoko, ngokusisiseko, imarsupial sisilwanyana esanyisayo esinesingxobo, kuba igama lesiLatini elithi marsupium lithetha “isingxobo” okanye “ingxowa.”

Enyanisweni, ikhangaru lolunye nje udidi kwiindidi ezingama-250 zeemarsupial. Zikho iimarsupial nakwamanye amazwe ngaphandle kweOstreliya​—⁠kodwa azininzanga. Ngokomzekelo, iopossum efumaneka kuMtla Merika iludidi lwemarsupial, yaye ezinye ziyafumaneka kuMzantsi Merika. Kodwa ezona marsupial zehlabathi zininzi zifumaneka kummandla waseAustralasia, apho kuye kwafunyanwa iintlobo zazo ezahlukeneyo ezili-175. Xa zizonke, ziindidi ezingama-45 zeekhangaru ezikhoyo eOstreliya, kodwa ikhangaru enkulu ebomvu yeyona yaziwayo. Yeyona inkulu kuzo zonke iimarsupial, inobunzima obufikelela kwiikhilogram ezingama-90, yaye inde kunabantu abaninzi xa imile. Noko ke, iqabanekazi layo, lincinane ngokuphawulekayo kunayo ibe lingwevu buzuba ngombala.

Iikhangaru zinokutsiba umgama ongangeemitha ezili-11 kumtsi nje omnye. Zimbi ziye zafikelela isantya seemitha ezingama-64 ngeyure ibe ziye zatsiba iingcingo ezingaphezu kweemitha ezintathu ukuphakama. Le khangaru inkulu ebomvu nale incinane nengwevu ngombala zifumaneka kwiindawo ezininzi ezikumazantsi eYurophu naseOstreliya. Zixhaphakile yaye ziyalitsala iliso labakhenkethi abakhenketha kwimimandla enemithi egqagqeneyo kwanakwiinkqantosi ezikumbindi weOstreliya. Iikhangaru zizilwanyana ezithandanayo yaye zidla ngokuhlala kunye zingamaqela abizwa ngokuthi ngumhlambi.

Ukuzala Okumangalisayo

Mhlawumbi eyona nkalo imangalisayo ngobomi bemarsupial yindlela ezala newanyamekela ngayo amathole ayo. Umzekelo woko kwenziwa yinkoliso yeemarsupial koko kwenziwa yikhangaru. Emva nje kweentsuku ezingama-33 ukusa kwezingama-38 zidibene ngokwesini, kuzalwa ithole lekhangaru. Kodwa okunene eli thole lisandul’ ukuzalwa lingaphezu nje kancinane kunesihluma sembewu (embryo)​—⁠sisidalwa esincinane, esimile okokhozo lwembotyi, esinobunzima obuziigram ezingama-0,75, esincinane kunencam yocikicane wakho nelinokuthi iliso lomntu libone konke okungaphakathi kuso.

Ngokukhawuleza emva kokuzalwa kwalo, ‘liyakhwela’ ukusuka kwisizalo sikanina liye eboyeni bakhe. Landula ke, lisebenzisa iingalwana zalo ezincinane ezineenzipho, ligwenyele kangangeesentimitha ezili-15 lisiya kwisingxobo sikanina. Apho lifika lizithi nca kwelinye lamabele amane, bele elo elithi ke lityekezele ubisi kulo emlonyeni. Ngalo mthombo wobomi lifumana konke ukudla okuyimfuneko, yaye kangangeenyanga ezintlanu ezilandelayo, lihlala kule ndawo linyanyekelwa kuyo ngaphambi kokuba likhuphe intloko yalo okokuqa⁠la.

Kubudala obumalunga neenyanga ezintandathu, ijoey (njengoko amathole ekhangaru ebizwa njalo) encinane iwubeka okokuqala umcondo wayo ngaphandle kwesingxobo, kodwa ngokufuthi ibuyela esingxotyeni ukuze ifumane ukutya nonqabiseko. Noko ke, ekugqibeleni ngunina ogqiba enoba ijoey inkulu gqitha ukuba ingahlala esingxotyeni aze ngoko ayithintele ukuba ingabuye itsibele esingxotyeni kwakhona. Xa ineenyanga ezili-18 ubudala, yahlukene ngokupheleleyo nonina.

Enye inkalo emangalisayo kukuba imazi yekhangaru inokuvelisa iindidi ezimbini zobisi ngaxeshanye. Nje yakuba izelwe ijoey yokuqala, unina uphinda adibane nenkunzi ngokwesini. Ithole elisandul’ ukukhawulwa lihlala lingashukumi ide ijoey yokuqala iqalise ukuphuma ngezihlandlo ezithile esingxotyeni. Yandula ke ijoey yesibini izalwe incinane ize izithi nca kwelinye ibele elisesingxotyeni.

Kodwa ijoey enkulu isaqhubeka incanca kwibele layo. Ukwenza izinto zintsonkothe ngakumbi, ijoey esandul’ ukuzalwa nefana nesihluma sembewu ifuna uhlobo olwahlukileyo lobisi. Noko ke, oku akuyongxaki, kuba unina uyakwazi ngoku ukuvelisa ubisi oluneswekile eninzi, ngoxa kwibele lomnakwayo omkhulu eqhubeka emvelisela ubisi oluneeprotini nolunamafutha amaninzi!

Nangona ngokuqhelekileyo zingezozilwanyana ezindlongondlongo, maxa wambi iinkunzi zibandakanyeka koko kubonakala ngathi yimidlalo yamanqindi. Ngokufuthi iba ngamathole amabini amaduna kuphela yaye evana amandla. Ngamanye amaxesha iinkunzi ezimbini ezinkulu zilwa ngamanqindi​—⁠enyanisweni zinqindana ngenxa yemazi eziyikhethileyo! Le milo inokuba yingozi gqitha, ekubeni abalwi bekrwempana ngeenzipho ezisemanqineni abo angaphambili baze bakhabane kuqhum’ uthuli ngamanqina abo angasemva.

Ikoala Ebangel’ umdla ​—⁠Enye Imarsupial Emangalisayo

Esinye isilwanyana esiphantse sibe saziwa kakhulu njengekhangaru nesingasoze singabikho kwiincwadana ezinemifanekiso nezingokhenketho eOstreliya, yeyona marsupial intle kunazo zonke​—⁠ikoala. Esi sidalwa sincinane sihlala kuphela emithini yaye sihamba-hamba ubukhulu becala ebusuku kuphela. Isoloko ibhidaniswa nebhere ngenxa yenkangeleko yayo, yaye maxa wambi ngempazamo ibizwa ngokuba yibhere eyikoala. Kodwa ayihlobenanga nangayiphi indlela nentsapho yamabhere, yaye ayilulo uhlobo oluthile lweopossum okanye inkawu. Enyanisweni yahlukile. Ewe, kukho udidi olunye kuphela lwekoala, yaye lupheleliselwe kumazwana asempuma yeOstreliya kuphela.

Ikoala inesiphiwo esingaphele ndawo sokulitsala iliso lombukeli, ngoboya bayo obukhangeleka bumfuma-mfuma, bunga buthi ndigone, itsho ngeengqanda zamehlo aqaqambileyo, impumlo ethambileyo okwerabha, yaye phantse ibe isoloko inembonakalo yokungathi ilahlekile. Njengoko ingezozilwanyana ezikhulu, zikhula zibe kubuthuba beesentimitha ezingama-60 ukuphakama zize zibe nobunzima obususela kwiikhilogram ezisi-8 ukusa kwezili-14.

Ithole lekoala lizalwa ngendlela efanayo nezinye iimarsupial ngaphandle nje kokuba imazi inesingxobo esivulekele ngasemva. Ithole elisandul’ ukuzalwa lihlala kweso singxobo kangangeenyanga ezintandathu, yaye xa ekugqibeleni liphumela ngaphandle, lithi ngcu emqolo kunina njengoko exakekile efuna imithi enamagqabi anandiphekayo.

Inkqubo Engaqhelekanga Yometyiso

Iikoala azityi nayiphi na into. Zitya kuphela amagqabi omthi umgamtriya. Ibe azityi naliphi na igqabi lawo. Kwiindidi ezingama-600 ezahlukahlukeneyo zomgamtriya, iikoala zitya ezingama-50 okanye ezingama-60 kuphela. Ukuba ezinye izilwanyana bezinokutya la magqabi, ngokunokwenzeka beziya kufa ngenxa yeoli nemichiza eyobayo ekumagqabi anetyhefu. Inkqubo entsonkothe gqitha yometyiso iyazinceda iikoala ukuba zikucole ukutya kwazo okukhethekileyo, kodwa ukutya okungaqhelekanga ngolo hlobo kutyekela ekunikeni ezi zilwanyana ivumba elibi lomzimba!

Ezinye iingcali zithi iikoala aziseli manzi konke konke, ibe kuthiwa igama elithi “koala” lisetyenziswa ngabemi bomthonyama baseOstreliya yaye lithetha ukuthi “andiseli.” Ukanti uphando ngenyameko luye lwabonisa ukuba iikoala ngamathub’ athile ziyehla emithini yazo ukuze zisele amanzi, yaye maxa wambi zide zitye intwana yomhlaba ukuze zandise ukutya kwazo okungenazityuwa zaneleyo.

Nangona iikhangaru ezininzi zinokubonwa kwiindawo ezininzi zokugcina izilwanyana ehlabathini jikelele, zimbalwa iindawo zokugcina izilwanyana ezineekoala ngaphandle kweOstreliya. Kodwa enoba wakha wanalo ithuba lokuba uzibone ngokobuqu okanye akuzange ube nalo, siziva siqinisekile ukuba uya kuvuma ukuba ngokwenene ezi zizilwanyana ezimangalisayo​—⁠ezi zilwanyana zanyisayo ezinezingxobo kodwa ezingenamgcantsi.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]

Unina wekhangaru ne-“joey” esingxotyeni

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]

I-“koala” itya amagqabi omgamtriya

[Inkcazelo]

Melbourne Zoo Education Service, Victoria, Australia