The digestive tracts of a herbivore (koala)

The koala′s intestines are much longer, an adaptation that enhances processing of fibrous, protein–poor eucalyptus leaves from which it obtains virtually all its food and water. Extensive chewing chops the leaves into very small pieces, increasing exposure of the food to digestive juices. The koala′s caecum—at 2 m, the longest of any animal of equivalent size—functions as a fermentation chamber where symbiotic bacteria convert the shredded leaves into a more nutritious diet.