Unusual patterns of tooth wear among koalas Phascolarctos cinereus from St Bees Island, Queensland, require re-evaluation of criteria for aging koalas by tooth-wear class

Tooth wear patterns among P. cinereus on St Bees Island in the humid Central Queensland Coast bio geographic region differ significantly from those observed in the sub-humid Brigalow Belt bio geographic region. Within the Brigalow Belt region, tooth-wear patterns among P. cinereus at Biloela, Springsure and Oakey are similar. The published method for the estimation of age based on tooth-wear from P. cinereus populations at Springsure and Oakey is applicable to the Biloela population but is not applicable to the St Bees Island population. It is concluded that, in Queensland at least, the tooth wear - age class classification should be verified with local data when applied in environments different from those of the Brigalow Belt. Further, the appropriateness of using a single tooth-wear classificatory scheme to establish the age of P. cinereus for transfer overseas is questioned.

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