Abstract
I conducted quantitative and qualitative studies of streptococcal flora in the feces of 39 captive and 13 free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with specific reference to tannin-protein complex degrading (T-PCD) Streptococcus bovis. Female koalas, most of which were lactating, had higher viable counts (approx 10 times) of T-PCD S. bovis in their feces than did males. The T-PCD S. bovis bacterium dominated the fecal streptococcal flora of the free-ranging koalas, which has a limited choice of diet compared to captive koalas. Strains of T-PCD S. bovis isolated from most of the koalas born in captivity showed slightly different biochemical characteristics to those isolated from both the free-ranging individuals and animals that had been in captivity for >3 years
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