Kingdom : Animalia Class : Mammalia Family : Phascolarctidae Scientific Name : Phascolarctos cinereus Colour : Grey-Brow, White, Black Skin Type : Fur Size(H) : 60cm - 85cm (24in - 34in) Weight : 4kg - 15kg (8.8lbs - 33lbs) Top Speed : 10km/h (2mph) Life Span : 15 - 20 years Most Distinctive Feature : Large, wide head and tufted, round ears Fun Fact : Spends up to 80% of the time Sleeping or resting!
- Koalas are small-medium sized mammals found in south-eastern Australia.
- They are distinct marsupials which have been classified as a separate scientific group of their own.
- They have a large, wide face, with white tufted ears, black nose and dense soft fur.
- All this gives them an appearance of a small bear, but despite this they are in no way related to bears.
- They are also commonly known as the Koala bear.
- They are arboreal animals spending most of their lives on trees and their body has several adaptations for this lifestyle.
- They are solitary, nocturnal animals spending most of their time during the day, resting on eucalyptus trees.
- They feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves which lack many of the vital nutrients and are also very hard to digest.
- This low energy diet makes them quite inactive and they spend up to 80% of their lives, resting or sleeping.
- They inhabit their home range that is fixed and do not allow other males to enter their territory.
- The males produce loud booming calls during the mating season to attract females as well as to ward off male competitors.
- The Koala male has to establish his dominance to be able to successfully mate with a female.
- The female koala gives birth to a single joey which is very small and underdeveloped.
- The joey climbs into the pouch of the mother Koala and stays there for 6-7 months till it develops.
- Thereafter it clings to its mother’s back for a few more months before being independent.
- They have few natural predators in snakes, birds of prey, dingoes and humans.
- Habitat loss and diseases are their biggest threats.