Koalas are arboreal marsupials native to Australia.
The koala is a furry-eared marsupial, with its main habitat in Australia. Some have been relocated to islands around Australia, but most live in eastern Australia. There is evidence of koala populations in other parts of Australia, but most have lost their habitat due to increased construction and human encroachment on habitat. It is now considered an endangered species.
Koalas mainly eat eucalyptus leaves.
The koala is arboreal, which means that it lives in trees. They also have a slow metabolism, spending almost 20 hours a day sleeping. At birth, they are tiny, about the size of a bullet. They also lack the characteristic fluffy ears and eyes.
At around six months, the baby koala becomes more like a mature koala and ventures out of the pouch to eat eucalyptus excreted and digested by its mother. At about a year, the baby will spend most of its time out of the pouch eating the main diet of eucalyptus leaves and occasionally barking.
An adult koala can weigh around 7.71 kg, although this varies by sex. The adult is between 2 and 3 feet (0.6 to 0.91 m). Males are larger than females.
Some koalas have been relocated to islands around Australia, but most live in eastern Australia.
The koala will reach sexual maturity at around two or three years of age, and the female will have around 12 babies throughout her life, each born alone. Koalas in the wild live approximately 15-18 years. In addition to large ears, they have a large brown to black nose. They have dense gray to grayish-brown fur, with white or cream markings.
The animal’s fur made them attractive to hunters which brought the species to the brink of extinction due to overhunting. This practice was discontinued in the mid-20th century, and efforts were made to preserve the remaining species. These efforts have been fairly successful, although their threatened status remains a concern due to habitat loss.
Koala populations also suffered where they were relocated. The population of Kangaroo Island has caused extreme overpopulation and disease. While efforts are being made to stop the population expansion, the overwhelming community support for the koala will not allow the animals to be killed. Relocation back to the Australian mainland was unsuccessful. Currently, strategies to reduce the population involve shooting hormone-filled darts at females to prevent reproduction.
The koala cannot be called an exceptionally intelligent animal. He has a very small brain that only occupies about 40% of his cranial cavity. On a typical day, she eats, sleeps, and cares for her young. While it has tremendous visual appeal, approaching a wild one is not recommended. They can be quite feisty, and their sizeable claws and strong bites should be avoided. Also, members of the continental population can suffer from chlamydia, which can be transmitted through a bite.
Although the koala is often called a koala bear, it is not related to bears. One of its main differences from bears is that it is a marsupial. It is much more closely related to the wombat and other marsupials of Australia and Tasmania.