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koala, ( Phascolarctos cinereus), also called koala bear, tree-dwelling marsupial of coastal eastern and southern Australia classified in the family Phascolarctidae (suborder Vombatiformes).

The koala is about 60 to 85 cm (24 to 33 inches) long and weighs up to 14 kg (31 pounds) in the southern part of its range ( Victoria and South Australia) but only about half that in subtropical Queensland to the north. Virtually tailless, the body is stout and gray, with a pale yellow or cream-coloured chest and mottling on the rump. The broad face has a wide, rounded, leathery nose, small yellow eyes, and big fluffy ears. The feet are strong and clawed; the two inner digits of the front feet and the innermost digit of the hind feet are opposable for grasping. Because of the animal's superficial resemblance to a small bear, the koala is sometimes called, albeit erroneously, the koala bear.

The koala feeds very selectively on the leaves of certain eucalyptus trees. Generally solitary, individuals move within a home range of more than a dozen trees, one of which is favoured over the others. If koalas become too numerous in a restricted area, they defoliate preferred food trees and, unable to subsist on even closely related species, decline rapidly. To aid in digesting as much as 1.3 kg (3 pounds) of leaves daily, the koala has an intestinal pouch ( cecum) about 2 metres (7 feet) long, where symbiotic bacteria degrade the tannins and other toxic and complex substances abundant in eucalyptus. This diet is relatively poor in nutrients and provides the koala little spare energy, so the animal spends long hours simply sitting or sleeping in tree forks, exposed to the elements but insulated by thick fur. Although placid most of the time, koalas produce loud, hollow grunts.

The koala is the only member of the family Phascolarctidae. Unlike those of other arboreal marsupials, its pouch opens rearward. Births are single, occurring after a gestation of 34 to 36 days. The youngster (called a joey) first puts its head out of the pouch at about five months of age. For up to six weeks it is weaned on a soupy predigested eucalyptus called pap that is lapped directly from the mother's anus. Pap is derived from the cecum. After weaning, the joey emerges completely from the pouch and clings to the mother's back until it is nearly a year old. A koala can live to about 15 years of age in the wild, somewhat longer in captivity.

Studies suggest that there are five distinct populations of koalas, which began to diverge from one another sometime between 300,000 and 430,000 years ago. Formerly killed in huge numbers for their fur, especially during the 1920s and '30s, koalas dwindled in number from several million to a few hundred thousand, which substantially reduced the species's genetic diversity and that of four of the five individual populations, making the species susceptible to inbreeding. In the southern part of their range, koalas became practically extinct, except for a single genetically diverse population in Gippsland, Victoria. Some were translocated onto small offshore islands, especially Phillip Island, where they did so well that these koalas were used to restock much of the original range in Victoria and southern New South Wales. During the same period, some koalas were also introduced to Kangaroo Island, and later (during the 1950s and '60s) additional animals were introduced to several other coastal habitats in South Australia. Though once again widespread, koala populations and subpopulations are now scattered and separated by urban areas and farmland, which makes them locally vulnerable to extinction. Another problem is the infection of many populations with Chlamydia, which makes the females infertile.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has listed the koala as a vulnerable species since 2016. The species decreased in number by nearly 28 percent between the years 1984 and 2012, largely because of habitat loss and fragmentation, which made the animal more susceptible to vehicle strikes and predation by dogs. Devastating drought and bushfires during the late 2010s also contributed to the decline in the number of koalas, reducing the total by an additional 30 percent between 2018 and 2021. As temperatures increase and the drying effects of climate change become more pronounced in Australia, wildlife officials expect that the number of koalas will decline further in the coming decades.

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Koala | Appearance, Diet, Habitat, & Facts

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Koala, tree-dwelling marsupial of coastal eastern and southern Australia. It is about 60 to 85 cm (24 to 33 inches) long and weighs up to 14 kg (31 pounds) in the southern part of its range but only about half that in the northern part.

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Koalas are about 60 to 85 cm (24 to 33 inches) long and weighs up to 14 kg (31 pounds) in the southern part of its range (Victoria and South Australia) but only about half that in subtropical Queensland to the north. Virtually tailless, the body is stout and gray, with a pale yellow or cream-coloured chest and mottling on the rump. The broad face has a wide, rounded, leathery nose, small yellow eyes, and big fluffy ears. The feet are strong and clawed; the two inner digits of the front feet and the innermost digit of the hind feet are opposable for grasping.

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Scientific Name:

Phascolarctos cinereus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

20 years

Size:

23.5 to 33.5 inches

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

What is the koala?

The koala is an iconic Australian animal. Often called the koala "bear," this tree-climbing animal is a marsupial-a mammal with a pouch for the development of offspring.

Though koalas look fuzzy, their hair is more like the coarse wool of a sheep. They have two opposing thumbs on their hands, and both their feet and hands have rough pads and claws to grab onto branches. They have two toes, fused together, on their feet, which they use to comb their fur.

Habitat, behavior, and diet

Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests of southeastern and eastern Australia. When not sleeping, they're usually eating. They rely on the eucalyptus tree for both habitat and food. Koalas can eat more than a pound of eucalyptus leaves a day. Eucalyptus is toxic, so the koala's digestive system has to work hard to digest it, breaking down the toxins and extracting limited nutrients.

That's why koalas sleep so much- they get very little energy from their diet. Tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, koalas may sleep for 18 to 22 hours.

Koalas usually don't drink much water as they get most of their moisture from these leaves. Koalas can even store leaves in their cheek pouches for later. They eat so much eucalyptus that they often take on its smell.

Threats to survival

Koala numbers plummeted in the late 19th and early 20th century from hunting for their fur. Now they face serious threats from habitat loss. Land clearing, logging, and bushfires-especially the devastating 2019-2020 season -have destroyed much of the forest they live in. Koalas need a lot of space-about a hundred trees per animal-a pressing problem as Australia's woodlands continue to shrink.

Koalas are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which has named the species one of 10 animals most vulnerable to climate change. Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is decreasing the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves (which is already quite low) and causing longer, more intense droughts and wildfires. In response to drought, koalas are forced to stop napping and come down from the trees to find water, spending precious energy and putting them at a higher risk of predation.

Predators include dingoes and large owls. They're also at risk of getting hit by cars and attacked by dogs. Chlamydia is widespread in some koala populations and can cause blindness, infertility, and sometimes death.

Conservation

Koalas lost substantial portions of their habitat in the 2019-2020 bushfire season and have been identified by the Australian government as one of 113 animals requiring urgent help. Wildlife hospitals, rescue organizations, zoos, and volunteers have stepped up to care for injured koalas, with the goal of rehabilitating and releasing them back into the wild.

Ensuring there's the right kind of forest for them to return to is a priority. Though there are some koala sanctuaries and reserves, many live on private, unprotected land. There are conservation efforts by the Australia Zoo and others to buy large tracts of land to set aside for koalas, and state governments are also creating new koala reserves. Campaigns urging landowners not to cut down eucalyptus trees are also ongoing.

Research is another important component of conservation efforts. Understanding koala genetics, mating choices, and health will shed light on koala biology that's important for developing plans to better protect the species.

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Scientific Name: Phascolarctos cinereus Average Life Span In The Wild: 20 years Size: 23.5 to 33.5 inches Size relative to a 6-ft man: The koala is an iconic Australian animal. Often called the koala "bear," this tree-climbing animal is a marsupial-a mammal with a pouch for the development of offspring.

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Koalas have 5 digits on each front paw, two of which are opposed to the others, much like our thumbs are able to be moved differently from the fingers. This helps them to hold firmly, onto the branches and to grip their food. The 2nd and 3rd digits on their hind paws are fused together to form a grooming claw.