The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), sometimes called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae. Its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the island’s eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is easily recognizable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, dark nose.
Would you like to know more about koalas? Here are some fun facts to get you koalafied!
1. They can sleep up to 18 hours a day
The koala may sleep or rest for up to 18-20 hours every day while being tucked into the fork of the tree. Their extraordinary sleeping habit is believed to be an adaptation to their leaf-based diet, as they get very little energy from just eating leaves. Hence, koalas need more rest and sleep than most mammals to conserve their energy in dry environments such as the Australian bush.
2. Koalas can live up to 15 years in the wild
The lifespan of koalas, along with their body sizes, can differ between sexes. Male koalas can be identified by their clearly visible scent gland in the middle of the chest and they are also much larger than female koalas. Male koalas usually live up to 12 years, whereas females of this species can live for much longer, up to 15 years.
3. They have an excellent sense of smell
Koalas rely heavily on their sense of smell to make better food choices and detect other koalas’ scent markings on trees. They are notoriously selective feeders, using their prominent, leathery nose to differentiate toxin levels in eucalyptus leaves and choose the juiciest, most nutrient rich ones—wild koalas have been observed to sniff leaves before tasting them.
4. Koala means ‘no drink’
The word “koala” is thought to originate from one of the Australian Aboriginal languages, Dharug, which roughly translates to ‘no drink’ or ‘no water’. And this might explain why. In the Australian bush, koalas rarely drink water as the majority of their water intake comes from eating fresh eucalyptus leaves. Koalas drinking water is uncommon in the wild, although they can do so if necessary, especially during heat waves, droughts or bushfires.
5. Koalas are born hairless, blind and without ears
An infant koala is called a joey, just like a baby kangaroo. When a koala joey is born, they are the size of a peanut and even without any sight or hearing ability, they’re able to use their natural instincts to immediately climb up to their mother’s pouch. Once they reach the pouch, they will remain there for the next six months while they grow and develop.
6. They’re fussy eaters
Koalas survive on a diet of eucalyptus leaves and can eat up to a kilogram (over two pounds) a day! They may eat a lot, but they’re also picky eaters. In fact, koalas eat fewer than 50 of over 700 eucalypt species. And they choose their leaves wisely – those at the top of the tallest trees contain more liquid and nutrients.
7. Koalas like to spend their time alone
Koalas are solitary animals and stay within overlapping ‘home ranges.’ Each koala has a different sized range, depending on gender, age, social position and habitat quality. Dominant males tend to have large home ranges, and these areas are often highly respected by neighboring koalas. Female koalas generally stay in the same territory as where they were born, while male koalas (with the exception of a few dominant and larger males) are travelers.