We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Pets

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Koala?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 25,759
Share

The koala is a tufted-eared marsupial, with its primary habitat in Australia. Some have been relocated to islands surrounding Australia, but most make their home in Eastern Australia. Evidence of koala populations in other parts of Australia exists, but most lost their habitat due to increased building and human encroachment on habitat. It is now considered a threatened species.

The koala is arboreal, which means they live in trees. They also have a slow metabolism, which is the reason they spend almost 20 hours of the day sleeping. At birth, they are minuscule, about the size of a jellybean. They also lack their trademark fluffy ears and eyes.

At about six months, the baby koala more resembles a mature one, and ventures out of the pouch to eat its mother’s excreted and digested eucalyptus. By a year, the baby will spend most of its time outside the pouch, and eat the primary diet of eucalyptus leaves, and occasionally bark.

A full-grown koala may be about 17 pounds (7.71 kg), though this varies according to sex. The adult is about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 - 0.91m). Males are larger than females.

The koala will reach sexual maturity at about two to three years of age, and the female will have about 12 babies in a lifetime, each born singly. Koalas in the wild live approximately 15-18 years. In addition to the large ears, they have a large brown to black nose. They have dense grey to grey-brown fur, with white or cream markings.

The animal's fur made them attractive to hunters who pushed the species to near extinction by overhunting. This practice stopped in the mid-20th century and efforts were made to preserve the remaining species. These efforts have been fairly successful, though their threatened status is still a concern because of habitat loss.

Koala populations have also suffered where they have been relocated. The population on Kangaroo Island has led to extreme overpopulation and illness. While efforts are underway to curb population expansion, overwhelming community support for the koala will not allow the animals to be killed. Relocation back to the mainland of Australia has not been successful. Strategies for reducing population currently involve shooting hormone filled darts at females to prevent reproduction.

The koala cannot be called an exceptionally intelligent animal. It has a very small brain that only occupies about 40% of its cranial cavity. On a typical day, it eats, sleeps and takes care of its young. Though it has tremendous visual appeal, approaching a wild one is not recommended. They can be quite grumpy, and their sizable claws and strong bite are to be avoided. As well, members of the mainland population may suffer from chlamydia, which could be transmitted through a bite.

Though the koala is often called a koala bear, it is not related to bears. One of its main distinctions from bears is that it is a marsupial. It has a much closer relationship to the wombat, and other marsupials of Australia and Tasmania.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By averagejoe — On Jun 14, 2008

According to my Snapple cap, only two animals have unique fingerprints -- humans and koalas!

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-koala.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.