Koala

Koalas are among the best known and the most loved animals of Australian animals. Although people sometimes call them a Koala bear, the koala has in no relation to the bear family. It is a marsupial, and is related to wombats, possums and kangaroos. The koala feeds almost completely on eucalyptus leaves.

Koalas are only found in Australia. They live in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

There are two main groups of marsupials:

• Those with six front teeth in the lower jaw;
• Those with two front teeth in the lower jaw;

Koalas belong to the second group because they have two front teeth in the lower jaw. Kangaroos, possums and wombats also belong to this group.

Koalas are very fussy eaters, feeding almost completely on the leaves of a few species of eucalyptus. Koalas rarely drink, as they obtain enough water from the diet of leaves.

The Koala sleeps in the branch of a tree for most of the day and moves about and feeds at night. It is most active just after sunset. The Koala can sleep for up to 20 hours per day, mainly because of their poor diet. They need all this time to digest their food. The quietest part of their day is around noon.

Sleeping allows them to conserve their energy.

Size: Male Koalas Grow up to 82 cm long. Female koalas grow up to 73 cm long.

Weight: Male koalas weigh up to 13.5 kg. Female koalas weigh up to 10 kg.

Growth period: 34-36 days

Life span: Their life span varies from 7 to 8 years.

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