Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
Quick answer
The koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial native to eastern Australia, famous for its diet of eucalyptus leaves and for sleeping up to 20 hours a day. Despite often being called a bear, it is a marsupial that carries its young in a pouch. Wild koalas typically live around 13 to 18 years.
Koala facts at a glance
| Scientific name | Phascolarctos cinereus |
|---|---|
| Diet | Herbivore (eucalyptus specialist) |
| Habitat | Eucalyptus forest and woodland |
| Lifespan | 13–18 years in the wild |
| Weight | 4–14 kg (9–31 lb) |
| Top speed | About 30 km/h (19 mph) over short bursts |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Diprotodontia |
| Family | Phascolarctidae |
| Genus | Phascolarctos |
A specialized leaf diet
Koalas eat almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves, which are tough, low in nutrients, and toxic to most animals. A special digestive system lets koalas break down these leaves and neutralize the toxins. Because the diet provides so little energy, koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day to conserve it.
Life in the trees
Koalas are superbly adapted to life in the canopy, with strong limbs, rough paw pads, and two opposable thumbs on each front paw for gripping branches. They rarely come down to the ground, where they are slow and vulnerable, and they get most of their water from the moisture in leaves.
Raising a joey
Like other marsupials, koalas give birth to a tiny, undeveloped joey that crawls into the mother's pouch to keep growing. After about six months it begins riding on her back. Young koalas eat a special form of their mother's droppings to gain the gut microbes needed to digest eucalyptus.
Conservation
Koalas are listed as Vulnerable, and populations in parts of eastern Australia are declining sharply. Habitat loss, bushfires, disease, vehicle strikes, and dog attacks are the main threats, and protecting and replanting eucalyptus forest is central to their recovery.
Frequently asked questions about the Koala
Is a koala a bear?
No. Although it is often called a koala bear, the koala is a marsupial, not a bear. Like kangaroos, it carries and nurses its young in a pouch.
What do koalas eat?
Koalas eat almost exclusively eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are tough and toxic to most animals, but koalas have a specialized digestive system that lets them break them down safely.
Why do koalas sleep so much?
Koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day because their eucalyptus diet provides very little energy. Resting for most of the day helps them conserve what energy they have for digestion and movement.
Are koalas endangered?
Koalas are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and some populations in eastern Australia are declining steeply due to habitat loss, bushfires, and disease.
Do koalas drink water?
Koalas get most of their water from the moisture in eucalyptus leaves and historically drank rarely. During heatwaves and droughts, however, they are increasingly seen drinking from water sources.
