Koalas are amazing animals that many people mistakenly call “koala bears,” but they aren’t bears at all! They are marsupials, which means they are warm-blooded mammals with fur that feed their babies with milk.
Marsupials are special because they have pouches where they carry their babies after they are born. Koalas, like kangaroos, have these pouches. This is where their tiny babies, called joeys, grow and stay safe for several months.
When a baby koala, or joey, is born, it is very tiny—about the size of a jellybean! At first, it has no fur and its eyes and ears are closed. The joey stays in its mother’s pouch for about six months, growing and developing. After that, it rides on its mom’s back or belly for another six months, learning and staying protected.
Grown-up koalas are usually between 24 to 33 inches long (that’s about 60 to 85 centimeters) and can weigh up to 33 pounds (around 15 kilograms). Female koalas are generally smaller than the males.
Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They love eating eucalyptus leaves, which make up most of their diet. Even though there are about 600 kinds of eucalyptus trees, koalas are picky eaters and munch on leaves from only about 120 types. Usually, a koala will eat leaves from just 4 to 6 different trees.
These trees are not only their food but also their home. Koalas are great at climbing because they have short, curved claws and two thumbs on their front paws, which help them grip branches. They don’t drink much water because they get most of it from the leaves they eat. In fact, the word “koala” comes from an Aboriginal word that means “no drink.”
Koalas are known for being quite sleepy! They spend most of their time in the trees, snoozing for about 18 to 22 hours a day. This is because digesting eucalyptus leaves takes a lot of energy. Even though these leaves are poisonous to many animals, koalas have special tummies that help them eat the leaves safely.
Koalas aren’t endangered right now, but they do face some big challenges. In the past, they were hunted for their soft fur, but now there are laws to protect them. However, their homes are being destroyed, which is a big problem. Each koala needs about 100 eucalyptus trees to have enough food. As more trees are cut down, it becomes harder for koalas to find a place to live.
To keep koalas happy and healthy, it’s important to protect their homes and the eucalyptus forests they need. By learning about koalas and taking steps to help them, we can make sure these unique animals are around for a long time.
