Koala

Koala Latest News

Scientists in Australia are deep-freezing koala eggs and sperm as a “genetic backup” to save the wild population from future extinction.

About Koala

• It is an iconic Australian animal. 
• Often called the koala “bear,” this tree-climbing animal is a marsupial—a mammal with a pouch for the development of offspring.
• Scientific Name: Phascolarctos cinereus
• It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae, and its closest living relatives are the wombats.

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Koala Habitat and Distribution

• The koalas live in eastern Australia and range from northern Queensland to southwestern Victoria. 
• They are primarily found in regions with abundant eucalyptus trees, which are essential for food and shelter.  
• Koalas are arboreal, remaining mostly in the branches of the eucalyptus trees, where they are able to feed and stay out of reach of their predators. 
• Generally solitary, individuals move within a home range of more than a dozen trees, one of which is favoured over the others. 

Koala Features

• It is about 60 to 85 cm long and weighs up to 14 kg in the southern part of its range (Victoria and South Australia) but only about half that in subtropical Queensland to the north.
• In both areas, they exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the males being larger. 
• Virtually tailless, the body is stout and gray, with a pale yellow or cream-coloured chest and mottling on the rump. 
• The broad face has a wide, rounded, leathery nose, small yellow eyes, and big fluffy ears.
• The feet are strong and clawed.
• They are slow-moving and sleep up to 18 hours a day.

Koala Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Vulnerable‘ under the IUCN Red List.

News: LS