Koala

Koala Latest News

A rapid koala rebound in southeastern Australia is also boosting their genetic variation, showing one way out of an extinction death spiral.

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. 
• 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. 
• The koala is confined to eucalyptus forests below 600 m.

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.

Source: SCI