Koalas are marsupials
Marsupials are a special group of mammals who give birth to very immature young. Most marsupial females have a pouch where the infant suckles from its mother’s teat. Two thirds of the world’s marsupial are found in Australia.
Koalas aren’t bears!
Koalas were often referred to as ‘koala bears’ in the past, but they are not a bear at all. The term has largely fallen out of fashion in Australia, and foreigners who wrongly call koalas a bear are usually corrected. In fact, koalas are more closely related to kangaroos and wombats.
Koalas get most of their nutrients from eucalyptus leaves
Koalas are fussy eaters, and of Australia’s 700 eucalyptus species koalas will eat the leaves of only 50. They prefer the tender moist tips of new growth, and because they only absorb around 25% of the leaves nutrient content, they need to eat 500gr to 1kg of leaves a day.
Koalas get their water from eucalyptus leaves
Koalas usually obtain their hydration from the eucalyptus leaves they consume as these leaves contain about 50-55% water. This allows koalas to survive without needing to drink water frequently.
Koalas often have a sexually transmitted disease
Sadly, koalas are very susceptible to chlamydia: a devastating disease. Transmitted mostly through sexual contact—as it is in humans—some koala communities have an incidence rate of 100%.
Chlamydia is the second greatest killer of koalas after cars. Although treatment with antibiotics is often used, this can interfere with the sensitive gut flora of a koala and sometimes leads to death.
Koalas love to sleep
Some would think that this is the ultimate lifestyle. A few hours of eating and then 18-22 hours sleep! Koalas may have evolved to sleep so long because of their low energy diet of gum leaves. But this gives them plenty of time to relax during the hot Australian weather.
Koalas have fantastic hearing and sense of smell
The koalas’ sense of hearing and smell may have developed so well because of their poor eyesight. Good hearing helps them to hear predators and other koalas, and their keen sense of smell helps them choose the best leaves for their nutritional needs.
Koalas make many different sounds
Baby koalas yip and squeak to call their mum. Male koalas grunt to call females. Quite frankly, koalas are a noisy bunch and can make a variety of sound from grunts, screeches and bellows. They even snore when they’re asleep. Check out the video below and be amazed.
Koalas eat poison
Eucalyptus leaves contain many poisons, some similar to cyanide. Koalas are unique in that they have developed a specialised digestive system which isolates the toxins and eliminates them through their urine and faeces.
Koalas are an endangered species
As of February 2022, the combined koala populations of NSW, QLD and ACT was listed as endangered. Contributing factors include land clearing and habitat loss, disease, pollution and hunting.
Further Reading
https://friendsofthekoala.org/
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/koalas?
https://environment.desi.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/fact