Mammal Stereotypes - Koalas - 19 - Page 1

Cute, cuddly, clever, wise

The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae, and its closest living relatives are the wombats. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is easily recognizable by its stout, tailless body; round, fluffy ears; and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60-85 cm (24-33 in) and weighs 4-15 kg (9-33 lb).

Koalas typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet. Because this eucalypt diet has limited nutritional and caloric content, koalas are largely sedentary and sleep for up to 20 hours a day. Being marsupials, koalas give birth to underdeveloped young that crawl into their mothers' pouches, where they stay for the first six to seven months of their life.