Koala Facts for Kids

If you come across a cuddly, gray colored, bear like animal, but much smaller than a bear, then it is quite likely that what you have seen is a koala. This Australian animal is a small marsupial or pouched mammal, in which the female possesses an abdominal pouch (marsupium). Similar to a kangaroo, the pouch is used for carrying and feeding its young ones.

Koala Facts and Information for Kids

Koalas weigh about 15-20 pounds at maturity. They have thick, woolly fur, which helps in maintaining body temperature under harsh environmental conditions. Also, the fur repels water during rains. Though a koala resembles a bear in its physical attributes, it is not even a distant relative of bears. Or in other words, koala bears and true bears are totally different from each other. Some Australian koala facts are presented below:

True Arboreal: Koala is an arboreal animal, meaning it spends its entire life on the eucalyptus tree trunks. The trees not only provide food for the koalas, but they are also a resting place for them. On some days, they sleep on the branches throughout the daytime, for more than 19 hours.

Sexual Dimorphism: By sexual dimorphism, we mean the difference in characteristics between a male koala and a female koala. The adult female is smaller in size than the male koala. Speaking about the species diversity and facts about the koala, those inhabiting southern Australia are larger in size and darker in color than the northern ones.

Koala Habitat: Indigenous to the Australian states, koala habitat lies in the eastern coast and southern parts of Australia. The inhabiting areas have large and tall eucalyptus trees, which are important as food and sleeping place for koalas. The natural habitat of koala is found in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Koala Food: One of the amazing facts is its food and feeding habit. But, what do koala bears eat and what is so special about their diet. They are herbivorous and more than 90 percent food comprises eucalyptus leaves, which are less nutritious and fibrous. Nevertheless, the koala's digestive system is adapted to having eucalyptus leaves.

Koala Baby: So, what about baby koala facts? At birth, a baby koala (called joey) is pink, furless and weighs about 1/5 of an ounce. After birth, a joey remains in its mother's pouch for nearly six months. As soon as the young koala comes out of the pouch, it stays on its mother's back or clings to the abdomen for another 6 months.

Koala Lifespan: A healthy koala can live up to 10 years in the wild, provided that there is no shortage of food and favorable conditions are present. They prefer to remain in groups and choose areas, where eucalyptus trees are abundant. It is claimed that koalas take a long time to enter in areas, where a death has occurred or a dead koala is present.

Interesting Koala Facts for Children

• Koalas are nocturnal animals and they feed mostly at nighttime. On an average, they sleep about 16 hours a day.
• They are good climbers and can climb to about 150 feet tall trees. Similar to other arboreal animals, they leap from one treetop to another.
• For survival in woodlands, this fuzzy animal species requires a lot of space. It is suggested that a single koala needs 100 eucalyptus trees. So, you can imagine, the density of trees in the natural habitat.
• Excess consumption of eucalyptus leaves is poisonous for other animals. But, koalas have an exceptionally long gut that helps in breaking down the tough fibers.
• A koala can eat about 600 g to 1 Kg eucalyptus leaves per day. This is a huge amount, considering the small size of koalas.
• They keep a temporary stock of eucalyptus leaves in their pouches. They eat them any time, when they feel hungry.
• Koalas rarely drink water, as much of the moisture requirement is provided by the eucalyptus leaves. They need water in dry climates, and when there is shortage of food.
• The gestation period of koala is short, about 35 days. They give birth to their young ones, only once in a year. The infant koala becomes independent after about 1 year.
• Humans are directly or indirectly responsible for the declining population of koalas. Sometimes, they are attacked by dogs, otherwise koalas do not have natural predators.

In the 20th century, koalas were excessively hunted, especially for their fur. The population declined to such an extent that they were included in the endangered animals list. But, with conservatory steps taken up by the Australian government, their population has increased gradually. At present, it is estimated that more than 100,000 koalas thrive in the wild.