Description
The silver grey of the koala shines against the deep green of its surroundings. The native koala are an endearing symbol of Australia. Its roundish, tailless body, round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose are easily recognizable. Though sometimes inaccurately called a bear, its closest living relative is the wombat. The koala is found in coastal areas of the mainland’s eastern and southern regions, typically in open eucalypt woodlands. Because their diet of eucalypt leaves is low in nutrition, they sleep up to 20 hours a day. They are nocturnal and so seem dreamy by day.
Adult male koalas communicate with loud bellows intended to scare off rivals and attract mates.
They are not sociable and bonding exists only between mothers and dependent offspring. Being marsupials, koalas give birth to underdeveloped young called “joeys” that stay in their mother’s pouches for the first six to seven months of their life.