Koala

Presentation

The koala is an arboreal marsupial endemic to Australia, often called the 'koala bear' although it is not a bear. This stocky animal has dense gray fur, a large rounded head, large rounded ears, and a characteristic black nose. Perfectly adapted to life in trees, the koala spends most of its existence perched in eucalyptus trees.

The koala has a stocky, muscular body with four short, powerful legs armed with sharp claws that allow it to grip branches firmly. Its coat is particularly thick and woolly, providing excellent thermal insulation. Its eyes are small and close-set, while its highly developed sense of smell allows it to select edible eucalyptus leaves among the many available species.

Characteristics

Indicative values: they vary by subspecies, sex and region.

Habitat and distribution

The koala lives exclusively in eucalyptus forests on Australia's east coast, mainly in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. It frequents open forests, mixed forests, and coastal woodland areas where its preferred food plants grow. The animal prefers areas with continuous tree cover that allow it to move from tree to tree without descending to the ground.

Behaviour

The koala is a nocturnal and solitary animal, spending the majority of its 20 daily hours of rest perched in trees. It is generally inactive during the day and wakes mainly at night to feed. Male koalas are territorial and mark their territory with glandular secretions. During mating season, males emit loud, hoarse calls to attract females.

Reproduction

Koala reproduction follows an annual cycle, with peak rutting occurring in September-October in the southern hemisphere. After mating, gestation lasts approximately 35 days. The female gives birth to a single young koala, called a joey, which measures only 2 cm and is completely hairless and blind. The young remains in the pouch for approximately 6 months, then clings to its mother's back for an additional 12 to 18 months.

Peculiarities

The koala has several remarkable peculiarities: its fingerprint is almost identical to that of humans, which has already caused confusion in criminal investigations. It also produces highly specialized 'milk' rich in proteins and sugars to feed its young. Finally, the koala almost never drinks water: it gets all the moisture it needs from the eucalyptus leaves it consumes, hence its aboriginal name 'koala' meaning 'who does not drink'.

Threats and conservation

The koala is classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN. The main threats facing the species include habitat destruction and fragmentation due to deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture. Diseases, particularly chlamydiosis, decimate wild populations. Climate change intensifies droughts and forest fires that devastate koala range areas. Predation by dogs and road accidents also pose significant threats.

References

UICN — Liste rouge des espèces menacées

Profile updated 08 August 2026 · Reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Vulnerable (VU)

IUCN source, latest published assessment.

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