Koala Bear - Phascolarctos cinereus

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Koala Bear - Phascolarctos cinereus

[Public Domain] 25 Jun 2005 Dylan O'Donnell
CATEGORY : Species
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Koalas are not bears. Like bears they are hominid mammals, but that is where the similarity ends. Like kangaroos, they are marsupial mammals distinguished from others by their ability to raise their young from embryonic stages within the pouch.

The name ”koala” is a phonetic bastardization from several versions of the name for the animal from NSW tribal aboriginal dialects.

Koala’s can be observed to be very docile creatures, sleeping up to 18 hours each day and eating a low-energy diet of gum leaves during their waking hours. Apart from the initial 12 months a koala spends with its mother, it will live independently without the need for family.

The Koala’s biggest threat is human population. As habitat is destroyed and competing non-native species allowed to use the remaining resources, this species is no longer common in Australia and has been listed as a threatened species. The loss of Australia’s mammal and monotreme populations is a tragedy.

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