The Koala

Often called a "Koala Bear", Koalas aren't bears at all. They are marsupials, a group of animals with pouches like a kangaroo. In fact, a baby Koala is called a Joey, just like a baby kangaroo. The scientific name of the Koala's genus is Phascolarctos, from the Greek phaskolos meaning pouch, and arktos meaning bear. People referred to the Koala as a bear so that others who didn't know what a Koala looked like would have some vision of the animal.


Koalas do look like Teddy bears, all cute and cuddly. They have sharp claws on their hands and feet. Koalas' hands have five fingers each, including two thumbs, which let the Koala grip tree trunks as it clumbs up. They have ridged skin on the bottom of its feet to give them traction for climbing. Strong muscles help the Koala climb 150 feet to the tope of a tree, and allows it to jump from treetop to treetop.

The Koala eats only the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The leaves are poisonous to most animals, but Koalas have special bacteria in their stomachs that allow them to digest the leaves. They sleep as much as 18-20 hours during the day and wake up at night to go up the trees to eat.

In the early 20th century, the Koala was hunted for its fur almost to extinction. With the public made more aware of the importance of the Koala as one of the symbols of Australia, the number of Koala have slowly increased. Today, they are put on the THREATENED SPECIES list. This does not mean that the Koala is safe from harm. There are always threats to the survival of the Koala:

1. Habitat loss - Koalas need a lot of space, about 100 trees per animal, and a healthy connected forest for food. A Koala will tavel long distances to look for food and for a mate. As the land gets smaller and smaller, the Koala's environment is threatened.

2. Presence of people and civilization - The most common reason for Koala deaths are from cars and dogs. As people take over the Koala's habitat, there will be more cars and more pets that may harm the Koala, even if by accident.

Koala Fast Facts
Scientific Name: Phascolarctos Cinereus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Height: 2 to 2.8 feet
Weight: 20 pounds
Range: Eastern Australia
Diet: Eucalytpus leaves

To make an origami of the Asian Tapir, click on the image or here.