Koalas are arguably one of the cutest animals in the world and are loved due to their teddy bear-like appearance, but did you know that koalas have another side to them that is extremely protective? This is one of many things that people do not realise about koalas as there is so much more to them than their adorable features. Here are 21 fascinating facts about koalas that we are sure will put a smile on your face.
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Koalas have fingerprints. Much like humans, each one of a koala's fingerprints is unique to them and this is crucial in helping scientists study koalas and track them.
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Koalas smell like eucalyptus. Female koalas have an odour that is similar to eucalyptus which acts as an insect repellent. This is different to the male koalas who have a stronger, wood smell.
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Koalas are picky eaters. They only eat from 50 of the species of eucalyptus trees. That being said they only eat from 1-3 of these regularly.
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Koalas eat a lot. Koalas eat around 1 and a half kilos of leaves every single night because they only absorb around a quarter of what they consume.
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Koalas sleep for around 18-20 hours a day. If you see a koala there is a high chance they will be sleeping as they aren’t often active during the day.
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Koalas are very independent. It’s not often that you will see koalas in big groups together, as they have boundaries which they all respect.
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Baby koalas are attached to their mothers. They spend on average six months in their mother's pouch and then another six riding on their back. They stay by the side of their mothers until another koala is born.
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Baby koalas are called Joeys.
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There is a day to celebrate koalas. The 3rd of May is known as Wild Koala Day and was made to celebrate the species and bring awareness to their habitat situation, which needs to be protected.
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Koalas are most commonly found in Australia and live in open eucalyptus woodlands.
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Koalas barely drink water. This is because they get the water they need from eucalyptus leaves, which is what their diet mainly consists of.
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Koalas are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep throughout the day and then they hunt for food in the nighttime.
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Koalas have been around for over 20 million years. There are fossils of koalas found in Australia dating back 20 million years.
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They have extremely sharp claws. This is so that the koala can climb up trees and be able to get a good grip on the bark.
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They sleep to save energy. Because koalas cannot store a lot of fat within their body, they have to sleep so that they do not waste any energy.
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They can run as fast as a rabbit. They are extremely fast runners, one reason for this is because they do not have a tail.
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You will hear the male koala be referred to as a buck, whereas a female koala is called a doe.
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Koalas live on average 15 years. That being said they are known to live much longer when kept in captivity.
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Male koalas are up to 50% larger than female koalas, making it much easier to distinguish the two from each other.
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Koalas are known to be peaceful animals that do not cause much commotion, but that being said they do communicate with one another through loud, hollow grunts which are hard to miss.
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There are three subspecies of koalas which include the Queensland koala, the New South Wales koala and the Victorian koala.
