Koalas are the cuddly and reserved natives of Australia. They are marsupials like kangaroos, i.e. they have pouches to carry their young ones. The Koala population has been revived from near extinction, faced by it in the early 20th century. They were usually hunted for their soft furs. However, now the population has increased to a comfortable number. Their appealing teddy bear appearance makes them really lovable. Scientific name of Koala is Phasclarctos cinereus. This scientific term has arrived from a combination of words. Phaskolos is a Greek word meaning "pouch"; arktos means "bear" and cinereus is a Latin word that means, "ash-colored". |
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Koalas are nomadic animals, which travel over large areas to look for newer territories and mates. However, they are not very social and are shy by nature. Though they may appear to be but koalas are not koala "bears" since they are not a part of the bear family. They are marsupials. They are native to Australia, thriving mainly in New South Wales and Queensland. Koalas may seem clumsy in general because they sleep for about 19 hours a day but they are great swimmers and can run faster than a rabbit. They have big ears and long nose. The gray fur and white tufts on the sides of their faces add to their endearing charm. While an adult koala is about 15-30 inches in size, a baby koala when born is only 1 inch in size and blind at birth. Native Bear, as koala is popularly known, is a warm-blooded mammal with an average life span of about 20 or more. The koala lives on the East coast of Australia. Their usual perch is the eucalyptus trees.
Herbivores by nature, koalas can eat about 2.5 pounds of food in a single day. They feed on leaves of gum trees such as eucalyptus, Liquidambar or Nyssa. Koalas are found all along eastern coast of Australia: From Adelaide to Northeastern Australia in Queensland, between the gulf of Carpenteria and Coral Sea and also in Cape York Peninsula.
Due to their cuddly appearance and shy nature, they have been part of popular culture as stuffed toys, Quantas Airlines' mascot in TV commercials, an innocent cute little character of Hollywood movies, etc.
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