The koala is the only existing representative of the family Phascolarctidae. This cuddly animal is found in the coastal region of eastern and southern Australia.

The koala resembles a bear but is a marsupial or pouched animal just like kangaroos. It has soft, wool-like fur that is gray above and whites below the neck. It is a small, round animal weighing about 30 pounds and on average about 2 feet tall. The koala has a lifespan of about 17 years.

It is an arboreal animal which means that koala lives on trees and prefers to be alone. Its sharp claws and nimble feet help to hold on to the branches.

Koalas are a nocturnal animal, which means that it is active mainly at night. A Koala will spend the majority of its day – about 22 hours – sleeping in its eucalyptus tree. Its sharp claws and nimble feet help to hold on to the branches, even when it is asleep. The remaining two hours when it is awake, it feeds on eucalyptus leaves. A koala never needs to drink water; it gets enough liquid from its food.

Koala reproduces once a year. Gestation continues for 35 days. A koala mother gives birth to one joey at a time. The baby koala is as small as a jelly bean. The baby is blind and earless on birth. After birth, the tiny joey makes its way from the birth canal to its mother’s pouch where it stays for five to seven months until it becomes independent. As an infant, it is carried on its mother’s back or clings to her belly, accompanying her everywhere until it is about a year old.