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Habits
Koalas are nocturnal, sleeping up to 16 or more
hours a day (in the fork of a tree). They start to become "active" after
sunset. The noise that they make when communicating with other koalas is
referred to as "barking" by some while others describe a "bellowing" noise.
They are also very territorial.
The male koala marks his territory by rubbing his chest against a tree, leaving a particular scent behind.
Koala Diet
They eat predominantly Eucalyptus leaves but there are
12 different types of Eucalyptus trees that can provide their food. This means
that koalas in different areas might be eating different types of leaves
according to the tree species growing in that district.
They eat something like 200 to 500 grams of leaves a
night, some eating up to a kilogram.
They get most of their water needs from the Eucalyptus
leaves as well except in time of drought when they can be observed drinking
water directly.
Breeding
The female koala is usually 3-4 years old before
starting to breed and then can expect to have anywhere between 5 and 6 babies
in her lifetime. Breeding is once a year, producing one baby after a gestation
period of 35 days. (More than one is extremely rare.)
The baby koala is called a "joey" and measures about 1
to 2 inches long. It's eyes are closed at birth and the body without fur. Like
the kangaroo, the baby koala crawls into its mothers pouch after birth where
it stays for the next 5-6 months, suckling its mother’s milk. It sometimes
stays longer if the next season does not bring another baby waiting its turn
in the pouch. Once leaving the pouch, the joey rides on its mother's back
until about 1 year of age.
Lifespan
Koalas can live up to 17 years of age, the females usually living longer than the males.
Koala Population
It is said that the population of koalas has dropped by 90% in less than a decade!
It is estimated that there are probably about 100,000 koalas left.
Koala Habitat
Destruction of the koala habitat is one of the biggest threats to survival of the koala. | 
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