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Koala
The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a thickset arboreal
marsupial herbivore native to Australia, and the only extant representative
of the family Phascolarctidae.
The Koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern
Australia, from near Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula.
Populations also extend for considerable distances inland in regions with
enough moisture to support suitable woodlands. The Koalas of South
Australia were largely exterminated during the early part of the 20th
century, but the state has since been repopulated with Victorian stock. The
Koala is not found in Tasmania or Western Australia.
The Koala is broadly similar in appearance to the wombat (its
closest living relative), but has a thicker coat, much larger ears, and longer
limbs. The Koala has large, sharp claws to assist with climbing tree trunks.
Weight varies from about 14 kg (31 lb) for a large southern male, to about
5 kg (11 lb) for a small northern female. The Koala's five fingers are
arranged with opposable thumbs, providing better gripping ability. The
first two fingers are positioned in apposition on the front paws, and the
first three fingers for the hind paws. he Koala is one of the few mammals
(other than primates) that has fingerprints. Koala fingerprints are similar to
human fingerprints; even with an electron microscope, it can be quite
difficult to distinguish between the two. The teeth of the Koala are adapted
to their herbivorous diet, and are similar to those of other diprotodont
marsupials, such as kangaroos and wombats. They have sharp incisors to
clip leaves at the front of the mouth, separated from the grinding cheek
teeth by a wide diastema. The male Koala, like many marsupials, has a
bifurcated penis. The female has two lateral vaginas and two separate
uteri, which is common to all marsupials.
The Koala lives almost entirely on eucalypt leaves. This is likely to
be an evolutionary adaptation that takes advantage of an otherwise unfilled
ecological niche, since eucalypt leaves are low in protein, high in
indigestible substances, and contain phenolic and terpene compounds that
are toxic to most species. Like wombats and sloths, the Koala has a very

low metabolic rate for a mammal and rests motionless for about 16 to 18
hours a day, sleeping most of that time. Koalas that are disturbed are
known to be violent, their teeth and claws capable of causing considerable
injury to humans; special handling requirements are as such applicable.