07-01-03-113-s

Name: Subject: Themes - KS 2

Date: Sheet: Animals

Koala

Quick facts
Diet: Herbivore
Life span in the wild: 20 years
Size: 60 – 85 cm
Weight: 9 kg
Status: Threatened

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) spends most of its life in the trees, eating at night and
sleeping for up to 18 hours a day. It lives in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia.
The koala may look like a bear, but it is a marsupial (a mammal which carries its young in
a pouch).
Koalas have rough pads with sharp claws that they use for gripping the trees. They have
thick fur which protects them from hot and cold temperatures.
Female koalas give birth to their young after 35 days. Baby koalas are called joeys and
live in their mother's pouch for 5 to 7 months, feeding on her milk. After seven months
the joey leaves the pouch and clings on to its mother's back or belly. It stays with its
mother for up to a year until it becomes more independent and can survive on its own.
Koalas spend most of the night feeding on eucalyptus leaves. They eat about 1 kg of
leaves a day.
Habitat loss, traffic accidents and dog attacks are the major threats to a koala's survival.
These beautiful animals were hunted during the 1920s and 1930s, and their populations
decreased rapidly.
A single koala requires 100 trees!

© Primary Leap Ltd. 2012 www.primaryleap.co.uk - Primary Resources

 Score
8
07-01-03-113-s

Name: Subject: Themes - KS 2

Date: Sheet: Animals

Koala

Answer the following questions.

1. What is a marsupial?

___________________________________________________________________

2. What is the scientific name for a koala?

___________________________________________________________________

3. How many hours a day can a koala spend sleeping?

___________________________________________________________________

4. Circle the correct answer. A female koala gives birth to her young after...

a 25 days c 30 days

b 40 days d 35 days

5. What are baby koalas called?

___________________________________________________________________

6. When does a baby koala leave their mother's pouch?

___________________________________________________________________

7. What was the cause for the decrease in population during the 1920s and 1930s?

___________________________________________________________________

8. What are the main threats to a koala's survival?

___________________________________________________________________

© Primary Leap Ltd. 2012 www.primaryleap.co.uk - Primary Resources