Koala Phascolarctos cinereus

The Koala is native to eastern Australia. It is often called the Koala Bear but it is not a bear, despite similar appearance, but a marsupial related to the Wombat.

Male and female have a similar appearance but males are larger and females have a pouch for the baby (joey) to develop.

Koalas are mainly tree-dwelling, living in Eucalyptus trees and eating the leaves. The low-energy diet means that they spend much of their time sleeping (some 20 hours/day).

Some sources split the three koala populations into subspecies but recent DNA evidence indicates that they are probably just different races since koalas are fairly sedentary, some not moving far from their home tree. The northern race, from Queensland (photos in second and third rows taken in Queensland) and sometimes called P. c. adjustus, is generally smaller and a paler grey. The southern race, from Victoria (photos in first and fourth rows) and sometimes called P. c. victor, are generally larger, reflecting their colder climate, and with a shaggier, browner coat. The nominal race from New South Wales is midway between the two.