Special Sub-Topic: How Much Can A Koala Bear? Click Here To Play: How Much Can A Koala Bear?

What did the early Australian settlers refer to koalas as?

Bears. The early Australian settlers called koalas 'bears' or 'native bears', which they are not. They are, of course, marsupial mammals - the only member of the family Phascolarctidae. The name 'koala', purportedly meaning 'no drink’, was derived from a now extinct Aboriginal dialect, 'Dharuk', from New South Wales.

Koalas have roamed the land we now know as Australia for between 15 and 20 million years. What is the biggest noticeable difference between Australia, the land, then and now?

Forests were more widespread. Fossil history of koalas covers a period of between 15 and 20 million years (with koala-like animals noted as far back as 25 million years). Way back when, forests were once widespread in central and northern Australia.

Which of the following do koalas NOT prefer to eat?

Chewing Gum. Koalas are fastidious eaters, choosing the leaves of only a smallish number of the over 600 (known) types of eucalypt (gum) trees found in Australia. Eucalyptus leaves are fibrous and contain little nutritional value and are poisonous to most animals. But with their very slow metabolic rate and specially adapted digestive system, koalas can detoxify the poisonous chemicals in the leaves and extract the maximum energy value from the approximately 500g to 1 kg they eat per day.

Koalas, on average, sleep 14.5 hours per day. What is the other main pursuit of koalas in the wild?

Resting. According to a study conducted in 1985, koalas average 14.5 hours of each day asleep, a further 4.8 hours resting (but awake) and 4.7 hours eating. They didn't mention the mating bit . . . but koalas are somewhat reclusive.

At what time of the day do koalas prefer to eat?

Dusk. Koalas tend to feed at various times of the day, but prefer the hours immediately before and after dusk, spending 20 minutes to 2 hours at a time munching away on 'gum' leaves.

In which two Australian states are there no indigenous koalas?

Tasmania and Western Australia. The koala, in the wild, is found along the east coast of mainland Australia, from eastern South Australia to Queensland. An adult male koala can weigh up to 14 kg and a female up to 11 kg, with heavier animals from southern areas (they've adapted to cooler temperatures with increased body weight and thicker fur). Koalas in the north of the country are noticeably smaller.

Which of the following is the koalas' closest living relative?

Wombat. The koala is similar in appearance to the wombat, but has a thicker coat (which is not very soft), much larger ears and longer limbs. It is thought that the wombat and koala shared a common ancestor, approximately 25 million odd years ago.

What does the koala possess that is similar (even when viewed under a microscope) to that of humans?

Fingerprints. The koala has fingerprints that when viewed, even with electron microscopes, are similar to those of humans; it can be quite difficult to differentiate between the two. The koala is one of a very few mammals (aside from all primates) that has fingerprints.

Koalas are threatened by which of the following?

All of these (Land clearing, Dog attacks, Road trauma). Since the time of the early settlers, nearly 80% of Australia's eucalypt forests have been decimated by land clearing for human expansion which has resulted in the loss of koala habitat. Injury or death from road trauma and injury or death from dogs relates to an estimated 4000+ koalas dying per year. Further, the effects of chemicals in waterways, bushfires and increased competition for food and territory due to overcrowding create stress making koalas more susceptible to disease. The biggest threat to the koala population is we humans.

Approximately 2 million koala pelts were exported from Australia at the height of their slaughter in 1924. Which of the following occurred some time after this slaughter?

Total protection of the species. Many millions of koalas were slaughtered in the 1920s for their thick fur until concerns about possible extinction led to total protection of the species in the late 1920s. However, the koala was still a source of fur to trade, and up until the 1930's, millions of koalas were shot for their pelts. Although koalas are protected by law, around 80% of their remaining habitat is privately owned land and next to none of it is protected by law. Internationally, the koala is listed as 'potentially vulnerable'.