You might not know that even though we Koalaa are oftened referred to as "bears," we aren't bear at all! We are marsupials!

Marsupials are pouched mammals. Some other Marsupials include Kangaroos, Opossums, Thylacines, Tasmanian Devils, Wombats and Sugar Gliders. The average lifespan of the Koala in the wild is 20 years and our average weight is 20 pounds. Our main diet is eucalyptus leaves, and we especially at love to eat them at night. We are notorious midnight-snackers. We Koalas do not drink lots of water, but luckily there is a lot of moisture in eucalyptus leaves. Koalas have adapted a special digestive system that allows us to eat the eucalyptus leaves that are poisonous to many other creatures. Like all Koalas, I have a very low metabolism, which conserves energy and helps with digestion of the eucalyptus leaves.

We Koalas are solitary creature generally speaking, we don't live in family groups. But I do love to see all my mates at my BackYard! Koalas are listed as a "vulnerable" species in several states in Australia. While there were an estimated 10,000,000 koalas in the year 1900, there are about 100,000 left only 100 years later, with most living on private land according to the Australian Koala Foundation. Some estimates report that there are only 2,000 to 8,000 koalas in the wild with population having dropped by 90 percent in around a decade.

You might have notices that Koala’s front and rear paws each have five digits with sharp claws. Somewhat like humans our hands have opposable thumbs, much like a human’s thumb but we have two on each hand! Weird huh? This configuration of digits helps with climbing and gripping tree branches. Our two toes on their rear feet are joined together to form a ‘grooming claw’ useful for removing tics and combing their fur. My big toe doesn’t have a claw.

Our very large nose is one of our most important (and distinguishing) physical traits. My nose has a very highly developed sense of smell, which helps me tell what eucalyptus leaves are safe to eat!

So now, you know all about Koalas!