Koalas

KOALAS

Koalas are marsupials, related to kangaroos. Most marsupials have pouches where the tiny newborns develop. A koala mother usually gives birth to one joey at a time.A newborn koala is only the size of a jelly bean. Called a joey, the baby is blind, naked, and earless. As soon as it's born, this tiny creature makes its way from the birthcanal to its mother's pouch.
Using the two well-developed senses it's born with—smell and touch—along with its strong front legs and claws and an instinct that tells it whichdirection to head, the baby koala reaches the pouch. There it stays, safely tucked away, growing and developing for about seven months.
After a baby has been in the pouchfor about six months, its mother begins to produce a special substance called pap. The joey feeds on this in addition to the milk it's already getting. Pap comes from themother's intestines and contains bacteria that the joey needs to have in its own intestines so that it can digest an adult diet of eucalyptus leaves.
At about seven months, thejoey leaves the pouch to eat leaves, but returns to it to nurse. By the time the joey is about one year old, it stops nursing and eats just leaves.
A female koala is pregnantfor only 35 days before giving birth; most of the joey's growth and development takes place in the mother's pouch.

Koalas spend as many as 18 hours a day napping and resting.Koalas smell like cough drops because of their diet of eucalyptus leaves.
Koalas have thick, grayish fur, with white on their chests, inner arms, and ears. They havelarge furry ears and leathery noses.

Koalas live in trees, sometimes coming down to the ground to seek shade or another tree. They occasionally jump from one tree to the next.