They can climb by gripping a branch with their front paws and bringing their back paws up to their front. Then they move their front claws up and repeat this motion. This motion is very slow in order to conserve energy. They also sleep up to 18 hours each day. The koala has a very short tail, so it cannot be used to hold onto trees.
Female koalas have a pouch, a distinguishing characteristic of marsupials.
Males are up to 50 percent larger than females and have a broader face. The Koala has been known to feed on a large number of eucalypt and non-eucalypt trees. However, most of their diet is made up of only a few species of eucalypt trees. The koala eats about one pound of leaves each day. This feeding starts at dusk.