Koala Information Usually, koalas produce only a single young, rarely twins are born. At birth, the young is about 19 mm in length and weighs about 0.5 g. At 7 weeks, the young has a head length of about 26 mm. The head is large in proportion to the rest of the body. By 13 weeks, the young has attained a body weight of about 50 g and a head length of 50 mm. At about 22 weeks of age, the eyes open and the young begins to poke its head out of the pouch for the first time. By 24 weeks of age, the cub is fully furred and the first teeth erupt. At 30 weeks, the cub weighs about 0.5 kg and has a head length of 70 mm. It now spends most of the time out of the pouch clinging to the mother's belly. Some 6 weeks later, the cub weighs 1 kg and no longer enters the pouch. It spends much of the time sitting on the mother's back, but returns to the mother's belly in cold, wet weather and to sleep.

At 37 weeks, the cub moves from contact with the mother; the excursions were brief and quickly terminated if the mother moved. At 44 weeks, the cub still ventures less than a meter from the mother. By 48 weeks, the cub is more adventurous and no longer squeaked when the mother was removed. At this age, mother and cub are often seen sleeping back to back. The cub remains with the mother until about 12 months of age when it weighs a little over 2 kg. From: The Koala: A Natural History by Anthony Lee & Roger Martin Koala Physiology Unlike bears or seals, koalas do not rely on a layer of fat below the skin as a form of insulation. Blood flow to extremities in cold weather, as in humans, can be reduced, resulting in the conservation of heat. Shivering has also been observed in cold climes as a means of creating heat through rapid contractions of certain muscles. This seems to occur when outdoor temperatures drop below 10 degrees Centigrade. When temperatures exceed 25-30 degrees Centigrade, koalas use evaporative cooling in their airways to regulate body temperature by increasing respiration rates.

They can simultaneously reduce water loss by decreasing the amount of water in their urine. From: Koalas - Australia's Ancient Ones by Ken Phillips More Koala Facts Koalas don't live in families, but are solitary animals. Koalas sleep as long as 18 hours a day and have a low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves. Koalas are not "drunk" or otherwise intoxicated by their leaves. Although koalas obtain most of their water from leaves -- the name koala is thought to mean "no drink" in several native Aboriginal tongues -- they do occasionally drink water at the edges of streams. From: Koalas - Australia's Ancient Ones by Ken Phillips Taxonomy | Australian Koala Foundation Australian Koala Foundation Donate Here Taxonomy Taxonomic classification, or taxonomy, is used to help identify all living things, that is, all the different animals, plants and other organisms on earth, and to group them together with related species. Most of these groups, and the organisms grouped in them, have scientific names in Latin - other scientific names are from the Greek language.

The names have meanings which may relate to certain features shared by the organisms in that group or they sometimes reflect the names of people, such as early naturalists and explorers, often the ones who first discovered them. The organisms in each group all share some features in common with the other organisms in that group. For instance, if we see that an animal is classified in the Sub-class Marsupialia, we would know that it is a marsupial, and therefore a mammal which gives birth to very tiny young which attach to one of the mother’s teats and develop generally in the safety of a pouch. All living things are divided into seven main groups, called Kingdoms. Each of the seven Kingdoms is then divided into several smaller groups called Phyla (the plural of Phylum) then those groups are divided into even smaller ones again, and so on, each with less species. This means that as you get further down the chain of groups, there are more groups but less organisms in each group. All the animal species on earth are classified in the Kingdom Animalia. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION, or TAXONOMY, FOR THE KOALA.

Scientific name: Phascolarctos cinereus KINGDOM: It’s an animal. There are many thousands of species of animals (SAY: an-im-ay-lee-a) It has a spinal cord (SAY: cor-dar-ta) It has mammary glands to feed its young on milk and has fur.

(SAY: mam-ay-lee-a) Sub-Class: Marsupialia It gives birth to immature young which attach to a teat and develop in the safety of a pouch (SAY: mar-soop-ee-ar-lee-a) ORDER: Diprotodontia The second & third digits, or toes, on its hind feet are fused together, except for its claws, and it has a single pair of incisors, or sharp teeth, in its lower jaw (SAY: die-pro-to-don-tee-a) There are only 2 families of these – Koalas and wombats (SAY: vom-bat-ee-for-mays) The Koala is the only one (SAY: fas-co-lark-tid-ay) Koala SUB-SPECIES: Although many scientists describe 3 sub-species of Koalas, others say that there are only 2. There are some gradual differences in Koalas in their range from the north to the south which are likely to be adaptations to the differences in temperature in those areas.

Here are the sub-species identified by some scientists: Sub-species 1: Phascolarctos cinereus adustus - Northern or Queensland distribution Sub-species 2: Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus - Intermediate or New South Wales Distribution Sub-species 3: Phascolarctoscinereus victor - Southern or Victorian distribution – also includes Koalas in South Australia. Sub-species There appears to be some difference of opinion amongst the scientific community about whether there are 2 or 3 sub-species (or 'races') of Koalas, or even if there are any sub-species at all. Currently, two or three different sub-species are generally named: Phascolarctos cinereus adustus from northern Queensland, Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus from New South Wales and Phascolarctos cinereus victor from Victoria, with the NSW sub-species being the most debated. Taxonomic classification of these three sub-species is based on differing physical characteristics.

The main differences are that Koalas in the south are quite a bit larger than those in the north and they also have thicker, fluffier, often darker and sometimes brownish fur. They have most likely evolved or adapted in this way, in part, because the winters in the south are colder than in the north. The Koalas in the middle of eastern Australia fall somewhere in between these 2 extremes. The distribution of the three sub-species has not yet been defined but has been delineated by the state boundaries. More DNA research is showing that there are no clear boundaries for what, until now, have been considered to be different sub-species, but that there is a continuum from north to south. The most important thing is that Koalas across Australia need to be managed differently, according to their differing location needs. More information: Sherwin, W. B., Timms, P., Wilcken, J., and Houlden, B (2000) ‘Analysis and Conservation Implications of Koala Genetics’ in Conservation Biology, Vol 14, No 3, June 2000, p639.

The meaning of the scientific name for the Koala: Phascolarctos cinereus. ‘Phacolarctos’ comes from 2 Greek words: ‘phaskolos’ meaning ‘pouch’ and ‘arktos’ meaning ‘bear’. Cinereus means ash-coloured (grey). Of course we know now that Koalas are not bears, but in the days when the Koala was given its scientific name, around the time of European settlement just over 200 years ago, few people except the Aborigines (the native peoples of Australia), had ever seen a pouched animal (or marsupial). The scientists who gave the Koala the scientific name we know it by today were from Europe and the closest mammals they could relate the Koala to at that time were bears. Marsupials Marsupials are also known as metatherian mammals, and are one of three classifications of mammals. The others are the monotremes (the native Australian platypus and echidna are the only members of this group) and the eutherian, or placental, mammals to which all other mammals belong.

The most widely known characteristics of marsupials which differentiate them from other mammals is that, for most, after a very short gestation period, they give birth to immature young which then develop further in the protection of the mother’s pouch. Some species instead have protective folds of skin which may be permanent, or may only develop at the onset of reproduction. There are other differentiating characteristics as well. (For detailed information on the characteristics of marsupials, see ‘Metatheria’ on Animal Diversity Web.) There are just over 270 species of marsupials. About 72 of these are found in Central and South America, one, the opossum, in North America, and a few in Papua New Guinea. However, by far the largest number of marsupial species, around 200, are found in Australia. Australian marsupials include wallabies and kangaroos, including tree kangaroos, possums, Tasmanian devils, bilbies, quolls, numbats, phascogales, quokkas and many others, including the recently-extinct Tasmanian tiger (thylacine). The closest relative to the Koala is the wombat.

Where does the word ‘Koala’ come from? The many Aboriginal tribes spoke different languages and they had different names for the Koala. Just a few of these names were: colo, koolah, boorabee, karbor, colah, kaola, burrenbong and koolewong. You can see that some of these names are a little similar to ‘Koala’. It’s thought that the common name the Koala is known by today came from a word for the Koala in one of these languages. It’s commonly thought that it means ‘no drink’ in that language. Although they can drink if they need to, Koalas do not often need to drink as they get most of the moisture they need from the leaves they eat, as well as from dew and rain. However, other early settlers in some areas believed that the word ‘Koala’ used by Aborigines in those areas meant ‘biter’ or ‘angry’. Although we think of Koalas as being very gentle animals, they can bite and scratch during mating and if they are frightened, such as when they are injured or if someone tries to capture them. References: The Mammals of Australia, Ed.

Ronald Strahan, Australian Museum/Reed Books, 1998. Analysis and Conservation Implications of Koala Genetics. Sherwin, W.B., Timms, P., Wilcken, J., and Houlden, B. in Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No.3, June 2000 Koalas. The little Australian we’d all hate to lose. Bill Phillips. ANPWS. Aust. Govt. Publishing Service. 1990) The Koala Book, Ann Sharp, Australian Koala Foundation. David Bateman Ltd., 1995 About Koalas The Bare Facts about Koala P.c. cinereus (New South Wales) P.c. adustus (Queensland). Size: Size is larger in the southern regions. Head-body length in the south average 30.7 in./78 cm for males and 28 in./72 cm for females. Weight: Average 26 lbs/11.8 kg for southern males and 17.4 lbs/7.9 kg for southern females.

In the north, males average 14.3 lbs/6.5 kg; females 11.2 lbs/5.1 kg. At birth young weighs only 0.5 gm. (This is no typo; it is amazing how small they are at birth, about the size of a bee.) Fur: The fur of the koala in southern region is thick and woolly and is thicker and longer on the back than on the belly. Koalas in northern region have a short coat; this gives them a naked a ppearnace. The color and pattern of the coat varies considerably between individuals and with age. Coat: Thickest of the marsupials. Gray to tawny: white on the chin, chest, and forelimbs. Rump consists of tougher connective tissue dappled with white patches. Fluffy ears with longer white hairs. Coat is shorter and lighter in color toward northern regions. Gestation period: Koala: Taxonomy Phascolarctos cinereus victor - Southern or Victorian distribution – also includes koalas in South Australia.

SUB SPECIES There appears to be some difference of opinion amongst the scientific community about whether there are 2 or 3 sub-species (or 'races') of koalas, or even if there are any sub-species at all. Currently, two or three different sub-species are generally named: Phascolarctos cinereus adustus from northern Queensland, Phascolarctos cinereus cinereus from New South Wales and Phascolarctos cinereus victor from Victoria, with the NSW sub-species being the most debated. Taxonomic classification of these three sub-species is based on differing physical characteristics. The main differences are that koalas in the south are quite a bit larger than those in the north and they also have thicker, fluffier, often darker and sometimes brownish fur. They have most likely evolved or adapted in this way, in part, because the winters in the south are colder than in the north. The koalas in the middle of eastern Australia fall somewhere in between these 2 extremes. The distribution of the three sub-species has not yet been defined but has been delineated by the state boundaries.

More DNA research is showing that there are no clear boundaries for what, until now, have been considered to be different sub-species, but that there is a continuum from north to south. The most important thing is that koalas across Australia need to be managed differently, according to their differing location needs. More information: Sherwin, W. B., Timms, P., Wilcken, J., and Houlden, B (2000) ‘Analysis and Conservation Implications of Koala Genetics’ in Conservation Biology, Vol 14, No 3, June 2000, p639. MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR THE KOALA: PHASCOLACTOS CINEREUS ‘Phacolarctos’ comes from 2 Greek words: ‘phaskolos’ meaning ‘pouch’ and ‘arktos’ meaning ‘bear’. ‘cinereus’ means ash-coloured (grey).

Of course we know now that koalas are not bears, but in the days when the koala was given its scientific name, around the time of European settlement just over 200 years ago, few people except the Aborigines (the native peoples of Australia), had ever seen a pouched animal (or marsupial). The scientists who gave the koala the scientific name we know it by today were from Europe and the closest mammals they could relate the koala to at that time were bears. MARSUPIALS Marsupials are also known as metatherian mammals, and are one of three classifications of mammals. The others are the monotremes (the native Australian platypus and echidna are the only members of this group) and the eutherian, or placental, mammals to which all other mammals belong. The most widely known characteristics of marsupials which differentiate them from other mammals is that, for most, after a very short gestation period, they give birth to immature young which then develop further in the protection of the mother’s pouch. Some species instead have protective folds of skin which may be permanent, or may only develop at the onset of reproduction. There are other differentiating characteristics as well.

(For detailed information on the characteristics of marsupials, see ‘Metatheria’ on Animal Diversity Web.) There are just over 270 species of marsupials. About 72 of these are found in Central and South America, one, the opossum, in North America, and a few in Papua New Guinea. However, by far the largest number of marsupial species, around 200, are found in Australia. Australian marsupials include wallabies and kangaroos, including tree kangaroos, possums, Tasmanian devils, bilbies, quolls, numbats, phascogales, quokkas and many others, including the recently-extinct Tasmanian tiger (thylacine). The closest relative to the koala is the wombat. ORIGIN OF THE WORD ‘KOALA’ The many Aboriginal tribes spoke different languages and they had different names for the koala. Just a few of these names were: colo, koolah, boorabee, karbor, colah, kaola, burrenbong and koolewong. You can see that some of these names are a little similar to ‘koala’.

It’s thought that the common name the koala is known by today came from a word for the koala in one of these languages. It’s commonly thought that it means ‘no drink’ in that language. Although they can drink if they need to, koalas do not often need to drink as they get most of the moisture they need from the leaves they eat, as well as from dew and rain. However, other early settlers in some areas believed that the word ‘koala’ used by Aborigines in those areas meant ‘biter’ or ‘angry’. Although we think of koalas as being very gentle animals, they can bite and scratch during mating and if they are frightened, such as when they are injured or if someone tries to capture them. REFERENCES The Mammals of Australia, Ed. Ronald Strahan, Australian Museum/Reed Books, 1998. Analysis and Conservation Implications of Koala Genetics. Sherwin, W.B., Timms, P., Wilcken, J., and Houlden, B. in Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No.3, June 2000 Koalas. The little Australian we’d all hate to lose. Bill Phillips.

ANPWS. Aust. Govt. Publishing Service. 1990 The Koala Book, Ann Sharp, Australian Koala Foundation. David Bateman Ltd., 1995 Koala: The Animal Files Up to 15 Yrs (in Captivity) Main Characteristics Koalas are thickset arboreal marsupials. They have a body length between 65 and 82 cms (26 - 32 inches), a tail length between 1 and 2 cms (0.4 - 0.75 inches) and they weigh between 4 and 15 Kgs (8.75 - 33 lbs). Their fur is thick and grey. Their chin, chest and inner fore limbs are coloured white and they have a large leathery nose. Koalas have large ears that are fringed with white coloured hair and they have small tails. They have a pouch that opens to the rear and contains two teats to enable them to rear their young. Koalas have strong sharp claws and on their fore paws the first two digits oppose the other three to enable them to have a strong grip on branches as they climb.

Koalas are one of the few mammals (apart from primates) that have fingerprints and they are remarkably similar to human fingerprints. Koalas spend approximately 80% of their time sleeping, 10% eating and the remaining 10% just sitting. They are excellent climbers but are slow walkers when on the ground. They are generally quiet animals except during the breeding season when males bellow. Koalas have an unusually small brain, with approximately 40% of the cranial cavity being filled with fluid. They are the only animal on earth with such a strangely reduced brain. Habitat Koalas are found in the eucalypt forests of Eastern Australia. They are solitary animals that have a fixed home range . The size of a home range depends on the resources available. The ranges of dominant males will overlap with those of up to 9 females and subordinate males. Diet Koalas are herbivores and their diet consists almost entirely of eucalyptus leaves. They feed on leaves of 30 different species of eucalyptus and they also eat foliage from leptospermum, acacias and melaleuca.

They consume 500g (1.1 lbs) of leaves per day and they feed at any time, although mainly during the night. Eucalyptus is not the best choice of food for a herbivore as it is low in nutrients, difficult to digest and contains toxins. Koalas are adapted to this as they are able to detoxify the poison in their liver and they have the longest intestinal pouch ( caecum ) of all mammals. Their intestinal pouch reaches up to 7 m (23 ft) in length and it aids digestion. Eucalyptus leaves contain strong smelling oils that act as a bug repellent and keep the Koala free from parasites . Koalas obtain all the water they need from their food so they rarely need to drink. Breeding Koalas mate from November - March and after a gestation period of 35 days, 1 joey will be born. At birth they are hairless, blind, earless and they weigh less than 0.5 g (0.02 oz). During birth the joey crawls into its mother pouch and attaches itself to one of her two teats.

The joey will remain in its mothers pouch for about 5 - 6 months while it develops, and during this time it will feed only upon milk. At 6 months the joey will be weaned , and it will begin to eat partially digested vegetation in its mothers excrement called "pap". After 7 months the joey will leave its mother's pouch and cling to her back. They will become independent after 1 year but they will stay close to their mother for the first few months. Females become sexually mature at 2 - 3 years of age, males at 3 - 4 years of age. During the breeding season the males will constantly bellow to attract females, and scare off other males. The dominant males do most of the mating. Predators Predators of Koalas are dogs, foxes and dingos . They are most vulnerable to attack when they move along the ground between trees. Interesting Facts Koala is an aboriginal word meaning "no drink" Koalas are Australia's national emblem. Although they are often referred to as Koala Bears, they are not bears. Aboriginal names for Koalas include: Gula What does Phascolarctos cinereus mean?

definition and meaning (Free English Language Dictionary) Hypernyms ("Phascolarctos cinereus" is a kind of...): opossum ; phalanger ; possum (small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails) Learn English with... Proverbs of the week "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." (English proverb) "Wise enemy is better than a foolish friend." (Azerbaijani proverb) "However much fruit a tree gives, it humbles its head that much more." (Armenian proverb) "Through falls and stumbles, one learns to walk." (Corsican proverb) Related FAQs: Physical Characteristics of the Koala | Australian Koala Foundation Physical Characteristics of the Koala The Koala is a marsupial The Koala phascolarctos cinereus is an arboreal (tree dwelling), herbivorous (plant eating) marsupial. The word 'marsupial' comes from the Latin word marsupium, meaning 'pouch’ – most, but not all, female marsupials have a permanent pouch in which to raise their young.

When Europeans first came to Australia, they thought that Koalas looked like bears and in fact that they were bears so they were often called ‘Koala bears’. Not much, if anything, was known about marsupials at the time of European settlement and possibly no European had seen a marsupial prior to that. Some early settlers also referred to Koalas as ‘monkeys’ and some people still call one of the favoured Koala food trees in the south of Australia ‘Monkey Gums’. However, in an effort to educate people that Koalas are marsupials, we discourage people from using these incorrect names, especially ‘Koala bear’, which is in fairly common usage. Adaptations for a life in the trees The Koala is well suited to its life in the trees. Unlike other arboreal marsupials such as the tree kangaroo, the Koala does not have an external tail, although vestiges of a tail are still present in the skeletal structure of the Koala which indicate that at some time in its evolutionary history an external tail was present. It shares this feature with the wombat. Above: The Koala's closest relative is the common wombat.

Photo: Rose Darroch Despite having no tail, the Koala has an excellent sense of balance. Its body is lean and muscular and its comparatively long, strong limbs support its weight when climbing. The front and hind limbs are nearly equal in length and much of the Koala's climbing strength comes from the thigh muscle joining the shin much lower than in many other mammals. The Koala’s paws are specially adapted for gripping and climbing. Rough pads on the palms and soles help it to grip tree trunks and branches, and both front and hind paws have long sharp claws. Each paw has five digits. On the front paw, two digits are opposed to the other three, rather like a human's thumb, so they are both able to be moved in opposition to the other three. This allows the Koala to grip more securely. Distinctive parallel Koala scratch marks on tree trunks are due to this particular characteristic. On the hind paw, there is no claw on the biggest digit, which is opposable to the others for gripping, and the second and third digits are fused together to form a double-clawed digit which is used for grooming purposes, such as for removing ticks. Above Left: Front Paws.

Photo: Dick Marks Above Right: Hind Paw. Photo: Phillip Wright. The Koala’s fur - a protective "raincoat" Koalas have thick woolly fur which protects them from the extremes of both high and low temperatures, and which also acts like a 'raincoat' to repel moisture when it rains. The fur varies in colour from light grey to brown. Koalas in the south generally tend to have fur which is darker and thicker, and sometimes browner, than those in the north. These variations are gradual changes from north to south and there are some differences of opinion amongst scientists as to whether the variations mean that there are separate sub-species of the koala . Koalas have patches of white fur inside the ears, on their chin, chest and neck, inside the front limbs and sometimes on the back of the hind limbs, and usually in patches on their rump. Mature males are recognisable by the brown scent gland in the centre of their chest which they rub on the tree trunks to deter other Koalas, especially other males, from entering their home trees .

The fur on the Koala's rump is densely packed and provides an inbuilt 'cushion' for the hard branches it sits on. It has a speckled appearance, with patches of white fur, which makes Koalas harder to spot from the ground. How big are Koalas? Koalas in the south of Australia are considerably larger and have thicker, often browner fur than those in the north. These are likely to be adaptations to the colder winters in the south of the country. Southern Koalas Note: 1Kg = 2.2lb, and 2.54cm = 1 inch Source: The Mammals of Australia. Editor: Ronald Strahan, Australian Museum/Reed Books, 1998. (Page 196) A comparatively small brain size Although the Koala’s head is large in proportion to its body, its brain is not as big in comparison to those of other closely-related marsupials (in relation to their size), and it has less surface folding and larger hollows within the brain. It’s been suggested that a smaller brain uses less energy and that this could be an adaptation to allow the Koala to survive on its low energy diet.

(Source: The Koala. Natural History, Conservation & Management. Martin & Handasyde. UNSW Press. 1999. P53) Highly developed hearing and sense of smell The Koala's nose is one of its most noticeable features, being unusually large and covered in dark leathery skin. Koalas rely on their highly developed sense of smell to differentiate between types of eucalyptus leaves and, due to fluctuating levels of toxins in eucalyptus leaves , to detect the levels of toxicity in the leaves at any particular time. They also need to smell the scent warnings put on trees by other Koalas. It’s thought that the Koala’s keen sense of smell is already well developed at birth and assists the blind and immature newborn joey to find its way to the pouch, through the scent of the mother’s milk from the teats in the pouch. Koalas’ large ears are a feature of their appearance and, as Koalas live in populations where the individual animals live at relatively large distances apart, their keen sense of hearing is very important to their socialisation with other Koalas and to their survival.

Photo : Christiane Scheffler Vision Koalas’ eyes are relatively small in relation to the size of their other sensory features, such as their ears and nose, and their eyesight is not particularly highly developed. The differences between male and female Koalas Adult females are smaller than adult males and, as Koalas are marsupials, the females have a pouch in the centre of their abdomen with the opening more towards the bottom of the pouch than the top. The external genitalia are visible on a male Koala. One of the easiest ways to identify the sex of a Koala is to look for the dark brown scent gland which is located in the centre of the white chests of mature, breeding males. Females and young pre-breeding males have a plain white chest. The male Koala is often referred to as a ‘buck’ and the female as a ‘doe’. Right: Mature male showing sternal scent gland. Photo: Phillip Wright. The pouch Female Koalas have been described as having a ‘backward-opening’ pouch, in common with wombats and in contrast to an upward-opening pouch like kangaroos. However, that's not strictly true.

When a female Koala first gives birth to young her pouch opening faces neither up nor down, although it is located towards the bottom of the pouch rather than at the top. It faces straight outwards rather than ‘backwards’. It sometimes appears to be ‘backward-facing’ because when the joey is older and leans out of the pouch, this pulls the pouch downwards or ‘backwards’. The pouch has a strong sphincter muscle at the opening to prevent the joey from falling out. Left: The Koala’s pouch appears to be ‘backward-opening’ when the older joey puts its head out. The opening is towards the bottom of the pouch rather than at the top. Photo by Wendy Blanshard Koala body temperature The Koala's body temperature is consistently lower than most mammals, at 36.6 degrees C, and they have a low metabolic rate. Koala heart rate The resting heart rate of a Koala is anywhere between 70-140 beats per minute (it will depend on a range of factors, including the age of the Koala).

It can be difficult to measure a resting heart rate for a Koala as they have a sinus arrhythmia which means that their heart rate and their breathing get out of sync. This can cause fluctuations in the heart rate which aren't a reflection of the actual heart rate - resting or active. Koala fingerprints Koalas are the only other animal, like humans, that have individual fingerprints. A scientific study compared human and Koala fingerprints. Koala fingerprints are easily distinguishable from human ones but there are some similarities with human fingerprints. It was noted that each Koala has a different fingerprint from other Koalas, as in humans. More information on Koala fingerprints can be found here: Koala rib cage It’s a somewhat common misconception that Koalas don’t have a rib cage and that this is why they don’t like to be picked up. They do have a rib cage to protect their internal organs, of course.

However, while most mammals, including marsupials and primates like us, have 13 thoracic vertebrae and therefore 13 pairs of ribs (although in many animals the 13th vertebra doesn't have much more than a bump for a rib) Koalas have only 11 pairs, the least of any recorded marsupial species. They have a curved spine and a cartilaginous pad over the end of the spine which may make it more comfortable to sit on branches and in tree forks. Koalas are sensitive around their abdominal area and need something to grip onto when being picked up. A Koala should not be picked up under its arms like a toddler because it’s accustomed to gripping onto branches with its front paws, and it will feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. About Koalas Phascolarctus - definition of Phascolarctus by The Free Dictionary Phascolarctus - definition of Phascolarctus by The Free Dictionary (kō-ä′lə) n.

An arboreal Australian marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has dense grayish fur, large ears, and sharp claws and feeds chiefly on the leaves of eucalyptus trees. [Probably from misreading of earlier coola, koolah, from Dharuk gula, gulawany.] koala koala bear n (Animals) a slow-moving Australian arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctus cinereus, having dense greyish fur and feeding on eucalyptus leaves and bark. Also called (Austral): native bear [from a native Australian language] ko•a•la a gray, tree-dwelling Australian marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, resembling a teddy bear. [1800–10; erroneous sp. for earlier koola(h) < Dharuk gú-la] ko·a·la (kō-ä′lə) A tree-dwelling Australian marsupial that resembles a small bear. Koalas have grayish fur, large ears, and sharp claws, and they feed exclusively on leaves and shoots of the eucalyptus tree.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1. koala - sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark opossum , phalanger , possum - small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails Translations كوالاكوالا: حيوان أسترالي يُشْبِه الدب koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] N (also koala bear) → koala m koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] n (also koala bear) → koala m koala n (also koala bear) → Koala (bär) m koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] n (also koala bear) → koala m inv koala (bear) (kouˈaːlə) noun a type of Australian tree-climbing animal that looks like a small bear, the female of which carries her baby in a pouch.

koala(beer) كوالا: حيوان أسترالي يُشْبِه الدب коала coala koala der Koala(-bär) koala κοάλα koala koaala کوالا koala koala דוֹב קוֹאָלָה भालू जैसा जानवर koala koala koala kóalabjörn, pokabjörn coala コアラ 코알라 koala koala lācis beruang koala koala pungbjørn , koala koala كوالا coala (urs) koala коала koala koala koala koala หมีโคอาลา keseli ayı, koala 無尾熊 коала آسٹریلیا کا ایک کیسہ دار جانور جس کی مادہ بچوں کو تھیلی میں لے کر گھومتی ہے gấu túi 树袋熊（无尾熊） Phascolarctus cinereus

 - definition of Phascolarctus cinereus by The Free Dictionary Phascolarctus cinereus - definition of Phascolarctus cinereus by The Free Dictionary (kō-ä′lə) n.

An arboreal Australian marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has dense grayish fur, large ears, and sharp claws and feeds chiefly on the leaves of eucalyptus trees. [Probably from misreading of earlier coola, koolah, from Dharuk gula, gulawany.] koala koala bear n (Animals) a slow-moving Australian arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctus cinereus, having dense greyish fur and feeding on eucalyptus leaves and bark. Also called (Austral): native bear [from a native Australian language] ko•a•la a gray, tree-dwelling Australian marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, resembling a teddy bear. [1800–10; erroneous sp. for earlier koola(h) < Dharuk gú-la] ko·a·la (kō-ä′lə) A tree-dwelling Australian marsupial that resembles a small bear. Koalas have grayish fur, large ears, and sharp claws, and they feed exclusively on leaves and shoots of the eucalyptus tree.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1. koala - sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark opossum , phalanger , possum - small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails Translations كوالاكوالا: حيوان أسترالي يُشْبِه الدب koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] N (also koala bear) → koala m koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] n (also koala bear) → koala m koala n (also koala bear) → Koala (bär) m koala [kəʊˈɑːlə] n (also koala bear) → koala m inv koala (bear) (kouˈaːlə) noun a type of Australian tree-climbing animal that looks like a small bear, the female of which carries her baby in a pouch.

koala(beer) كوالا: حيوان أسترالي يُشْبِه الدب коала coala koala der Koala(-bär) koala κοάλα koala koaala کوالا koala koala דוֹב קוֹאָלָה भालू जैसा जानवर koala koala koala kóalabjörn, pokabjörn coala コアラ 코알라 koala koala lācis beruang koala koala pungbjørn , koala koala كوالا coala (urs) koala коала koala koala koala koala หมีโคอาลา keseli ayı, koala 無尾熊 коала آسٹریلیا کا ایک کیسہ دار جانور جس کی مادہ بچوں کو تھیلی میں لے کر گھومتی ہے gấu túi 树袋熊（无尾熊）

Question: Which marsupial has the Latin name Phascolarctos cinereus?
Answer: Koala